Best hotels in Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth National Park isn’t exactly busy, but if you’re looking for some real solitude, head south to the Ishasha sector for a few nights in the aptly named Ishasha Wilderness. The camp does exactly what it says on the tin and does it really rather well at that - this is bona-fide eco-camping in a pristine spot, where hippos snort languidly in the river and elephants wallow in the shallows. The style is simple (but very comfortable) and the emphasis on good-living, with hearty Euro-Ugandan cuisine on the menu, cold beers on tap and smiling faces all round.

Named after Ava Gardner's sassy character in the classic film 'Mogambo', this chic safari camp embodies sophistication in the wild. Perched on the southern bank of the Kazinga Channel within Kyambura Game Reserve, Honey Bear is the sole camp inside this exclusive corner of Queen Elizabeth National Park. With just five beautifully appointed tents overlooking the water, you'll wake to hippos grunting and elephants coming down to drink mere metres from your bed. The camp serves as a perfect base for chimpanzee tracking in the mysterious Kyambura Gorge, boat safaris along the channel, and game drives through Uganda's most popular park.

Perched 941 metres-above-sea-level on the Albertine Rift's western escarpment, Elephant Plains Lodge claims one of Uganda's most spectacular viewpoints. Set on 80 acres of pristine wilderness within Queen Elizabeth National Park, the lodge sits so close to the equator that the monument is visible from every angle. With Lake Kikorongo on its doorstep where elephants gather each evening to drink, and panoramic views stretching across the Kasenyi Plains to Lake George, this is what being in the wilderness is all about. The lodge's grass-thatched cottages blend seamlessly into the landscape, while solar power and locally-sourced materials keep the environmental footprint to a minimum.

Buffalo Safari Lodge is located near the magical Kazinga channel, 1km off Kasese-Mbarara road. Queen Elizabeth Park, Uganda. The resort lies in 25 private acres of wilderness, a serene environment full of spectacular flora and fauna – elephant, buffalo, hippo, warthog, and many bird species, all at the glance of an eye.

Located just 2 km from Katokye Gate of Queen Elizabeth National Park’s Ishasha Sector, Ishasha Jungle Lodge offers the perfect blend of comfort and wilderness. Nestled along the Ntungwe River, the lodge sits in a unique ecosystem of savannah and riparian forest, where elephants wander by and lions are often seen resting in the branches of giant fig trees.