Lake Edward - Rift Valley lakes in Uganda

Lake Edward is located in western Uganda on the border between Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo, it is shared by both countries. The lake is situated with in Queen Elizabeth National park in the western branch of the East African Rift Valley. Few kilometers south of the Equator. Lake Edward ranks the 15^th among the Sizable lakes in Africa and the smallest rift valley Lake in Uganda. Sir Morton Stanley was the first European explorer to see the lake in 1888 and he named it Lake Edward after the Prince of Wales, called Prince Albert Edward the 7^th he was the son of Queen Elizabeth the 2^ndwho later became the King Edward VII. Lake Edward is bordered by Virunga Mountains of DRC, Swamps in the northeast like Rutshuru, Rwindi, River Ishasha Swamps and in the northwest bordered by Semuliki River Valley Game Reserve

Lake Edward has a surface area of 2325 km²(898 sq. mi), a water volume of 32.5 km³ (9.5 cu mi), a maximum length of 77 km ( 48 mi) and Maximum Width of 40km (25 mi). the lake’s major inlet are River Ishasha, Rutshuru, Nyamugasani, Ntungwe and Rwindi River, though the most significant is Rutshuru River and empties into Semuliki River which is linked to the Nile river. Fishing is a popular activity among the locals living around Lake Edward, it is home to a number of fish species like Bagrus Docmak, Oreochromis Leucostictus, Oreochromis niloticus, Haplochromis, Haplochromine species among others. There is a number of fauna around lake Edward which include Chimpanzees, Elephants, Crocodiles, Lions and a number of migratory and water bird species

History of Lake Edward

The lake was named in 1888 by Sir Morton Stanley and later in 1973 the lake was renamed Lake Idi Amin by Uganda and Zaire (DRC) after the by then Ugandan President Idi Amin Dada and later in 1979 after his reign it regained its name Lake Edward. Lake Edward was the center of an Oil Dispute in 2014, there were plans to redraw the boundaries of the Virunga National Park in order to extend the Lake boundaries by the SOCO International for the Oil dispute but because the lake is a World Heritage as well as the Park this could go against the rules if World Heritage Conservation hence failing

Activities at Lake Edward

Kazinga Channel Cruise

You pride yourself on a boat cruise on the Kazinga channel that divided Lake Edward and George, it is believed that these two lakes were once one but the lava that flowed from Maya-ya-Moto and Nyamurangira volcanoes flowed into and ended up dividing them into two. During the cruise you will have beautiful scenery of the Lake’s nearby environment and wildlife like Hippos, Buffaloes, Crocodiles, Elephants and countless bird species in the lake’s boarding national park.

Visit Queen Elizabeth National park and view wildlife.

The lake is bordered by one of Uganda’s big National Park Queen Elizabeth national parks, and the park is home to tree climbing lions that drive tourists from all over the world to gaze at them. The park is also home to other wildlife species and birds like lions, leopards, Uganda Kobs, Elephants, Hippos, Buffaloes, Crocodiles, Wild pigs among others, primates like black and white colobus monkeys.

Bird watching

Lake Edward is home to a number of various perennial and wandering bird life, making it a great destination for bird lovers. They can be spotted in the sky and shores ‘playground.

Fishing

Fishing is a popular activity by the local people, you can also be given a chance to grab your self-dinner. The lake is home to fish species like Bagrus Docmak, Oreochromis Leucostictus, Oreochromis niloticus, Haplochromis, Haplochromine species among others.

Beautiful Scenery

The other attraction is the beautiful scenery and landscape around the lake

HOW TO GET TO LAKE EDWARD

Lake Edward can be accessed both by road and air transport;

By Road;

Embark on a 6hour drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park using a private safari vehicle through Bushenyi for 420 km, through fort portal to Kaseses is 410 km on reaching the park then drive to in the park to Lake Edward.

Travelers can also use buses found in the bus park near Nakivubo Stadium in Kampala

By Air;

Book a charter flight from Entebbe international Airport to the Airstrips in the Queen Elizabeth National Park either Mweya, Kasese or Ishasha depending on where your accommodation is located and then drive to Lake Edward.

BEST TIME TO VISIT THE PARK

Lake Edward is open to visitor all year round though the best time to visit is during the dry months of June to September and December to January respectively during these months the roads are less muddy and accessible, During the wet season it’s the best time for birdwatching and everything is at an affordable price but the park is difficult to drive through to the lake and most animals may not be spotted at the lake because water is everywhere.

WHERE TO STAY AROUND LAKE EDWARD

Being the lake is next to one of the major tourist attractions in Uganda, there is a number of accommodation facilities ranging from Budget, Midrange and Luxury and some include Mweya Safari Lodge, Njovu Park Lodge among others