Sipi Falls – Mount Elgon National Park

Sipi falls is located on the foothills of Mount Elgon national park in the Kapchorwa district. This is one of the most inspiring and beautiful attractions in Eastern Uganda. Bagisu is the group of people that live in this particular area and most of them grow Arabic coffee on the slopes of Mount Elgon. This type of coffee grows at an altitude of between 1,600m and 1,900meters.

Tourists to Sipi falls also get a chance to go for coffee tours to know more about coffee farming, processing, and roasting and at the end of the day, they get to enjoy a cup of locally made coffee. Profits made from these tours are extended to help in developing community projects.

Location of Sipi Falls

Sipi falls are located 280kilometers from Kampala in a small trading center on the North East foot slopes of Mount Elgon at an altitude of 1,775metres. It is 55kilometres from Mbale on a well-tarmacked road, on a village overlooking the 99metres high of the Sipi falls. The name Sipi was derived from the word ‘sep’ which means a wild banana-like plant that grows along the banks of River Sipi. Sep is a medicinal plant for curing diseases like measles and fever.

Mount Elgon national park

Size

Three waterfalls were separated by steep hillsides in Kapchorwa near the Kenyan border and the main waterfall drops at an altitude of 95meters hence creating magnificent as well as beautiful scenery.

Activities at Sipi Falls

A range of activities take place in this region and these include the following;

Hiking Sipi Falls

This is usually done around the Sipi falls and this offers the tourist to see as far as the Karamoja plains hence creating stunning views. The three or triple waterfalls that sit at the foothills of Mount Elgon are considered a starting point for most hikers. The upper two falls drop from 85meters to and 75meters and the most captivating waterfall drops at more than 100meters and this is considered the main attraction of this area.

The morning mini rainbow also creates beautiful scenery.

Agrotourism

Here you get to enjoy what is called agro-tourism and this involves paying a visit to the coffee farmer in this particular region.

An experienced guide will help you to organize this type of tour and here you will start with picking the coffee berries, unshelling them, grinding with a traditional mortal, roasting, and at the end of the tour, you get to enjoy a cup of coffee. This gives you the opportunity to also get in touch with the local people as you get to learn about their day-to-day hustles. This coffee tour contributes much to the locals in that most of the proceeds go to helping to develop some community projects like the construction of schools and hospitals.

Abseiling in Sipi Falls

This activity is usually done at Chebonet falls elevated at 1,272meters above sea level. During the exercise, you are involved with descending down the slopes with a friction device and rope, also referred to as rappelling. Make sure you carry with your comfortable shoes and a helmet for this exercise.

Mountain Biking

This is for visitors who are flexible with the biking exercise. It provides an opportunity to do biking on the lower slopes of Mount Elgon and view the green coffee plantations which create a unique and beautiful scenery of the area, together with the three waterfalls and the views of the Karamoja plains. This activity also takes you through the local community where you get to pass through the local community and get to learn about their daily lives.

Sipi Falls in Mount Elgon national park

Bird watching in Sipi Falls

Mount Elgon is home to over 450 bird species that include the Afro tropical highland biome species. This is therefore a great destination for bird lovers as this region is less densely populated together with less human activity. Examples of birds include the Black-collared Apalis, Jackson’s Francolin, swallows, and Falcons among others.

Community visits

This is mostly for those tourists who want to experience more about the African culture. Bagisu is considered to be having a rich culture and still hold the circumcision commonly referred to as “Imbalu’ in the local language. Make it a point to visit the local community and get to learn more about their tradition, lifestyle, and social setting as well as taste their local food.

Visiting Mount Elgon national park.

Mount Elgon national park is located 34klometres from Sipi falls and a lot of attractions can be seen in the park for example bushbucks, bush pigs, elephants, spotted hyenas, buffalos, black and white colobus monkeys, velvet monkeys, and red-tailed monkeys among others. This is one of the least explored national parks in Uganda hence the best to experience nature.