Sipi falls

Sipi falls are one of the most famous waterfalls in Uganda situated eastern side of the country in Kapchorwa district. The falls are found on the northwestern slopes of Mount Elgon outside the boundaries of Mount Elgon national park. Sipi falls, Ngasire falls and Simba falls get their waters from Mount Elgon.

Hiking Sipi falls

Hiking Sipi falls is one of the things to do while on a safari in the eastern part of Uganda especially by tourists who are visiting Mount Elgon national park. The falls can be seen from a distance for one to get so close they need to go hiking which is a guided activity by guides from the villages around the falls.

A guide to help you get to the falls is very affordable and every tourist needs one because there are no clear hiking trails to the Sipi falls. The local guides know the different routes to take and get you to the Sipi falls since they are locals in around the village. Apart from showing you the way to the falls, these guides can also help you carry excess luggage.

A hike to thefalls takes 3 to 4 hours with the time taken depending on the speed of hikers. The journey is about 7km long and involves passing through local farms and using ladders at some points. When it’s a rainy season, the hiking trails are muddy and slippery giving hikers a difficult time.

If tourists want to see all the waterfalls which are Sipi falls, Ngasire falls and Simba falls then they have to use the route from Budadiri and join Sasa trail to reach Ngasire falls before descending down to Sipi trail and then to the falls. There are hiking who are interested in seeing only the falls which are the main falls.

Sipi falls

Sipi falls are the main falls on the slopes of Mount Elgon and these attract lots of tourists visiting the eastern side of the country. The Sipi falls drop at about 95 meters hence becoming the highest waterfall of the three. Most hikers stop at these falls even though hiking to other falls is adventurous. There is a big rock at the top of Sipi where tourists pose for photography and videos of the falls flowing.

Ngasire falls

The second tallest fall is the Ngasire falls which flows for about 85 meters from the top. The Ngasire falls are the topmost falls and hikers should know that they will need some extra hiking to get to them. At the Ngasire falls, on a good sunny day when the sun and the mist combine a rainbow forms. From Ngasire falls, hikers get to see Mountain Elgon, Karamoja plains, and Lake Kyoga.

Simba falls

Simba falls is the second falls when hiking but the shortest when we are talking about flowing. Simba falls flow from a height of 75 meters. To get to Simba falls you pass through caves which were once homes to people and now homes to the bats. Hikers can stand near the entrance of the caves and watch the water flow.

What other activities can tourists do at Sipi falls

Apart from seeing the falls, tourists can see Ngasire falls and Simba falls on the slopes of Mount Elgon. After seeing the falls, if tourists love farming they can visit the Bugisu arabica coffee farms and see how different coffee is grown and processed. Bagisu are some of the tribes that live around Mount Elgon and their main crop grown is coffee.

A visit to their farms will give you an opportunity to know different information about coffee farming and production. Coffee grows at altitudes 1550 to 1910 meters above sea level on fertile volcanic soils. During your visit to the coffee farmers, you will be given an opportunity to pick a few coffee berries, remove shells, grind, roast, and come up with fine coffee.

A cultural walk is another activity tourists can do after hiking to the Sipi. There are two tribes living on Sipi falls which are Sabiny and Bagisu so the tourists who are interested in cultural tourists can visit any of the tribes to know more about the local people. One of the things good to see in the Bagisu people is circumcision (Imbalu) which is done at certain times of the year. Circumcision is one of the things that makes one a man according to the Bagisu. When Imbalu is being done, the locals dance around the village to different songs, and the whole thing is called Kadodi

Getting to Sipi falls

Sipi falls is found in Kapchorwa eastern part of Uganda on the way to Mount Elgon national park. it’s about 4 to 5 hours from Entebbe the starting point of most safaris in Uganda to Sipi falls in Kapchorwa. The journey from Entebbe goes through Kampala, Mukono, Iganga, and then Kapchorwa.

When to visit Sipi falls

Tourists can visit the falls at any time of the year but the dry season is the best time for the activity. June to September and December to February are the best times to visit Sipi falls because they have little or no rainfall which keeps the hiking trails dry and easier to walk through. Tourists can still visit the falls in the rainy season but too much rainfall will make the hiking difficult since the trails will be muddy and slippery.