Cultural encounters in Mount Elgon national park

Cultural encounters in Mount Elgon national park: Situated in the northeastern part of Uganda in Mbale district, Mount Elgon national park is surrounded by tribes Bagisu and Sabiny. As thousands of tourists explore Mount Elgon national park to hike the magnificent mountain, there are some who choose to do cultural tours by visiting the local people who live nearby.

Mount Elgon national park and its surroundings have been for long homes to the Bagisu people and Sabiny people. While the Bagisu people have traditionally inhabited the areas around Sipi falls and Mbale town, the Sabiny stay on the slopes of Mount Elgon in Kapchorwa on the Uganda Kenya borders.

The Sabiny people

The Sabinyi people are some of the tribes living around Mount Elgon national park. The Sabinyi people live on the land found at the borders of Uganda and Kenya. The Sabiny are also known as Sebei who speak Kupsabiny language. They are part of Kalenjin ethnic group of people found in both Uganda (Kapchorwa) and Kenya (Uasin Gisho Plateau).

A visit to the Sabiny people will give tourists an opportunity to know their origin and more about their culture. Originally, the Sabiny were living in Kenya but when the Kenya Uganda birder was established they separated into two groups one staying in Uganda and another going to Kenya. The Sabiny of Uganda stayed on the lower slopes of Mount Elgon in Kapchorwa where tourists can find them.

Visiting the Sabyiny people will enable you know about their culture. These people do not believe in God and so they pray to their good and evil spirits. To be a full member of the sabiny group you must carry out certain rituals for example the boys between the age of 18 to 20 years are circumcised. Who on a visit to their community, you will meet local leaders who will tell you more about their culture.

The Bagisu people

The Bagisu also known as Bamasaba are farmers living on the slopes of Mount Elgon national park around the Sipi falls areas. They do speak the Lugisu language and they are known for coffee farming and Imbalu circumcision which happens every after 2 years in the month of August.

The Bagisu originally belonged to the Bukusu a subgroup of the Luhya living in the western part of Kenya. If you visit the Bagisu people in August you can be one of the luckiest to see how Imbalu is done. Tourists who are interested in farming are able to know how the whole coffee farming and production is done.

Other activities to do before or after cultural encounters in Mount Elgon national park

Hiking Mount Elgon

Mount Elgon is the reason thousands of tourists visit Mount Elgon national park. Found on the eastern side of the park, Mount Elgon is 4321 meters making it the second tallest mountain in Uganda. Thousands of hikers from different parts of the world visit the park to hike the magnificent mountain up to Wagagai peak which is the tallest peak.

Hiking is a daily activity done by hikers with valid hiking permits and physically fit for the activity.  The activity starts with a briefing where hikers are taught the rules and regulations of hiking and then armed ranger guides are assigned to lead the groups to and from the summit. Armed ranger guides and hikers drive to the starting point of any trail to be used and here porters are always ready to carry excess luggage at a fee.

Armed ranger guides lead the hikers and make sure they are safe throughout the activity. The hikers climb up the mountain seeing different attractions along the way which include animals, birds, vegetation, rocks, water sources, and much more. It takes 4 to 5 days for one to complete the whole hike and each day has its own beautiful views.

Reaching the summit of Mount Elgon is never easy but the physically fit ones who get to reach there have an opportunity of being at the top of the second tallest mountain in Uganda. They also get to see the largest caldera lake in the whole world and also the hot springs that are on its sides, Hikers are allowed to take photos and record videos all throughout the hike.

Bird watching

With over 300 bird species recorded in Mount Elgon national park, tourists on a cultural tour who are interested in bird watching can do it inside the park. Bird watching takes tourists to different parts of the national park that are said to be harboring a big population of birds. The activity is a guided one led by armed ranger guides who make sure you are safe throughout the activity.

Bird watching in Mount Elgon national park will introduce birders to species such as Elgon francolin, Eurasian blackcap, red-winged starling, pale flycatcher, grey wagtail, streaky seedeater, African blue flycatcher, white-browed robin chat, malachite sunbird, mosque swallow, spotted flycatcher, bronze sunbird, African stonechat, ring-necked dove, northern fiscal, Angola swallow, chubb’s cisticola, meyer’s parrot.

Abyssinian crimsonwing, mountain yellow warbler, red-capped robin chat, white-starred robin, baglafecht weaver, brown-capped weaver, collared sunbird, black goshawk, African penduline tit, common bulbul, red-billed oxpecker, red-rumped swallow, green-backed camaroptera, ross’s turaco, pin tailed whydah, cape robin chat, white-headed sawing, slender-billed greenbul, western house martin, brimstone canary.

When to visit Mount Elgon national park for cultural encounters

Mount Elgon national park is open for all tourism activities throughout the year but there are months that are better than others. The dry season months from June to September and December to February are the best to visit the park because they are characterized by little rainfall and plenty of sunshine which favors the activity.

During the dry season, the walking trails/hiking trails within the park are muddy and slippery which eases the movement of people. The vegetation is short and scattered with clear views of different attractions in and around the national park and the roads leading to the park are in good condition.

Tourists can still visit Mount Elgon national park during the rainy season which happens from March to May and October to November. This season favors the budget travelers who love discounted tour packages but all people should know that there is plenty of rainfall in the park. The hiking trails are muddy and slippery, vegetation is tall with unclear views of attractions, and roads leading to the park are in poor condition.