These are water falls located in the foot hills of Mountain Elgon and at the edge of mountain Elgon national park.
It is in the small trading center of sipi at an altitude of 1775m on the north eastern footsteps of only 55km from Mbale to Kapchorwa in the Eastern part of Uganda.
The name Sipi was derived from a wild plant called Sep that familiarly looks like a banana. It grows at the banks of the river called Sipi and it is believed to cure fever and measles to the people around.
Tribes and culture.
The Sabiny and the Bagishu are the tribes that natively stay and settle in the areas where the sipi falls are located. They majorly grow Arabica coffee in large quantities of an altitude of 1600 to 1900metres. Tourists also go and have coffee tours in the area where this is grown and by the help of the native guides they are welcomed and taught all about coffee and how it is grown
How to get to Sipi;
From Kampala to Sipi falls using road transport, it’s a distance of 275km that approximates to 5hours and 20minutes via Mukono, Jinja, Iganga, Tororo and Mbale.
Alternatively a flight of 20 minutes can be taken to jinja then use road transport for more 3 hours to access the Sipi falls.
FALLS.
There are three falls that make up the sipi falls. Each of the falls has a different altitude;
The first ones are called the Simba Falls they plunge with the height of 85metres and the second largest of the three falls.
The second ones are the smallest due to the low volumes of the water that flows. They are referred to as the Ngasire Falls. They plunge in a length of 65 meters. They are always having low quantities of water but the volumes increase usually in the rainy season.
The third ones are the ones referred to as the main Sipi falls due to the big and the large volumes of water emitted from the top. The water plunges at a height of 100 meters to form a plunge pool down on the surface.
Activities done;
The Sipi falls are always good to visit between the months of June to August and December to March
- Hiking;
Hiking takes 3hours depending on the energy of the tourists due to the muddy slopes due to the wetness of the area daily caused by the water from the river Sipi and the falls. Most of the tourists follow banks while hiking to always stay on track. This also takes them to the farmlands of coffee and the local community.
- Swimming;
A swimming costume should be a requirement while heading out to the sipi falls. Swimming is done at the foot of the falls where a plunge pool is formed and the water gets calm. Thus making it easy for the swimming and also making it an enjoyable adventure for the tourists that go to visit the sipi falls.
- Coffee tours;
The Bagishu and Sabiny around the area of Sipi falls majorly grow Arabica coffee in large quantities of an altitude of 1600 to 1900metres. Tourists also go and have coffee tours in the area where this is grown and by the help of the native guides they are welcomed and taught all about coffee and how it is grown
- Caves and excursions;
There are caves nearer to the sipi falls that are believed to have been settled in by the ancient people and they have paintings with in them that signifies the settling in of the early generations
- Climbing to the top of Wagagai peak on mountain Elgon
This is also an empowered and big expedition that the tourists can’t miss. Mountain Elgon climbing is a fun and fascinating adventure that one would love to participate in. the climbing is done by the visitors accompanied with the guides that will ensure safety
- Bird watching.
This is the best area of interest for the bird watchers. Because at the sipi falls area, there is a variety of the birds that ranges to approximately 450 species with in the flora around in the area. Birds for example. Black collard apallis, mustached green tinker bird, black shouldered kite and the long tailed harllock.
