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href="../safaris/east-africa-safaris/"> Rwanda Gorilla Treks, Primate Tours, Monkeys and Cultural Safaris
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 Short Uganda hiking, scenery and primate viewing safaris Mount Elgon, Sipi Falls tour4 DAYS Relaxation, scenery and waterfalls (4 days, 3 nights) SIPI FALLS and MT. ELGON NATIONAL PARK. In the foothills of Mount Elgon you will find the Sipi Falls - three beautiful waterfalls. You can simply enjoy the view or take a guided walk to one or more of the falls themselves. As well as the dramatic scenery, this area has a strong cultural identity, as it is the only area in Uganda where the circumcision ceremony continues to be performed. Day 1: Travel from Kampala to the base of Mountain Elgon near Sipi, and stay in one of the cabins overlooking the Sipi Falls. Day 2: Walk with community guides to the waterfalls of Sipi and enjoy the amazing scenery. Day 3: Breakfast then move to the Forest Exploration center for a nature walk in the forest . After, relax or complete the three waterfalls and learn more about this areas’ culture. Day 4: Drive back in the direction of Kampala and make a stop over at the Mabira Forest, either for a walk. Enjoy the forest with beautiful birds, butterflies and monkeys. The sounds of the forest will accompany your nights’ sleep. Please inquire for actual prices for this tour. Most Certainly you can get something for your budget. Included : all tour activities as indicated above, accommodation in hotels and lodges as indicated on programme, All meals as indicated on detailed itinerary, sightseeing as noted in the trip itinerary, park fees, entry fees, boat fees, Airport transfers, ground transportation and support vehicles, additional guides/porters where appropriate, 2 litres of bottles water per person in the vehicle, and at Gorilla Forest Camp, you included is unlimited consumption of all alcoholic and soft drinks; laundry services, a complimentary massage.
Mt. Elgon is a 4,321m high extinct volcano which a million years ago stood taller than Kilimanjaro does today. Although the mountain straddles the Uganda-Kenya border, its loftiest peak, Wagagai, lies within Uganda.Mt. Elgon was declared a National Park in 1993 and was approved as a UNESCO Man and Biodiversity Reserve in 2005. Elgon's slopes support a rich variety of vegetation ranging from montane forest to high open moorland studded with lobelia and groundsels. The vegetation varies with altitude. Traditionally, the most popular destination in the Mount Elgon area is Sipi Falls, which also offers a good range of accommodation for all budgets and several day walking possibilities outside the national park. The Mount Elgon Exploration center at Kapkwai is however, a more worthwhile goal for those with a strong interest in natural history, but also more costly as park visitation fees must be paid. Mount Elgon offers hikers plenty of alluring prospects. The lovely waterfall at Sipi, accessible from Mbale in less than hour. The nearby Mount Elgon Exploration Center at Kapkwai is a great base for day hikes on the footslopes of the Elgon massif. And more adventurous travellers might want to explore the less seldom-used but scenic road leading past Sipi to Saum on the Kenya border.
Elephants and buffalo can be found on the lower mountain slopes. The park is also home to a variety of antelope and monkeys, including the Black-and-white Colobus and Blue Monkey. At least 305 birds can also be found in the area, including the endangered Lammergeier, African Goshawk, and Baglafecht Weaver. Maathai's Longleg an endangered dragonfly was discovered here in 2000 and named after Nobel Prize winner Wangari Mathaai. Sipi Falls The Sipi river rises on the upper slopes of Mount Elgon before cascading down the foothills over 7kms to form a series of four plenty waterfalls culminating in a 99m drop at an altitude of 1,775km outside the small trading center of Sipi, 60km from Mbale town by road. Overlooking the main waterfall is a trio of resorts and campsites that cater to all budgets and make an agreeable base for gentle day walks in the sorrounding hills, with their spectacular views over Kyoga basin and glimpses of the nearby Elgon peaks. The most popular walking trail, only 20 minutes in each direction, leads from behind the post office in Sipi trading center to the base of the main waterfall. 20-30 minutes from here is a cluster of caves on the cliff above that contains rich mineral salt deposits that have clearly been worked extensively at some time past, as well as petrified wood. Walking back to the trading centre from the caves along the main road, you'll pass the top of the main waterfall, as well as an important local shrine set within a small forest-fringed cavern. More ambitiously, it is possible to undertake a day hike from the main waterfall to the three smaller falls that lie upstream, one of which has a tempting independently, since it is visible from the Suam road about 1 km out of Sipi trading centre. Kapkwai (Mount Elgon Exploration Centre) The Forest Exploration Centre at Kapkwai, is situated at an altitude of about 2050m immediately within the national park boundary. Over the past few years it has been developed into a base for tourism activity to the park., with the opening of a network of day trails, a hiking trail to the Elgon peaks and a comfortable restcamp with four cottages and a canteen. Only an hour from Sipi Falls on foot, Kapkwai is an excellent destination for travellers who don't want to do an extended hike on Mount Elgon. Three connecting, circular day trails run through the exploration centre. The 7km, four hour Mountain Bamboo Loop leads past a cavebefore climbing to the main view point (from where, on a clear da, the peaks of Mount Elgon can be seen), and then follows a ridge northwards through montane forest to a large bamboo forest. The popular 5km, three-hour Chebonet Falls Loop passes the eponymous waterfalls as well as involving a climb up a rock chimney and passing through areas of montane and bamboo forest leading to the main viewpoint. The 3km, two-hour Ridge View Loop involves a relatively easy ascent of the ridge, where it connects with other trails at the main viewpoint. In addition to passing through areas of regenerating foret, fileds of colourful wild flowers and extensive stands of bamboo, the day trails offer a good chance to of sighting black-and-white colobus and blue monkeys. The center is highly rewarding for birders, with a high proportion of the recorded 305 species of this national park. |
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