TOURIST ACTIVITIES / WHAT TO DO IN & AROUND MT. ELGON NATIONAL PARK
Tourist activities/ what to do in & around Mount Elgon National park: There are a good number of things done within and around Mount Elgon national park as elaborated within this article.
Mountain trekking and hiking
Being a mountainous park, Mountain hiking and trekking is one of the most enjoyable safari activity done while on a Uganda safari to Mount Elgon National park. Mount Elgon thrills with different hiking trails which hikers/ trekkers use to visit different attraction along the slopes of Mount Elgon and even summit the top of Mount Elgon. There are both short and long trails depending on how long one decides to hike regarding the number of days one has on a safari. To summit the highest Wagagai peak elevated at 4,321M high above the sea level, there are 3 well established trails one can use and they include;
Sasa trail which is considered to be the shortest of all the 3 trails that lasts about 4 days to make a complete circuit of climbing up and descending back down. Hikers interested in using this Sasa hiking trail in Mount Elgon national park sets off from Budadiri and take a walk through the bamboo forest and proceed with ascension via Jackson’s pool and proceed while encountering with plenty of attraction including Sasa River, Waterfalls, primates , mammals, birds and many more. Being the shortest trail, it is the busiest and most used trail by several tourists.
Sipi river trail is the 2nd longest trail used by hikers to summit Wagagai peak and it takes about 5 days to make a complete circuit. Hikers on Sipi River trail sets off from River Sipi and proceeds via the vegetation at the base as one ascends to summit Wagagai peak.
The most Fascinating thing with this Sipi River trail is that one may choose to use it for ascending and descend through Piswa trail which combines 2 trails in one adventure making sighting more rewarding.
Piswa trail is yet another fascinating hiking/ climbing trail used by several tourists who intend to summit the top of Mount Elgon. Tourists who intend to Hike Mount Elgon using Piswa trail sets off from Kapwata and is roughly a 7 days trail to make a complete circuit of ascending and descending back. This is the longest hiking trail of all the 3 trails used to summit the highest peak of Mount Elgon at Wagagai peak.
Birding and bird watching
Mount Elgon national park is undoubtedly one of the birding haven in Uganda the pearl of Africa with over 300 species of bird recorded in the park. Taking on a birding adventure along Kapkwai trail is one of the best way to spot as many bird species as possible making it the best trail for bird watching in Mount Elgon national park. Along the trail towards Chebonet River, birders are able to watch plenty of water birds, forest birds, and many other rare species of birds that call this park their home.
During birding and birdwatching safari in Mount Elgon national park, you will encounter with bird species like Ross’s Turaco, Ring-necked Dove, Black Cuckoo, Scaly Francolin, Rameron Pigeon, Abyssinian Nightjar, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, Red-chested Owlet, Red-chested Cuckoo, White-headed Wood hoopoe, Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, African Wood-Owl, Yellow-rumped Tinker bird, Meyer’s Parrot, Speckled Mouse bird, Purple-throated Cuckoo shrike, Tropical Boubou, Yellow-billed Barbet, Gray-throated Barbet, Gray Cuckoo shrike, Chin spot Batis, Doherty’s Bush shrike, Hunter’s Cist cola, White-necked Raven, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Black Sawing, Abyssinian Thrush, Mosque Swallow, Gray Apalis, Slender-billed Greenbul, Cinnamon Bracken-Warbler, Yellow White-eye, White-bellied Tit, African Dusky Flycatcher, Collared Sunbird, Black-billed Weaver, Abyssinian Crimson wing, Pin-tailed Whydah, Western Yellow Wagtail and many more.
Guided Nature walks
Other than taking several days on a hike to summit the Wagagai peak, Mount Elgon national park yet offers others several guided walking safari through various trails ranging from a few hours walk to an entire day adventure. You may choose to have a guided walk to Mudange cliff, you may as well take a guided walk to the Sipi falls which 3 beautiful waterfalls are standing at various elevations of 75M, 85M and 100M.
Rock climbing
There are about 7 rocks for climbing situated at Nagudi rock along Mbale Budadiri just outside Mount Elgon national park. These rocks ranges from 15m to about 30M thus tourists are in position to choose which rocks to climb. All you need is to carry own climbing equipment and enjoy the refreshing and breath taking adventure.
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is one of the adrenaline activity enjoyed while on a Uganda safari to Mount Elgon national park. Mountain biking starts from Sipi and runs to as far as Kapichorwa enabling tourists to have a stunning view of the Karamoja plains, hills, coffee plantations and many more.
Abseiling
There is also a fascinating adventure of abseiling conducted along the Sipi falls cliff where tourists enjoy abseiling from up to down the water and up ascend up through a cliff along the Sipi waterfall.
Cultural and community tours
Cultural and community tours are one of the Tourist activities/ what to do in & around Mount Elgon National park There are several tribes of people thrilling along Mount Elgon National park where tourists have an opportunity of choosing which tribe to visit while on a cultural and community tour in Mount Elgon national park. During the cultural tour, one is as well able to meet and interact with the locals in their farms, visit coffee plantations at the foothill of Mount Elgon and many more.
Getting there,
There are 2 options of how best one can get to Mount Elgon national park and they include both by road and by air depending one’s wish.
By road,
A road drive from Kampala the capital city of Uganda or from Entebbe takes about 5-6 hours to get to Mount Elgon national park along Kampala- Jinja- Mbale and finally to the park. Mbale city is the nearest city to the park.
By Air,
You may as well opt for a flight either from Entebbe international airport or from Kajansi airfield to Soroti before connecting onto a road drive to Mount Elgon National park.
