Mount Elgon National Park Uganda, Mountain climbing adventure safari tour on Mountain Elgon Uganda.
Uganda Mountain climbing at Mount Elgon National Park in Uganda, best time to climb mountain Elgon in Uganda, how to get there and where to stay/accommodation in Mount Elgon National Park Uganda.
Mountain Elgon National Park is located on the border of Uganda and Kenya which are found in the East African region on the African continent on the geographical co-ordinates of 01o08’00”N 34o35’00”E.
The park lies about 256km or a 5-hour drive from Kampala city the capital of Uganda in the eastern district of Mbale.
The park is bordered by Kenya in the east, Kapchorwa district in the north, Kumi and Soroti disticts in the west and Lake Victoria in the south west.
The park covers most of mountain Elgon which spans over a distance of 180km in diameter. Mount Elgon national park covers a distance of 1,276sqkm in total both in Uganda and Kenya.
In Uganda, the park covers 1,110sqkm while in Kenya it covers169sqkm. Formed by tectonic up lift, mt Elgon is an extinct shield volcano with crater lakes high above in its ranges, its believed to be about 24 million years old making it East Africa’s oldest extinct volcano.
The highest peak of mt. Elgon is Wagagai at an elevation of 4,321m or 1,4177ft above sea level and its entirely found in Uganda and this makes it the 4th highest mountain in East Africa.
Mt. Elgon has the largest volcano base for a single mountain in the entire world with a volcano base of 4000sqkm. The local people who live around mountain Elgon are called Bagisu people and they belong to the bantu ethnic group.
The Bagisu refer to mt. Elgon as “mt. Masaaba” and according to the Bagisu, Masaaba in believed to be their founding father.
Mt. Elgon experiences variation in vegetation and climate due to variation in altitude and these are the climate and vegetation patterns on mt. Elgon The area below 2000m above sea level experience temperatures between 25-30oC, areas between 2000m-3000m above sea level have their temperature in the range of 15-20oC, areas between 3000m-4000m have their temperatures varying between 0-10oC.
vegetation variations include; afro montane forests zone between 2000-3000m above sea level, bamboo forest zone between 2500-3500m above sea level, heather zone between 3500-4000m above sea level and afro alpine moor land zone between 4000-4300m above sea level.
Mountain Elgon has 5 different tribes of people settling on its lower slopes the Bagisu who the majority both in Uganda and Kenya, the Sabiny in Uganda, the Sapinjak in Kenya only, the Sabaot or Elgon Masai in Kenya and the Ogiek.
Mount Elgon national park has various attractions and these include primates like monkeys such as the De brazza momkeys, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys and other ammals include the serval cats, spotted hyenas, forest elephants and forest buffaloes, duikers and leopards but these are rarely sighted.
Mount elgon national park has over 300 bird species and these include; Moorland francolin, moustached green tinker bird, Jackson francolin, Black collared apalis, Black shouldered kite, Tacazze sunbird and the endangered Lammergeyer bird. This park was gazetted in 1968 in Kenya and 1992 in Uganda.
Name: Mountain Elgon National Park
Location: continent- Africa, region- eastern Africa, country- Uganda, district- Mbale, direction- east of Kampala city Uganda’s capital.
Geographical co-ordinates: 01o08’00” N 34o35’00” E.
Year designation: 1998
Responsible Governing body: Uganda Wildlife Authority
Elevation of mt Elgon National Park: highest point is Wagagai at 4321m above sea level
Climate of mt. Elgon National Park: experiences a tropical montane forest climate with climate with 60mm or 2.4in of rainfall received every month, average temperature is (18-20)oC
Attractions in mt. Elgon National Park: primates like monkeys such as the De brazza momkeys, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys and other animals include the serval cats, spotted hyenas, forest elephants and forest buffaloes, duikers and leopards but these are rarely sighted. Mt. elgon national park has over 300 bird species and these include; Moorland francolin, moustached green tinker bird, Jackson francolin,
Activities in mt. Elgon National Park: mountain climbing, birding, nature walks, rock climbing, biking, sport fishing, cultural encounters,
Accommodation in mt. Elgon National Park: Mbale resort hotel, Sipi river lodge, Noah’s ark hotel, Chepkui cottages and annex, Kapkwai forest camp
Access to mt. Elgon National Park: the park can be accessed by both air and road transport means
Travel distance and time to Mt. Elgon National Park: 256km or 5-hour drive away from Kampala city Uganda’s capital
Mountain Elgon National Park is located on the border of Uganda and Kenya which are found in the East African region on the African continent on the geographical co-ordinates of 01o08’00”N 34o35’00”E.
The park lies about 256km or a 5-hour drive from Kampala city the capital of Uganda in the eastern district of Mbale.
The park is bordered by Kenya in the east, Kapchorwa district in the north, Kumi and Soroti disticts in the west and Lake Victoria in the south west.
The park covers most of mountain Elgon which spans over a distance of 180km in diameter. Mt. Elgon national park covers a distance of 1,276sqkm in total both in Uganda and Kenya.
In Uganda, the park covers 1,110sqkm while in Kenya it covers169sqkm. Formed by tectonic up lift, mt Elgon is an extinct shield volcano with crater lakes high above in its ranges, its believed to be about 24 million years old making it East Africa’s oldest extinct volcano.
The highest peak of mt. Elgon is Wagagai at an elevation of 4,321m or 1,4177ft above sea level and its entirely found in Uganda and this makes it the 4th highest mountain in East Africa.
Mount Elgon national park has various attractions and these include primates like monkeys such as the De brazza monkeys, Blue monkeys, Vervet monkeys, Black and white colobus monkeys and other mammals include the serval cats, spotted hyenas, forest elephants and forest buffaloes, Duikers and Leopards but these are rarely sighted.
Mount Elgon national park has over 300 bird species and these include Moorland francolin, Moustached green tinker bird, Jackson francolin, Black collared apalis, Black shouldered kite, Tacazze sunbird and the endangered Lammergeyer bird.
This is the 4th highest mountain in east Africa rising up to an impressive height of 4321m above sea level at Wagagai peak and its only exceeded by mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, mt Kenya in Kenya and mt. Rwenzori on the Uganda and D.R. Congo border. Mt. Elgon being an extinct volcano, it has beautiful crater lakes like Jacksons crater as you ascend towards its peak.
With over 300 bird species flying in the skies over mt. elgon national park, this becomes a magical treat for anybody who would be interested in birding.
Birds in mt.elgon national park include Moorland francolin, Moustached green tinker bird, Jackson francolin, Black collared apalis, Black shouldered kite, Tacazze sunbird and the endangered Lammergeyer bird.
The de brazza monkey has a grey agouti fur, reddish brown back, black limbs and tail with a white stripe running down its things.
On the forehead of the de brazza monkey, there is an orange crescent shaped making and it has white eyelids that match with its muzzle aa well as its beard.
These monkeys have cheek pouches in which they carry their food as they forage.
These monkeys exhibit sexual dimorphism with males weighing at an average of 7kg while females come in at an average of 4kg. These monkeys have a lifespan that is over 20 years.
These monkeys are known as the Schmidt guenon. This monkey species is usually red, black or orange in color with a red coloring at its tail.
This species has a body length of between 1-2 feet excluding the tail, the males weigh between 7-10 pounds by adulthood age while adult females weigh between 6-8 pounds.
The red tailed monkeys are frictivoruous feeding mostly on a fruit diet. These monkeys can live in groups ranging between 7-30 individuals led by a dominant male. The red tailed monkeys are very active during early morning and late evening.
Unlike what its name suggests, the blue monkey isn’t entirely blue but rather it has little hairs on its face with a bluish color and these led to naming this monkey species blue monkey.
The blue monkey in actual sense is mainly grey or olive but its face is dark with a pale or yellowish patch on the forehead.
Its feet, front legs and cap are blackish while its mantle may be brown, olive or grey. The blue monkey has a body length of between 50-65cm with the tail included and an adult male weighs about 8kg while an adult female weighs about 4kg hence exhibiting sexual dimorphism.
These monkeys live in groups of 10-40 individuals and the females will stay in their natal groups throughout their lifetime while males live their parent group when they mature.
The family is usually led by an adult female and its consists of many other females, babies and juveniles and one adult male.
These monkeys practice allo-mothering with many female monkeys usually juveniles looking after the babies.
Their gestation period is about 5 months while their diet consists of mainly fruits during periods of abundance but they can also feed on flowers twigs and insects, figs and leaves.
Culture.
The Elgon mountains are a home to two indigenous tribes in Uganda, the Bagisu and the Sabiny.
The Bagisu are also referred to as the Bamasaba people and they are found both in Uganda and kenya but they are closely related and only separated by an international border line.
It’s very common to find a Bagisu family in Uganda with some of their relatives living in the next village across the border in Kenya and they are legal Kenyan citizens by naturalization or birth.
The Bamasaba people are believed to have migrated from the Ethiopian mountains and they finally settled in areas around Bududa.
These people believe that their ancestry begins from Mundu and Seera. Mundu is believed to have fell in love with Nabarwa who was a Masai girl.
It is believed that it was out of this love that the Masai family asked Mundu to get circumcised in order for him to marry their daughter to which he accepted hence leading to the practice of circumcision among the Bagisu people.
The lover birds Mundu and Nabarwa gave birth to a son who they named Mwambu. When Mwambu’s masai uncles saw him when they had visited the couple after one of their cattle wrestling raids to their neighbors they named him Nkisu which meant a bull but Mwambu failed to pronounce his nickname properly but rather pronounced it as Mugisu hence the tribe got its name from there.
As of today the Bagisu of Uganda live in the eastern districts of Manafwa, Mbale, Budadiri, Sironko and Bulambuti. The Bagisu make up 4.9% of Uganda’s total population of 33.6 million people as of the final results of the 2014 population census by Uganda Bureau Of Statistics (UBOS).
Just like in many African cultures, the Bagisu as well undertake a circumcision ceremony called Imbalu as an initiation ceremony to usher adolescent boys into manhood.
This is the only path these boys have to take so that they can secure their future of ever having to marry any girl of their dreams because without being circumcised no Gisu woman will ever allow to married to an uncircumcised man.
It also gets to the point whereby men who evade circumcision as young boys are forced to get circumcised even in their old age in a very disgraceful manner.
The ceremony is carried out biannually following even years. When the Gisu boys reach puberty, a local chum called itanyi is tied around their big toes and this is supposed to get them highly excited about the oncoming circumcision.
Circumcision is preceded by a feast as the boys who are going to be circumcised go around villages dancing and collecting gifts to thank them for their bravery.
The Imbalu cultural dance is the prime event as people especially young boys and girls move for long distances in multitudes dancing to the rhythmic and tantalizing Imbalu dance beat called “kadodi” in the local language.
During the kadodi dance the young adolescent girls dance while shaking their behind to the amazement of on lookers. This can only be liked to an attraction display for boys.
The circumcision is carried by 2 persons, 1 person pulls the foreskin of the boy’s genitalia then the other cuts it off and also cuts an inner skin because it’s believed that this skin can grow to form another foreskin.
This entire process takes less than 3 minutes to minimize the pain. After the circumcision, the boy is made to seat on a stool with legs wide open as he bleeds into basin with sand which is put below him so as to collect all the dripping blood.
The newly initiated boy is taken home amidst jubilations and he is given a big feast but he isn’t allowed to eat anything using his hands as he is considered unclean so he is just fed.
This continues for 3 days until the person who circumcised the boy comes to family and a ritual is performed and this finally marks the end of the boy’s transition from childhood to manhood.
As the newly circumcised man heals, he isn’t allowed to sleep on a proper bed but rather he is given a mat to sleep on the floor for the entire healing process time.
The room which the newly initiated person sleeps in as he heals from his wounds, he is not supposed to use it again after his complete recovery but rather he is supposed to move out of his father’s house and goes into his own house because there can’t be 2 grown up men sleeping under one roof.
Circumcision takes place between August-December and the official “Imbalu” flagship ceremony is held at Mutoto cultural grounds Bungokho sub county Mbale district every August of every even year.
This ceremony flags off all the circumcision events to be carried out in the entire country and also in the Kenyan Gisu communities and its usually attended by state and cultural dignitaries from both Uganda and Kenyan governments.
The Bagisu are seasoned farmers who grow coffee, bananas, millet, sorghum and maize. The coffee grown in Bugisu land is called Arabica coffee and it has one of the best aromas amongst all coffee beans.
Because of this, the Bagisu formed a cooperative union to try and maintain the standards of their coffee and also market it to the external world.
This co-operative union is called Bugisu Co-operative Union and it processes, packages and markets coffee products made from the Bugisu Arabica coffee.
These Sebei are part of the Kalenjin ethnic group which is believed to have migrated from as far as turkey southwards first to Egypt then later to Ethiopia, moved to Sudan and finally some of them continued further south to settle in the highland areas of Kacpchorwa, Kween and Bukwo and on the other side of mountain Elgon in Kenya.
Many people know the Sebei for their Female Genital Mutilation or FGM but there is more to them than just FGM.
The Sebei are fierce warriors and they are the only tribe in Uganda who managed to successfully raid cattle from the karamajongs. As of population census results of 2014, there are 104,580 Sebei people living in Uganda
The Sebei circumcised both boys and girls to mark transition from childhood to adulthood. For anyone to get married he or she had to be circumcised.
Circumcision especially for boys was a sign of maturity and one could only be allowed to associate or even raise an opinion in the male social circles and gatherings after he had been circumcised.
In as much as the Sebei are cattle keepers, they are also seasoned agriculturalists, growing crops like wheat, maize, sorghum, millet and coffee.
In Uganda the Sebei region is reknowned for producing super athletes that have went ahead to compete and win international medals in professional athletics competitions like Stephen kiprotich won a gold medal in the London summer Olympics of 2012, Moses Kipsiro and Chepsang have also gone ahead to win in international competittions of athletics.
Vegetation. As a result of variations in altitude mt elgon national park has a vetational cover and these include the following;
Montane forests cover the lower slopes of the mountain, the montane forests are characterized by hard wood trees species like the African mahogany- This tree is also called khaya or I dont know tree.
It belongs to the khaya genus. This tree is a very large tree towering up to 65m tall with a straight trunk and grows in an area with fertile soils.
This tree species is highly sought after by loggers due to its fine wood which is very beautiful for furniture making. The montane forests exist on the lower slopes of Rwenzori between 1800-3000m above sea level.
The bamboo trees have a hollow stem, certain bamboo tree species can grow very rapidly growing up to 91 cm in a single day. bamboo trees rarely flower and some species have been recorded to flower once in a period of over 65 years and when they do flower they usually die off.
The bamboo forests are found between 2500-3500m above sea level on the elgon mountain,
Tree heather can also be referred to as heather and have a variety of species counting to 4250 known species. Heather can grow in infertile and acidic soils.
Heather tree species usually have hermaphrodite flowers and these flowers have their petals in various shapes like narrowly tubular petals, funnel form petals and widely un shaped petals.
Examples of tree species under heath include cranberry, blueberry, and huckleberry. The heather and bog zone is found between 3500-4000m
Afro- alpine moorland has a diverse wildlife consisting of marshy deltas, open montane grasslands, lakes, peat bogs, enclaves of high elevation forests, temporary snow fields, giant rosette plants and various species of lobelias.
This vegetation zone can be found between 4000-4500m above sea level on the elgon mountain. With all these present, it safe to say that this park is any botanist Disneyland!
Mount Elgon National Park has various tourist activities and these include mountain climbing, birding, cultural encounters, fishing, nature walks, rock climbing, sport fishing, mountain biking.
For any activity to be carried out in this park, a separate park entrance fee has to be paid at the park offices and this fee is 35$ foreign nonresidents adults while children 5$, 25$foreign residents adults while children 5$, 15000ugx east African citizens adults while children 2500ugx, 3000ugx local university students and high school students and 1500ugx for local primary pupils.
For anyone who would wish to enjoy any form of mountain climbing without much hustle of needing technical abilities and without great multitudes of people, then mt. Elgon is surely your mountain to take on the climbing challenge.
Elgon has a variety of trails that lead you its top but without so much difficulty and you are likely not to suffer so much from altitude sicknesses as it is of a fair altitude but make no mistake of thinking that it’s not worth a trail because it will give you everything you need for a mountain climbing expedition and even a few more surprises up its sleeves that only unfold as you take on the challenge. The trails used to go up the Elgon mountain include the following
This trail kicks off from Budadiri town at an altitude of 1,250m above sea level as you explore the Bamasaba or Gisu communities and have glimpses at their rich culture that ranges from the circumcision or imbalu dance, to their farm gardens perched on mountain slopes, to their settlements.
The trail then proceeds through the afro montane forests then the bamboo forests which will finally give way to open moorland vegetation as you reach elevations beyond 3500m as you ascend to the mountain peak of Wagagai via the Jackson pool.
This trail can be completed in about 4 days hence making it the shortest route to the top but moderately strenuous.
This trail begins its journey to the top from Kapkwai forest exploration center at 2,050m above sea level via the northwestern side of the Elgon mountain taking you to the Tutum cave then proceeding to the caldera as you finalize with the ascent to the Wagagai peak at 4321m.
This is the longest trail covering about 56km round trip and can be completed in 4-6 days. It becomes a bit strenuous from Kajeri camp on the 3rd day but it begins gently as you ascend from 2050m to Kajeri camp.
This trail embarks on its journey to conquer mountain Elgon from Kapkwata on the northern side of the mountain. This trail is revered as the gentlest trail to trek to the top of mountain Elgon.
The trail passes through the afro montane forests giving you an opportunity to view a myriad of forest wildlife such as forest birds, and primates like the black and white monkeys and the De brazza monkeys.
Still while on this trail, you get the once in a life time opportunity to glance at the Karamoja plains in the far distance as well as the Nandi and the Kapeguria hills in Kenya.
It also ensures to take you to the hot springs of the Elgon mountain which serve as the remainder of the violent past of this mountain about 24 million years ago then to the caldera and finally Wagagai mountain peak. This trail takes you through 49km of mountain climbing in about 7 days’ round trip.
Climbing mountain Elgon on an of the trails costs 90$ per day per person hence requiring you to make up your mind on the trail route you are to use before arrival.
Porters are paid 15000ugx who carry all your luggage cooking equipment and food and another 15000ugxx for camping per night while on the mountain.
As you come for the mountain climb on mt. Elgon, please come with your frozen food ratios because the local equivalent to frozen food ratios might not suite you taste but you can try some if you are adventurous with food.
Don’t also forget to pack a light rain coat or jacket, insect repellant, hat, sunscreen, a good pair of hiking boots will do wonders here for you that can keep out water from reaching your toes just in case it rains, long sleeved shirts and trousers that are water proof.
The proceeds from climbing mountain Elgon go directly in conserving this pristine natural beauty and also a considerable percentage goes into community support activities such as setting up of local service infrastructures like schools and health centers. Provision of employment opportunities to local residents that are hired as guides and porters.
Nature walks in Elgon mountain can be done starting from a few hours to a full day package. Nature walks can be done following the 3 falls of Sipi river, Mudange cliffs also known as the wall of death.
The Mudange cliffs are located in the afro montane forests of mountain Elgon and while on this nature trail expect to be in the company of man’s close relatives the primates such as the black and white colobus, blue monkeys, and the baboons.
The Sipi trail takes you through communities of the Sebei people as you ascend to the 3 different falls on the Sipi river with the biggest and highest fall plunging over 100m below a cliff.
Still in Kapchorwa, there is a 20-minute sun set nature trail that takes you to the Tewei hills to experience the breath taking view as the sun rolls down the gorgeous Karamoja pains and believe me this will leave you in a sense of euphoria.
Day time walks cost 30$ for foreign non-residents, 15$ for foreign residents and 1000ugx for east African residents while night time walks cost 40$ for foreign non-residents, 20$ for foreign residents and 20000ugx for east African residents.
Rock climbing in mt. Elgon takes place in 14 different areas that require different levels of techniques in rock climbing.
For anyone who is looking for an extreme thrill in rock climbing come and try out our 35m free wall climb with breath taking views of the Sipi falls as it plummets 100m below you on a cliff hunger.
But if you are also a rock climber who is looking for a minimal challenge but highly rewarding in excitement and thrill, we still got you covered with our 15m free wall climb that is equally rewarding with picturesque landscape views of the Sipi falls.
For rock climbing here, you don’t need to carry your own equipment as most of it can be hired from the the Sipi Falls Guiding Association. For you to indulge in this activity, you need to part with only 50$ and have an adventure of a life time.
With over 300 bird species, it’s only natural that any birder out there should really consider visiting mt. Elgon national park so as to indulge your senses in your favorite hobby.
The bird species found here include. moorland francolin, moustached green tinker bird, Jackson francolin, black collared apalis, black shouldered kite, tacazze sunbird and the endangered lammergeyer bird, chinspot batis, cinnamon bee eater, bronze naped pigoens,mackinnon’s fiscal, doherty’s and kuhders bush shrikes, white chinned prinia, African blue fly catcher. Bird watching costs 30$ for both foreign nonresidents and foreign residents and 10000ugxfor east African citizens.
This activity gets you to riding from the Sebei trading center of Sipi through local communities of the Sebei to give you a front seat as you get to see the local residents go about their daily lives in their gardens and home steads.
The trail ends at Chema hill in Kapchorwa with spectacularly beautiful view of the Karamoja plains and with a back drop of the Sipi falls which leaves you totally awestruck with nature’s wonders. For this activity, you can hire the bikes from Sipi river lodge.
For angling enthusiasts, mt. Elgon National Park provides you with a chance to battle it out with the river Trout fish due its fighting spirit it puts up against your baited hooks.
This fish species is a darling to anglers due to its multi coloration that dazzles. Some of the biggest of the river Trout caught usually weigh in at 3kg.
Sport fishing usually occurs at the highest fall on river Sipi with also incredible views for the wilderness around and beyond you.
Fishing permits can be obtained from Sipi river lodge at a cost of 50$ for a single day and 150$ for four days or an annual fishing permit at 300$
There are two most popular communities visited by tourists outside mt. elgon national park ie Sipi Widows Group and Budadiri Community Walks and eco-tourism.
Any of these communities will take on a journey to give insights about the culture and way of life of people in these localities.
Sipi Widows’ Group will lead you on a walk to the home steads of local residents to their Arabica coffee farms and learn how one of Uganda’s finest product on the international market is prepared, harvested, processed and packaged to give you that authentic Ugandan Bugisu coffee aroma that you won’t find in any other coffee you will ever taste even in 5 star hotel coffee shops.
A visit to the hand craft shops of these ladies will leave you beaming with happiness as they teach how to make hand craft materials like beads, mats indulge yourself in the social daily life of the Sabiny people by taking part in food preparation, weaving, traditional dance and drama and get one on one recounts of stories about female genital mutilation from people who have lived these scary stories first hand.
Proceeds from this activity are directed towards maintenance of coffee plantations and also creating awareness about the dangers of FGM
This group will take you on a journey through the Gisu people homestead through their banana and coffee plantations.
Indulge yourself in activities like Arabica coffee seedlings nurturing, planting, wedding, coffee harvesting and processing to give you that best aroma you feel from every cup of the Bugisu Arabica coffee you taste regardless of where you in are on the planet.
Engage in the local cultural activities such as Imbalu or circumcision ceremonies in case you have visited in times of this cultural experience between august- December of every even year, traditional dances and folklore and handcraft making. A tour through the community coffee plantation and culture goes for about 15$.
This park can be accessed using both road transport and air transport means.
There are two major route to access Mbale
Kampala-Jinja-Tirinyi-Mbale which 256km or a 4-hour drive or kampala-Jinja-Tororo-Mbale route is 320km or 4.5-hour drive.
If you are going to climb mountain Elgon, your next journey section will entirely depend on where your trek to the top is going to start from
For the Sipi trail you head to Mbale- sipi is about 66km which is 1.5 hours due to the winding nature of the road but its tarmacked so you are advised to go slow.
For the Piswa trail you head to Sipi-kapakwata is 45km is also 1.5-hour drive
For the Sasa trail you head to mbale- budadiri is30km or an hour drive approach slow because it is slippery when it rains.
You can still use public means of transport by buying a bus ticket from Namuyiba bus park for a bus to Mbale there are many bus company that ply this route so you will be able to get one on the go and the bus fare ticket goes between 20000-25000ugx.
From Mbale to Sipi there are taxi and the fare goes around 4000ugx for one way. from Mbale-Budadiri there are commuter taxis that charge about 2000ugx for one-way fare.
Chartered flights from Entebbe international airport and kajjansi airfield are available to Mbale airfield
Aerolink club has daily flights operating from Entebbe international airport to mbale airfield usually departs in the morning but timing may change depending on the flight routing.
Aerolink club uses an 11 seater and 2 flight crew Caravan aircraft equipment that is highly comfortable.
Fly Uganda. Fly Uganda operates private flight charters around Uganda from Kajjansi airstrip. The minimum number of passengers required is 2 passengers.
The flights usually depart from Kajjansi airfield in the morning hours but this is subject to flight routing and demand.
Air-Serve Limited and Mission Aviation Africa (MAF) also do private charters to Mbale.
Accommodation in mount Elgon national park can be attained from the following facilities
| Name | Location | Number of rooms | Nature of rooms | Other amenities and services | Prices |
| Mbale resort hotel | Mbale town | 98 guestrooms | All rooms are self contained | Restaurant Bar Laundry services Lounge area Free wi-fii | Price ranges from 32.5$-485$ |
| Sipi river lodge | Kapchorwa | Restaurant Bar Laundry services Free wi-fii Fishing gear for hire Bicycle for hire | Price begins from 183$-444$ |
| Chepkui cottages and annex | Kapchorwa | Guesthouse with 5 beds and 1 cottage | All rooms are self contained | Restaurant Bar Camp fire
| Price ranges from 126$-651$ |
| Kapkwai forest camp | Kapchorwa in kapkwai forest | 4 bandas | All bandas are self-contained | Restaurant Camp fire | Price ranges from 15$-40$ |
| UWA Bandas and cottages | 98 beds | Some guestrooms are self-contained | Restaurant Camp fire
| Price ranges from 20000ugx-55000ugx. |
Mbale Resort Hotel. Located in the heart of Mbale town, Mbale Resort is the idyllic show of elegance in this part of the pearl of Africa.
The resort comes with a total of 94 rooms that have been designed with only one goal in mind and it’s to meet your absolute needs in a comfort lodging experience.
The hotel is set on a hill to give you a panoramic view of the entire Mbale sky line from the Wanale hills to the sprawling Mbale town.
The guest rooms in Mbale Resort are undeniably spacious with en suite bathrooms that have hot and cold running water to give you a relaxing bath as you embark on your day’s activities.
The executive rooms have extended terraces to give you an amazing view of the tropical paradise that is set all around you from its gardens to the forest covered hills of Wanale and the town of mbale all from the comfort of your terrace.
Other services and amenities include a swimming pool to give a relaxing bath as you enjoy your relaxation, a well-stocked bar with best assorted wines and spirits, lounging area, dining area, conference facilities, a restaurant that stops at nothing until you are served with the best local and continental dishes and free wi-fii internet connection.
Lodging here begins from 32.2$ per person per night for a standard single to a presidential suite at 485.7$ per person per night
Sipi River Lodge. If you want to experience tranquility and nature at its best while in mt Elgon region, then Sipi River Lodge is the place for you to stay.
Sipi river lodge is perched near Kapsurur falls which plunges 80m below the hill to give a magnitude of nature’s roar that is compensated by the tranquility of the entire surrounding creating a natural rhythm that is so nerve calming.
The lodge offers cottages that have been given an African finish décor using the best natural wood curvings and African print fabrics to give you the African experience of leisure.
The cottages are self-contained with en suite bathrooms with hot and cold running water for a relaxing bath.
They also have a private terrace to give an edge for taking the best views of nature’s never ending beauty from the afro montane forests to the roaring falls of Sipi.
Other amenities include a restaurant with delicious local and continental dishes and our confectionaries are freshly baked by a team of seasoned bakers and are freshly served to you on breakfast, dining area, lounge area, campfire to warm you up on chilly nights and a bar for you to sip a drink as you reflect on your just concluded or next adventure to come.
Lodging here begins from 183$ per person per night on half board arrangement to 444$ for four (4) persons per night per night on full board arrangement.
Chepkui Cottage and Annex. This cottage offers a chance to a family travelling together to enjoy a quality time without having to hustle a lot as it offers a cottage that’s big enough to house up to 5 guests at once and a private and cozy cottage just adjacent to the main cottage for the parents to have an intimate time without worrying so much.
The cottages have en suite bathroom with hot and cold water for a perfect wild shower and flushing toilet. Incredibly beautiful views of the Sipi falls together with well-maintained natural flower gardens that form the backdrop of the natural beauty of this cottage.
Other services and amenities include a restaurant, private garden perfect for kids’ relaxation and play, fireplace and parking space. Lodging here begins at 126$ per person per night on half board arrangement to 651$ for 8 people per night on full board arrangement.
Noah’s Ark Hotel. Located 30km along the Mbale -Kacpchorwa road, Noah’s Ark Hotel gives you a rendezvous with nature one on one without holding anything back.
The hotel is located a few meters away from the highest of the 3 Sipi falls that forms the backdrop of its amazing natural beauty.
The hotel prides itself from its ability to tap into nature’s giving and reflecting it into their amenities and services.
The hotel has manicured lawns to give you a relaxing place, a bar that serves locally inspired cocktails with a modern touch that will leave you going back for more and an assortment of the best wines and spirits on the market, a restaurant that serves local and continental dishes to delight your taste buds with happiness.
Adjacent to the main hotel is an annex with 30 guest rooms that have been furnished with the inspiration from nature to you in touch with the outer wilderness. Accommodation here starts from 30000ugx.
Kapkwai Forest Cottages. Kapkwai forest cottages are located on the entrance of mt. Elgon national park, they were initially acting as a student center for students to use them as a launch pad into the Kapkwai forest but that did all change when the cottages were refurbished to serve all guests.
The cottages have 4 bandas that are self-contained and 4 tents that use shared toilets and bathrooms which are maintained in a very clean and hygienic condition.
The cottages have a canteen to serve you with snacks and drinks. These cottages provide accommodation on a low budget size basis with a single non self-contained room going at 15$ to 40$ a single self-contained banda
Accommodation Managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority. UWA runs a number of accommodations in mt. Elgon national park to serve low budget size tourists with accommodation options that are quite decent.
This entire region has 89 beds that are found in cottages and tents. These are found in Kapakwai with a dormitory that can accommodate 70 guests, 3 cottages that host 5 guests.
Suam guest house has 3 houses that can host 14 guests. Next to mt. Elgon national park is Pian upe wild reserve this has 4 bandas and that can house 4 guests. single rooms go for 20000ugx, double rooms go for 55000ugx and dormitory goes for 20000ugx for adults and 5000ugx for students.
Cate
Samuel
Robert
Obtain exceptional safari guidance by either calling us or scheduling a video conference with our proficient specialists.
