Mount Elgon is found in Mbale district bordering Uganda with Kenya and accommodates the Earth’s largest caldera. The mountain has the biggest surface area of all extinct Volcanoes on the planet and it is the 4th highest mountain in East Africa, it is best hiked on the Uganda side.
The mountain used to be larger than Kilimanjaro but it reduced due to internal forces that acted on it. Mount Elgon National Park lies 235km east of Uganda’s capital city and can be reached through a tarmac road that passes through Jinja to Mbale town. Driving distance of 235km approximately 2-3 hours.
The mountain is an enormous watershed with its slopes supported by a rich diversity of altitudinal vegetation areas that range from the lush Montana, the mixed bamboo-belt forest to the intriguing high open moorland, dotted with the really uncommon worldly plant species such as the large lobelia plus the groundsel plants rare to Africa. The thick shrubs plus luminous wild eternal flowers are another major attraction to enjoy on your Mountain Elgon safari Uganda.
The native of the area are Bagishu and the Sabiny are the two ethnic tribes that live around the gorgeous Elgon Mountain with unique culture like dances, food and dressing code.
Mount Elgon National Park can only be explored on foot, on walking trails that range from day walk to extended hikes over several days to reach the upper mountain. You can also make you hike a trans-boundary adventure thus ascending the Uganda slopes and descending on the Kenyan side or the other way round. The hike requires prior arrangement to meet with Kenya Wildlife Service rangers at a crossover point at the springs in the caldera.
Mount Elgon hike is favourable in the months of the dry seasons that is June-August and December-March. Hiking doesn’t require any technical climbing equipment skills to reach the main peaks.
The caldera and the peaks are the main destinations all the trails pass via interesting and unique flora and fauna, waterfalls, lakes, caves and gorges. Rain gear and both cool and warm clothing are required as the area is subject to sudden weather changes.
There is a good number of accommodation facilities available ranging from upmarket to budget like: Lacam lodge just adjacent to the great Sipi falls with a magnificent view of the scenery, Sipi River resort provides great comfort to the visitors, and Mbale Resort with unmatched services provides a greater alternative for visitors who prefers sleeping like high class.
The National park provides dormitory accommodation and self-contained wooden cottages at the Forest Exploration Centre at Kapkwai. This budget type of accommodation provides opportunity to students and budget clients to explorer the park. Hiking is the main tourist attraction with its spectacular scenery, the mountain Elgon sights a variety of unique forest monkeys and small antelopes, huge elephants and buffaloes.
Sipi falls is another attraction of the ancient enormous Stone Age cave paintings close to the Budadiri trail head, the scenic mountain peaks, the hot springs that bubble up at 4800c and gorges. The park has over 300 bird species that can be viewed by safari tourists, and many bird species have not been recorded elsewhere in Uganda.
The 2 days hiking safari covers the areas and allow you to explore Mount Elgon’s diverse unique montane forest, rare plants like the wildlife flowers plus beautiful lobelias and wildlife.
