Greenery and beautiful gardens at Sipi Falls

EPIC: The tourists arrive at Chepkui Falls. PHOTO BY ROLAND D. NASASIRA

What you need to know:

  • We then descended the falls. Along the way, we chanced on locals who sold local chicken at Shs20,000 and a head of freshly grown cabbage which one was given chance to harvest by themselves went for Shs3,000.

Driving up to Sipi Falls in eastern Uganda sparks a feel of an aeroplane taking off. The higher we went, the more our ears seemed to deafen. Finally, we arrived at Sipi River Lodge and found Juma Chebet, our tour guide of the day. After about a 10-minutes briefing from Chebet, we embarked on climbing the hills which inhabit the three falls that make up Sipi.

Uphill Kaptogolo
We set off on a vibrant and chatty pace. Dressed in hiking boots because of the slippery terrain, we had to also get some walking sticks for support. Along the way, there were steep spots where some of the tourists had to be supported by hand to move upwards. Chebet says the three falls are known by the village names and that their length varies. “Chebkoch stands at 85metres, Chepkui at 65 metres while Kaptogolo is 100 metres long,” he explained.

Kaptogolo Falls comes first as we go up the rocks. We were able to stand behind the falls under the curvy rocks as the water gushed down and splashed gently on us. The water formed a whitish cloud and the rest disappeared into a bottomless pit. Where we stood too were big caves which had some fresh ash seemed a safe haven for campers.

Beauty at Chepkui
We proceeded further up. We were panting towards Chepkui Falls. Chebet reminded us that national athlete Stephen Kiprotich does his training along the walkway we used.
Chepkui Falls, which lies in the middle of the three falls that make up Sipi, is breath-taking. The green vegetation around comprising eucalyptus trees and shrubs provided beautiful photo backgrounds. We waded in the calm water at the foot of the falls and I washed my sweaty face. Here, we were able to view the sharp bends of the road which leads to Kapchorwa Town.

Gardens at Chebkoch
The main highlight of the day was at Chebkoch Falls, which is the second longest of the three. At a height of 85 metres, the water from Chebkoch makes its vicinities wet. The walkway also becomes slippery. Adjacent to this are lush green locals’ gardens with cabbage and onions. The crops were planted in neat rows. Chebet said the gardens next to Chebkoch Falls never run out of water throughout the year.
“The crops/plants are healthy because they were grown on black fertile loam soils,” he explained as we stared at the gardens.
To keep the environment around the falls clean, there are a number of garbage bins at almost every corner from the first to the last falls.

Descent
We caught our breaths as some of us took numerous photos and others sat down with rivers of sweat running down their cheeks.
We then descended the falls. Along the way, we chanced on locals who sold local chicken at Shs20,000 and a head of freshly grown cabbage which one was given chance to harvest by themselves went for Shs3,000.