Trifles : trip to sipi falls

This week is October Break! Wahoo! A week long break from the daily grind.

Even though marking and planning are going to happen over this break, Isaac and I wanted to start the break off with a little getaway. Now that we've settled into our home in Kansanga we've been itching to get out of the city and explore a little.

Now, as a missionary teacher and a full-time student our options are limited by a tight budget. So ... rustic it is!

We decided to go to Sipi Falls, which is just outside of (or just inside of?) Mt. Elgon National Park, which straddles the border between Uganda and Kenya. Two other families from the school decided to go as well.

A few points about our trip in case you, like me, are in Uganda, looking for a cheap getaway, and are having trouble finding accurate information:

We were told that the trip to Sipi Falls from Kansanga would be 4 to 5 hours. The way there took us 7. We rented an entire matatu (van taxis) for the price of 300,000 shillings. The driver tried to drop us off in Mbale, saying that was the destination agreed upon, but we told him that if he would not be faithful to the agreement we would not pay him the full amount. He begrudgingly agreed and took us to Sipi Falls, after getting lost for over half an hour. The way home from Sipi Falls involved getting a matatu to Mbale (10,000shillings/person) and then a matatu from Mbale to Kansanga (about 240,000). The matatu that picked us from Sipi Falls could not take us directly to Kampala because it wasn't registered to drive that route. The way home took us about 5 or 6 hours.

There is a stop along the way where the matatu pulls to the side and you are swarmed by roadside vendors. African fast food! We got dinner on the way home this way, buying chicken on a stick, cold drinks and chipattes for only a few dollars.
We stayed at the Crow's Nest. It costs 20,000 shillings ($8) per person per night, and this includes tea, coffee and a banana in the morning. It is rustic (bring your own toilet paper to the latrine, just in case) but fairly clean. Mosquito nets, sheets, pillows (either lumpy or hard as a rock), and blankets are provided. The view is spectacular -- you can see all three waterfalls from your room! There is, surprisingly, hot water that runs from a tank heated by a fire at the top of the hill down to the shower hut. It takes a few minutes to get the hot water flowing, so once it starts if you have a group make sure they shower right after one another.
Staying at The Crow's Nest seems to make the hike to the falls much farther. There are other options, such as Lacam Lodge and Sipi River Resort that you can look into. We stopped at one of the lodges to use the washrooms and it is definitely a more luxurious option than the Crow's Nest.
One thing we didn't expect: bring a sweater! Although the sun was hot in the morning, it became quite cool in the evenings.
Take the time to walk up to the look out looking over the Rift Valley (on The Crow's Nest property, with only a wooden sign saying "Viewpoint" pointing it out). Be warned that some local young men will try to tell you that you need to pay, because you've crossed onto their land. Tell them that your guide at The Crow's Nest told you that you didn't need to pay, and that they should take the issue up with them.
We did two guided tours: the hike of the falls (with our group, it took over 4 hours) and the next day we did the coffee making tour (very interesting!) Our guide, George, was from one of the local villages with years of experience in tourism. He was very knowledgeable, sincere, and easy to understand. Each tour is 25,000 ($10) per person, but because we did two we negotiated it down to 20,000 per person (40,000 for both tours). He also didn't make us pay for the children.
Children: the kids that came with us were troopers. They are exceptional kids, and even the guide was impressed. However, the coffee tour was a lot more walking than we originally thought and by the end of that (the second day) the kids were starting to reach their limit and there were some meltdowns. Also, the ride to Sipi Falls and back (from Kampala) is another thing to consider if you have a family.
Meals at the Crow's Nest: we brought enough food and snacks so that we only had to purchase dinner. Even though the meals are listed individually on the menu, they come in family-style dishes. This was fun, because you got to try a little bit of everything. Ordering one meal per person was WAY too much food and we could not finish it. The next night, when we ordered only 8 meals (instead of 11), we found we got the same amounts of rice, spaghetti, matooke, etc. so once again we were unable to finish it all.
One the hike of Sipi Falls, you are able to swim (the water is frigid, but said to be parasite free) so bring swim shorts if you wish. We had a doctor with us, and he swam, so I figure it can't be that bad!

Isaac in the doorway of our room.

The people in the region speak local dialects but, as you are close to Kenya, they also speak Swahili. So if you know a few phrases you will certainly meet people along the hikes that you can say hello to!

All in all, the scenery was spectacular, the hiking was a little rugged (bring good shoes and beware of slippery rocks!), and the accommodations were rustic but hospitable.

And the grand total for my husband and I to go on a two-night getaway (transportation, accommodations, and food included) came in at a little under 300,000 shillings ($120). Not bad, not bad ...