The beauty of being near Mt. Elgon is that you can enjoy the sight of water from the numerous streams that flow from the gigantic eastern Ugandan mountain. As the streams make their way down the mountain slopes, water falls over rocks, creating spectacular scenes and sounds. One of them is Sisiyi Falls, so named because it never runs dry, come rain come shine.

The Sipi Falls Resort is one of the places where you can enjoy your weekend. Located in Sironko district, is such a soothing place. You can spend hours under trees watching the water fall from 103 feet, making it one of the longest water falls in Uganda and cave painting. From miles away, it can be seen as a streak of white against a green hilly background. Where the water falls to the ground, it has formed a natural swimming pool.

Getting to the Sipi is not exactly pleasant, but the beauty compensates for the rough road. Five kilometres along the Sironko-Kapchorwa road, is Buyaga trading centre. From here, visitors turn off onto a murram road and after another six kilometres, you are on site.

Not willing to let such water-falls go unexploited, Dr. Patrick Mutono and his wife Hellen, formerly based in the USA, set up a resort with leisure gardens, surrounded by self-contained cottages.

Holidaymakers come to this spot to set themselves free from the commotion in the city. Moses Wagoli, a Buyaga resident, says tourists frequent the site. They come mostly on weekends and stay till Sunday evening, Wagoli says.

Because the tourists are not shy to treat their bodies to fresh air, the locals have baptised the place the “Garden of Eden” as they provide some cultural attractions especially entertainment.

According to Wagoli, Ugandans also frequent Sipi Falls. The place is lit up at night with solar lanterns. There are no lamp posts anywhere as huge stones do a better job.

Dr. Mutono, the proprietor, says he conceived the idea to develop Sisiyi Falls during a visit to a nearby Church, when the beauty of the area struck him. The locals accepted our offer to buy the land and we started work in 2004 to bring it to this level. We started commercial operations in 2006, he says.

Mutono lists wedding receptions, seminars, retreats and nature walks as some of the activities taking place at the resort. Tourists also climb to the top of the falls and enjoy a panoramic view of Sironko town.

While at the falls, don’t forget to look out for Bagisu beauties, easily mistaken for elderly women as they walk bent forward with merchandise on their backs.