Mount Elgon coffee tour is one of the most unique experiences that visitors to Mount Elgon National Park have really loved and engaged in. This is around the Sipi Falls area which is particularly famous for locally grown Bugisu Arabica coffee. Bugisu Arabica only grows at an altitude of between 1,600 and 1,900metres above sea level. Coffee tours are organized through guides with knowledge of coffee farming, processing and roasting.
Mount Elgon coffee tour shall give you a master class experience. From visiting a nursery bed, to learning how long it takes to grow within the nursery bed, to planting some coffee seedlings. We then move to the other side of the coffee plantation to look at mature coffee trees and harvest some of the red coffee cherries. You will then learn about pulping, drying coffee beans, pounding or grinding the dry coffee beans, winnowing, roasting, and then how to make the final coffee powder after roasting. Don’t miss out on the brewing and final drinking experience with some cups of coffee (cappuccino).
You will know lots of information to do with the entire coffee value chain as you will be able to meet the coffee producers, processors not leaving out the exporters and roasters. The profits from such tours are usually put to use for community developments and advancements through local projects.
If you’re a coffee lover planning to visit Sipi, you can explore different coffee plantations and spend a day with coffee artisans while learning their craft. Join a coffee tour where you can witness the entire coffee processing process; from coffee beans to your cup, while supporting the local community.
Much of the coffee comes from the areas of Cheema village, Kapchorwa district in Eastern Uganda. The area is very close to Mount Elgon National Park, on the Uganda – Kenya border, and near the scenic Sipi Falls.
Coffee Processing
The small family farms are at a wide range of altitudes from 1,200 to 1,900 meters above sea level. So, farmers deliver their fresh cherry to a centralized wet mill that is equipped with an Eco-friendly dryer that uses dry husks to generate heat and ensure an optimal drying process. The local Farmers Training Center provides training to local farmers on coffee handling best practices.
The ground coffee has a sandalwood smell, like a scent of sweet spices and fragrant cut wood. The level sweetness gains momentum after the hot water is poured, and an aromatic mixture of cocoa butter, molasses, and graham come up in the steam. Ugandan coffee has moderate acidity, grabby and citrus-like feel in the mouth, with a lemony flavor at front. As the cup cools, top notes of barley tea and green apple sit atop a base of secant, rice syrup, and baker’s cocoa, with cedar aroma in the finish.
Other Activities Besides Mount Elgon Coffee Tour
Aside from the falls themselves, a highlight to visiting Sipi is a tour that takes you through the entire coffee process at a nearby family farm. You will pick the coffee berries, to deshell and grind them with a traditional mortar and pestle, and then roast them.
From Uganda’s Kapchorwa district, on the eastern border of neighboring Kenya, comes this high grown lot of washed, 100% shade canopy, mixed varietal arabica coffee. While the majority of the nation’s arabica coffee is grown here on the slopes of Mount Elgon, Kibale Forest on the other country’s western border supports a substantial growth of native robusta coffee. This coffee is grown by a group of small farm holders within the region.
These farmers share access to a wealth of growing and processing resources including four greenhouses, an arabica nursery for adolescent saplings, and a washing station with eco-pulping capabilities. Banana trees grow alongside coffee, which contributes to the 100% natural shade canopy.
Almost a thousand individual farmers contribute to the overall lot. Each farmer manages their own 1.0 hectare farm and is responsible for the production of about 1,000 arabica trees. In Uganda, coffee is the nation’s top gross export, accounting for roughly 18 to 22% of all exports, and totaling to US$ 50 million annually. Tobacco and tea are the next closest exports with volumes in the range of 3 to 5%.
Besides coffee plantation tour around Mount Elgon National Park, while in Uganda, visitors have always expressed interest in hiking Mount Elgon adventure. They usually also complement their adventure with a visit to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for an amazing gorilla trekking safari, to encounter the mountain gorillas. This is one of the most exciting Uganda safaris that most visitors have had and turned so memorable