Coffee: – Is a shrub like tree belongs to the Rubiaceae plant species with an average height of 2mts (6.5ft) tall. It mainly sprouts in a tropical region having fertile and damp soil types. Coffee prefers to grow at an altitude of between 1100-2100masl with abundant rainfall of 1500-2500mmls. The best place for coffee production area in Ethiopia are central, SWn and SEn part, which is on the high lands of Kafa, Jima, Ellibabur and Harargie regions but some time it grows less in the central as well as northern high lands of the country. The exact document when, how and who discovered coffee is still vague and controversial, how ever, a number of traditional stories are told about its discovery. Of which, one states that a legendary Goat herder known as a certain Kaldi, who lived many years ago in the western highlands of Ethiopia, in the present day of Kafa region came across the wild coffee. Once while Kaldi was keeping his flocks to a place where Coffee bushes were growing, some of the goats were attracted by the beautiful Red Color Coffee berries and ate from them. Not long after, the goats begun to demonstrate unusual behavior of excitement. The event surprised Kaldi and motivated him to know what made them to act like that. In the end, he noticed they ate from the wild berries. Then he plucked some from the beans, took home and showed it to his consort. His wife again advised him to get them the near by monastery as she thought the berries might be Devil’s work. Kaldi never lost time, run to the monastery and informed the situation for some monks living in the abode by narrating what he had observed from his goats after they ate. The monks tried some from the husk and felt a sort of stimulation, they uttered each other and said, “truly they must be devil’s sent” so that we should throw them in to the fire. They did so and the berries began to be roasted then smoke comes out from the fire. The monks smell the smoke from the fire. After a while, they started an all night long church service and finished the procession with no bleary-eyed. The monks were astonished and tried to investigate the reason why they had such a strange feeling, finally they came across the secret, as it has been the coffee smoke they had the other day. From then and on they learned it would help them for long Mass-service, which lasts from evening to morning. So that head of the monks decided the coffee to be used legally by drying, roasting, grinding and boiling the berries for their drink.  It was after then, which is in coffee traveled across the Red Sea to Yemen and South Arabia and obtained its modern name as “Coffee Arabica” which of course the aroma and flavor of it inundated the whole world today.

Day1: Arrive Addis Ababa- Arrive Bole International Airport then transfer to hotel by our staff member. Balance of the day, head for a city tour to visit Mt Entoto, Trinity Cathedral, Markato St. George church and coffee houses such as Robera, Hadero, Tomoca and for different types of coffee beans coming all over the country. Over night Hotel.

Day2: Addis Ababa– Iimma– Take breakfast then fly to Jimma. Balance of the day, visit some forest coffee plantation outside Jimma town like: Beda Bunna/coffee farmland and go for coffee shops/houses where you could enjoy coffee produced in Jimma region. Over night Hotel.

Day3: Jimma- Bonga– (125kms) Today we drive to the birthplace of coffee, that is Kaffa region on which the maximum coffee production in the country is coming from. On arrival in Bonga town enjoy lunch and continue to visit the traditional house of Kaffa people, then more drive to Adiyo falls, Dadiben and Gora Hot springs. On the way to our hiking visit coffee plantation and cooperative shops in Jimma. Over night hotel.

Day4: Bonga– Full day in Bonga, after breakfast, trek to Mankira village, a specific area where coffee Arabica believed to have first discovered by a legendary goat herder known as ‘Kaldi’. Here you will see forest coffee plantations growing in the wild. More visit of cooperative association and coffee processing centers. En route stop at the ancient church of Adaracha Medhanealem and the Gurguto natural Bridge. Then back to Bonga for your hotel. Over night hotel.

Day5: Bonga-Mizan– (250kms)- take breakfast then the whole day driving to Mizanteferi visiting any coffee farmlands and coffee processing shops. Over night hotel.

Day6: Mizan-Bebeka state farm-Mizan- (60kms)- Early breakfast at your hotel and drive to Bebeka state coffee plantation. Mizan is a relatively modern town in the region used as a springboard to explore the southewestern and lower Omo valley tribes, such as: – the Surma/Suri people, Nyangatom, Bume and so on. Drive to Bebeka 30kms from Mizan Tefferi then the whole day; visit the largest and oldest state-owned coffee plantation in Ethiopia. Visit the growing stages of coffee plants from their seedling to coffee bean stages. After picnic lunch more, visit to the farmland including enjoy a cup of coffee in a nearby local villages then back to Mizan. Over night hotel.

Day7: Mizan-Jimma– After breakfast, drive to Jimma using the same road that we had the other day. On the way, stop at one of the oldest state owned Wush-Wush tea plantations in Ethiopia then head to Bonga for lunch. Over night hotel.

Day8: Jimma-Butajira– In the morning, drive to the palace of King Aba Jiffar located on the northern section of the town, then proceeded to Butajira with lunch stop at Negash lodge in Wolliso town. Over night hotel.

Day9: Butajira-Wendogenet – Awassa– After breakfast drive in the rift valley region to the lakeside town of Hawassa. On the way visit Abijata-Shalla lakes NP. Have lunch in Shashemene then proceed to Wendogenet public resort area with natural hot springs. Walk in to Sidama coffee farmlands and experience typical coffee ceremony of Sidama people. Late afternoon head to Awassa city situated on the Eastern side of Lake Awassa. Over night hotel.

Day10: Awassa-Yirgalem– breakfast then drive to Awassa fish market where the locals buying and selling the daily chatches. Leave Awassa town and heading south to the small village of Yirgalem using the main road leading to Kenya. All the way enjoy traditional Sidama Houses encircled by Coffee and Enset/False Banana plantation. After lunch, get off from the beautiful Aregash Lodge and walk deep into the natural forest surrounded by lush and green Coffee, Enset and other trees. Here be invited in one of Sidama houses where you would experience preparation of Enset/false banana food and test their delicious Sidama coffee. At night enjoy campfire and wild Hyena feeding who are coming to the fireplace for their dinner. Over night lodge.

Day11: Yirgalem-Dilla– Drive through a very green landsape to reach Yirgachefe village where one of the most popular coffee beans in the Ethiopia is harvested. Here visit Yirga Cheffe coffee cultivating and processing center where the best coffee brand for local and export use. It’s the area where you can visit several Coffee Cooperatives and plantations.

Day12: Dilla- Hageremariam -Dilla– the whole day in Della with day trip to Hagre Mariam to visit more coffee farms/plantation and Cooperatives like Hadeso. After lunch drive back to Dilla with abshort stop at the ancient grave stelae of Tutu Fela signifying testimonies of death cult in the past millennia. Over night hotel.

Day13: Dilla-Addis Ababa-Direct drive to Addis Ababa En route visit Lake Ziway known for a variety of aquatic bird species. Over night hotel.

Day14: Addis Ababa-Diredawa- Harar-After breakfast transfer to airport for the flight to Diredawa then drive to Garamuleta where the best coffee production in Harar region is located. Visit private coffee farms and cooperatives in the surrounding. Proceed to Harar with stop over at Aweday Chat/Cat Market, a place where Chat is abundantly planted for local use and export market. Over night Ras Hotel.

Day15: Harar- the whole day in Harar with day trip to Gursum village to see small coffee farmlands and processing centers. Backs to hotel for lunch then in the afternoon do city tour of Harar including coffee processing and packing shop. In the evening enjoy Hyena man show, an activity to feed wild Hyenas during nighttime and is a tradition held for many centuries. Over night hotel

Day16: Harar-Diredawa-Addis Ababa– drives to Diredawa and fly Addis Ababa. In the afternoon di more coffee ship visits ghen later in the evening, enjoy an Ethiopian night in one of the cultural restaurants and be transferred to airport for departure home. End of the tour.