BLT021

Introduction:   Discover the birthplace of coffee – Ethiopia.

It has been many centuries since, as the story goes, a humble goat-herder named kaldi observed his charges chewing on the berries of a plant and becoming excitable. And so the global love affairs with coffee began in what is now known as Ethiopia. The tour will cover all areas of coffee production from propagating seedlings to the end product.  You will talk to local people – from the farmers to the members of cooperatives to those involved with the   Coffee and Tea Authority of Ethiopia.   Learn the importance of coffee to the Ethiopian economy and the advantages of “Fair Trade Practices” in a developing country. Visit the “best of” coffee areas of the Kaffa, Sidama and Harar regions.  See coffee grown in all its forms from plantations, to forest grown ORGANIC coffee, to the cottage farmers.  Gain an understanding of the difference between wet and dry processing. Follow through to the final stage where the coffee is made ready for auction n and export.  Meet with the Oromiya Coffee Cooperative to discuss coffee and fair trade practices.

Coffee Tour program.
Day 01)Addis Ababa.  Arrival Addis Ababa.
Day 02) Addis Ababa: On arrival in Addis Ababa you will be met and transferred to your hotel.  After lunch a tour of Addis Ababa has been arranged which will include the National Museum to see “Lucy”, the oldest hominid fossil as well as other archeological findings?  Also visit the Entoto Mountains and the site of the former capital.  From here enjoy the panoramic view of Addis Ababa spread out below. 

 Church Mural.                       
Leaving the summit visit the octagonal Entoto Mariam Church. Return to Addis Ababa the markets of Merkato, the largest open air market in Africa.  Overnight: Imperial Hotel: (B, L, D).                                   
                                                                                                              
Day 03) Addis Ababa/Jimma: After breakfast, transfer by coach to the southwestern highlands and the town of Jimma in the Kaffa region.  The southwestern region is quite distinct from other region s in Ethiopia.  Here you’ll see a mixture of broad grasslands, terraced hillsides and broad rivers and forests.  The area is famous for coffee and Kaffa (the province) is said to be where the original wild plants were found.  Jima is the commercial centre for the coffee produced in this region. Overnight Central Jimma Hotel. (B, L, D).
Day 04) Jimma/Bebeka: Pack an overnight bag and head out to Mizan Tefari and the Bebeke Coffee Plantation (30k from Mizan Tefari).  Bebeka Coffee Plantation covers some 6,000 hectares and is the largest and oldest Coffee Plantation in Ethiopia.  There will be a tour of the plantation which will include the organic coffee plantation and the experimental spice and fruit plantations.  Beehives have been established and the honey is highly recommended.  Overnight in the Bebeka Guesthouse – a comfortable lodge set in the plantation and home to a wide variety of bird life.  Explore the surrounding forest before dining in the canteen. (B, L, D).
Day 05) Bebeka/Gerra/Jimma: This morning head for Gerra and the forest coffee area that is still owned by the family of the former king of the Kaffa region, Abba Jiffar.  A member of the family will escort you around the estate including the Abajifar Museum and Palace.Return to Jimma and your overnight accommodation. (B, L, D).
Day 06) Jimma / Sodo :After breakfast depart Jimma heading for Sodo passing over the Omo River at Bele Bridge  The drive will take you past more coffee plants growing in the forest.Overnight,Bekele Molla Hotel (B,L,D).                                                                                 
Day 07) Sodo / Yirga Alem:           
This morning proceed to Yirga Alem, stopping enroute for lunch at Awassa, the capital of
Southern regional state of Ethiopia. Overnight: Aregash Lodge (B, L, D).                     
 
Day 08) Yirga Alem:                                                                                  
Today visit the heart and soul of Ethiopian coffee growing – the cottage farmers.
Approximately 35% of Ethiopian coffee is gown this way.  Meet with members of the
Oromiya Farmers Cooperative Union, a Fair Trade Cooperative, operating in the area.  
Overnight: Aregash Lodge (B, L, D).  
Day 09) Yirga Alem: Free day to enjoy the area around the Lodge.   Aregash Lodge is one of the first eco-tourism lodges to be built in Ethiopia.  Built in the Konso style the Tukuls (huts) are built of local bamboo.  The lodge is built on the edge of a cliff overlooking a stunning gorge. Guided walks through the area are available. Enjoy a traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony at the Lodge.  The Coffee Ceremony is at the heart of Ethiopian hospitality. An invitation to attend the ceremony is a mark of friendship and respect and not to be hurried. Overnight: Aregash Lodge (B, L, D).
 Day10) Yirga Alem/Tiya/Addis Ababa: Leaving Aregash Lodge and heading back to Addis Ababa, stopping at the village of Adadi to visit the rock-hewn church of Adadi Mariam.  The church is believed to date from the 12th or 13th century, continuing on to Tiya, (a UNCESCO World heritage site).  This historical site contains some 40 ancient stelea the largest is some 2m in height.  French excavations have shown that the stelea mark mass graves but little is known about the reasons behind this site. Overnight: Imperial Hotel (B, L, D).  
Day 11) Addis Ababa/Harar: Take the morning flight to Dire-Dawa, on a arrival transfer to Harar and your hotel.  Harar is known for its sun-dried coffee and the mildly narcotic leaf called “Chat” which is legal in Ethiopia. Harar was founded in the 7th century and is one of the oldest cities in Ethiopia.  Harar is a Muslim city and in the 17th and 18th centuries became known as an important centre for Islamic studies.  Handicrafts flourished during this time and have continued to this very day.  After lunch stroll through the ancient twisted streets of the old town.  See the houses of the typical Harari (people of this region).  Visit the museum which has been designed like a typical Harari home and contains examples of traditional arts and crafts etc.  In the evening see the Hyena Men. These men make their living hand-feeding, or sometimes feeding from their own mouths, offal and bones to the hyenas that live in the surrounding hills.  This practice has been going on for decades and the hyenas answer to the calls of the Hyena Men. Overnight: Harar (B, L, D).
Day 12) Harar: This morning drive to Babille and the Valley of Marvels in the Dakhata Harari Women            Valley. See the rock Formations that have been formed over time.  Some are topped by precariously balanced boulders.  Return to Harar for lunch.
 Day 12) Harar: This afternoon visit the Medhane Alem Cathedral which houses a gallery of traditional religious art works, the palace of the 1890’s governor, Ras Makonnen and the bizarre wood-and-brightly-colored-glass house reputedly built by the French poet Arthur Rimbaud. Harar is known for its crafts, including the beautiful work of the silversmiths and the intricate basketwork woven from colored fibers and grasses.  There will be time to shop as you tour. Overnight: Harar (B, L, D).
Day 13) Harar: This morning travel by 4 wheel drive to Gerawa to see the best of Harar Coffee grown in forests south west of Harar.  Return to Harar and your overnight accommodation. (B, L, D).
Day 14) Harar / Addis Ababa: This morning visit the Asma’addin Bari Market outside the walls of the city near the Shewa Gate.  After an early lunch, depart for the town of Dire Dawa established by the French in 1902 as the first major railhead on the Djibouti-Addis Ababa railway.  Visit the Chat market in Awedia on the way.  Transfer to the airport at Dire Dawa for the flight to Addis Ababa.  This evening meet with members of the Oromiya Coffee Co-operative over dinner. Overnight: Imperial Hotel. (B, L, D).
Day 15) Addis Ababa: This morning participate in a coffee cupping session and see the final preparation of coffee for auction. The afternoon is free.  Time to find last minute purchases and souvenirs before a final dinner at the hotel. Overnight: Imperial Hotel (B,L,D).

Day 16) Depart Addis Ababa: Transfer to the airport for your flight home.