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On this trip, you will see the palace of Abba Jaffar, the last independent King of Jimma
On this trip, you will see the palace of Abba Jaffar, the last independent King of Jimma, visit the stunningly beautiful Kafa Biosphere Reserve, the birthplace of coffee, tour the Bebeke Coffee Estate – the largest in Ethiopia and meet people of the Surma and Dizi tribes and learn about their ways of life.
Departure & Return
Departure Point
Arada, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Customers can meet us at our office which is within the compound of the Taitu Hotel, or we can pick up customers from any hotel within 6km of the Taitu Hotel.
Departure Time
9:00 AM
Return Details
Returns to the original departure point
Gurage
Leaving Addis Ababa, you will start the journey southwest to Jimma. On the way, you’ll see villages of the Gurage and Oromo people, and the land that they traditionally farm.
Duration: 1 hour
Admission Ticket Free
Jimma
Duration: 3 hours
Accommodation: Overnight in a hotel in Jimma
Meals: LunchDinner
Jimma Museum
Admission Ticket Included
Aba Jifar Palace
Abba Jiffar was the last independent King of Jimma, and a selection of his personal effects are on display at the museum, along with some interesting ethnographic displays relating to local cultures. Abba Jiffar’s palace was built during the early years of his reign at a cost of 400kg of gold and 65,000 Maria Theresa dollars (money obtained largely through the King’s active involvement in the slave trade).
Duration: 2 hours
Kafa Biosphere Reserve
From Jimma, you will continue the journey west, passing through the Kafa Biosphere Reserve and stopping at Kafa village. The Kafa Biosphere Reserve contains the last remaining Ethiopian subtropical moist forests of any size and is a biodiversity hotspot, containing more than 5,000 species of plants. The forest is managed by community-based committees and is also renowned for its abundance of sustainable non-timber forest products including coffee, forest cardamon, forest pepper, and honey. It contains natural features such as hot springs and waterfalls and is a haven for monkeys and birds, many of which remain undocumented.
Wushwush
Duration: 30 minutes
Mizan Teferi
Accommodation: Overnight in a hotel in Mizan Tafari
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Bebek Coffee Estate
From Mizan Tafari, you will follow the remote road towards the village of Kibish, stopping on the way to the Bebeka Coffee Estate. This is the largest coffee plantation in Ethiopia, covering 6,500 ha, and is home to an interesting variety of birdlife.
1 hour
Dima
From Bebeke, the road descends into more open savannah with tall acacia trees and bands of riparian woodland supporting rich birdlife. You will pass through the small market town of Dima, as well as traditional villages, and you may well see Surma men herding their cattle.
Kibish
Accommodation: Overnight camping near Kibish
You’ll spend the day exploring the village of Kibish and meeting the Surma people (also known as the Suri). The Surma are agro-pastoralists, with the women traditionally taking care of the household and the land, and the men taking care of the livestock. Young boys and unmarried men spend much of the year in temporary grazing camps, returning to the established settlements only for ceremonial events and to collect food supplies. The Surma are similar in appearance to the Mursi, with their most noticeable feature being the lip-plates worn by the women. They also practice the art of body painting, mixing different colored clays with water. The men of the Surma take part in ritual stick fights using long wooden poles, called Donga. Fights are held so that young men can prove themselves to the girls and find a wife. They are also used to settle disputes between individuals, clans, or even whole villages. Overnight camping near Kibish.
8 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Accommodation: A second-night camping near Kibish
Maji
From Kibish, you will travel to Tum, spending the day meeting members of the Surma and Dizi tribes. The Dizi people live in the highlands around Maji and Hanna and cultivate the land, and have traditionally been looked down on by the Surma because of their lack of cattle wealth.
St. Hanna Church
3 hours
TUM
Accommodation: Overnight camping near Tum
Addis Ababa
30 minutes
Accommodation: Not included
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
