SAMPLE ITINERARIES
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Tour Guide
Atirse Atto is an experienced guide for the Kafa Biosphere Reserve and the region’s capital, Bonga. Born and raised in a village near Bonga, he has vast knowledge of the area and has guided guests from all over the world since 2014.
He is recognized as a guide by the Kafa Development Association and is fluent in Kaffigna as well as English and Amharic.
All tours can be customized to meet the traveler’s interests/agenda. For more information, please contact Atirse directly.
All tours can be customized to meet the traveler’s interests/agenda. For more information, please contact Atirse directly.
Atirse Atto
BARTA WATERFALL HIKE
On the outskirts of Bonga, a walk along a wide dirt road and short hike through the forest leads to the magnificent Barta Waterfall. Standing at 70 meters, this waterfall is one of fourteen in Bonga. Take a dip in the pool below the falls — if you’re lucky, you might see a rainbow through the mist. Along the way, you will pass coffee plantations and farms growing various fruits and fragrant spices. Atirse will identify the different varieties of plants and birds you encounter on your route. Stop at a beekeeping farm to learn about traditional and modern beekeeping methods and sample the delicious local honey.
After arriving back in town, cool off with a fresh fruit smoothie at a popular juice bar (try the avocado/pineapple blend). 
Start the day with a breakfast of ful (a spicy bean dish), crusty bread, and freshly roasted buna (coffee) at a roadside restaurant with the locals. You will drive towards the forest using the local transport (minibus or Bajaj) and enter a lush, green wonderland. As you walk, pause to take in the subtle sounds: the rustling of branches overhead as Colobus monkeys swing through the treetops, birds chirping nearby and off in the distance, and the rush of water as you approach God’s Bridge. Stop to rest on the rocks along the stream flowing underneath this impressive, naturally formed bridge.
From God’s Bridge you will continue to Mankira Coffee Forest, a peaceful sanctuary filled with butterflies and wild coffee trees. Among this forest is the Mother Coffee Tree — at about 20 feet tall and eight inches thick, it is said to be the oldest living coffee tree in the world.
GOD'S BRIDGE & MANKIRA COFFEE FOREST
CUTURAL TOUR OF BONGA
In the morning, hike uphill to the Open Air Museum, a cultural site reconstructed to resemble the palace of the last king of the Kafa Kingdom, Gaaki Sharotchi. The site also offers a wonderful panoramic view of Bonga. On the way back to town, stop at the International Coffee Museum (Ethiopia’s first coffee museum) to view archaeological finds from the area and learn about the history of coffee production in the country. Enjoy some injera and wat at a restaurant for lunch and browse the colorful stalls of the local market for traditional scarves, spices, and coffee pots (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are the main market days).
Finish the day with an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, a ritual traditionally practiced to honor the spirits and bring the community together. The experience is bound to stimulate the senses. You can also buy local coffee beans and have them roasted and packed for your journey home.
BIRDWATCHING & HIKE TO THE HOT SPRINGS
Begin the day with a visit to Alemgono, a nearby wetland and birdwatcher’s paradise — over 90 species can be found here. Afterwards, drive to the town of Dadiban, where you will hike for about one hour on a path through the forest to the hot springs, passing villagers on the same mission along the way. These springs hold spiritual significance to the locals and are believed to possess healing powers for the sick and injured (but everyone, whether sick or healthy, is warmly welcomed here).
