Bonga: Ethiopia’s Birthplace of Arabica Coffee and More

Bonga may not be a common name for most travelers to Ethiopia, but it truly deserves more recognition. It's believed to be the original home of Arabica coffee.

Despite its historic connection to coffee, Bonga has largely been overlooked in the global coffee industry, which now spans billions of dollars.

This small town, nestled in the untouched subtropical cloud forests of southwestern Ethiopia, remains a serene haven filled with coffee plants, wild honey, and abundant natural beauty and wildlife.

The word 'coffee' is thought to have originated from 'Kaffa,' the ancient name for the region of modern-day Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ State, where Bonga is located.

Legend has it that in the sixth century, deep within the forests near Bonga, a curious goatherd named Kaldi noticed his goats acting unusually lively after eating red berries from a shrub he'd never encountered before.

Intrigued, Kaldi sampled the berries himself, leading to the accidental discovery of the coffee bean.

Suddenly, early mornings, tedious office meetings, and those awkward pauses during dates would never feel quite the same again.

Mornings in Bonga are marked by the town’s hills shrouded in a blanket of mist, a result of the air’s high moisture content.

This creates a cinematic scene as the community stirs, with thin streams of smoke rising from chimneys into the surrounding fog.

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Coffee Above the Clouds

The Bonga Forest Reserve, covering around 500 square kilometers, is one of Ethiopia's last vast subtropical moist forests of significant size.

The region’s altitude is ideal for coffee cultivation, with the best growth occurring between 900 and 1,800 meters (2,950 to 5,900 feet).

The natural shade from the surrounding trees causes the coffee beans to ripen more slowly, resulting in denser, more flavorful beans.

It also helps keep the trees smaller, making them easier to harvest by hand.

Mirutse Habtemariam, a local beekeeper, offers a fascinating introduction to the other forest foods that thrive in the area.

He highlights forest cardamom (Ethiopia’s priciest spice) and long green peppers that grow in abundance along the dirt trails.

Banana trees with striking purple flowers grow downwards in the forest.

He points to the trees above, where unique wooden cylinders hang—traditional beehives, he reveals.

The forest’s rich plant life attracts honeybees, drawn to its diverse flora.

It’s said that local farmers often turn to prayer, asking the wild bees to remain in the hives and produce honeycomb. Whether it’s the flora or divine intervention, the result is always delicious.

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Honey Wine

This is easy to spot in Bonga, where countless stalls are lined with tubs of honey in varying shades, from dark caramel to light amber and even opaque white.

Unsurprisingly, you'll find plenty of tej, Ethiopia’s renowned and potent honey wine, available for sale.

Above the coffee trees, the forest is alive with black-and-white colobus monkeys, whose image adorns the label of Bedele, a popular beer from the region.

Beneath the dense forest canopy, you’ll find lions, leopards, hippopotamuses, buffaloes, and antelopes roaming freely.

'I could never leave this behind for city life,' Mirutse says, sweeping his hand to indicate the surrounding forest near his village.

One of the joys of rural life here is the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony.

Green coffee beans are first roasted over hot coals, then ground with a wooden pestle and mortar, before being brewed in a clay pot known as a jebena.

Coffee doesn’t get any fresher than this.

Beans grown in such a rich, biodiverse environment yield high-quality, organic coffee with a remarkable variety of flavors.

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One brew has a flavor reminiscent of wine, with notes of jasmine and orange. Another evokes raisin, violet, and mango. A third hints at strawberry, cherry, and lychee.

Coffee holds a deeper significance in the lives of locals than just the morning cup. A blend of ground coffee and honey is also used to treat wounds.

A woman’s ability to prepare coffee is considered one of the key qualities in determining her suitability for marriage.

Off the Beaten Path

Despite its coffee heritage and other natural riches, both Bonga and the Kaffa region are largely overlooked by tourists.

The town’s population is around 30,000, while the Kaffa region has about 900,000 residents. Here, life moves at a slow pace, even with all the caffeine around.

In 2015, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn visited Bonga to open the new National Coffee Museum.

At the same time, the Ethiopian Tourism Organization launched the 'Ethiopia, Land of Origins' campaign to reshape the country’s tourism sector and bring more visitors to lesser-known destinations like Bonga.

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The Land of Waterfalls

There’s much to attract visitors here, and those who endure the long 460-kilometer road trip from Addis Ababa to Bonga – or fly to the regional capital, Jimma, then travel 118 kilometers by land – will find it well worth the effort.

Alongside the 14 waterfalls in the forest reserve, visitors can also discover hot springs and natural bridges sculpted by wind and water erosion.

The landscape is dotted with numerous ancient churches and mosques.

Hotel accommodations may be limited for some, and a trip here requires more planning compared to Ethiopia’s more accessible sites along the popular northern Historical Circuit.

While comfort may be lacking, it is more than compensated by the stunning scenery and, of course, the irresistible fresh coffee.