Are you in a committed relationship with coffee? Then you need to try coffee tourism, Uganda in particular. Coffee tourism ,let the coffee enthusiasts discover coffee origins wonderful landscape, distinctive natural environments characterizing coffee growing regions. Generic placeholder imageAnd while I may be a bit biased, in my opinion Kisoro region located in the rolling hills of south western Uganda and mountain Elgon region in eastern 
part of the country not forgetting kasese region in western along the slopes of Mountain Rwenzori are the perfect places in which to begin your coffee adventures. Of course, wherever you go in the country,Uganda is a traveler’s dream. It’s a place of Lakes and Rivers, Waterfalls, mountains, Flora and Fauna, National Parks, and beautiful Islands, diverse Culture – not to mention coffee! You could take a car drive and cruise from the Kampala the capital through Lake Mburo National park, the home of Antelopes and many predators to Kisoro our destination. Or you could drive west via Fort Portal to Queen Elizabeth national park, right in the middle of Kasese where DRUGA (Dried Uganda Arabica) come from. Kasese is known for its natural Arabica coffee. Majority of the coffee produced here is natural. They offer more body; the climate allows producers to sun-dry the cherries, giving them more punch. A clean natural from here is sweet, fruity, and has a heavy body. The kasese region is not only rich in coffee history but also has an amazing landscape with numerous National Parks such as Queen 
Elizabeth National ,Semulik National Park, Mountain Rwenzori National and Kibale Forest National Park. In fact, you will even find Uganda’s tallest Mountain and third in East Africa, mountain Rwenzori . Proceeding to Kisoro South Western Uganda, this region is mostly known for its production of Arabica coffee. This is a moutainious area which is rich with acidic volcanic soils, the area is humid and the coffees are generally dried on raised beds, greenhouses and tapelines.
Kisoro coffee profile is dominated by bright acidity and fruity flavors with a medium body and incredible sweet cup. Here our selected farmers will take you through all the stages coffee go through until it reaches the roaster. In pursuit for high prices here farmers, put much focus on the quality by picking the ready red cherries, pulp ferment wash and dry them so that you can enjoy a clean cup of coffee. Ready red cherries are picked and dried on the raised bed to ensure a clean cup. Beside coffee, Kisoro region is best known for the Mountain Gorillas and other primates in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga national park, Flora and Fauna, beautiful Lakes and stunning Hills will make your coffee journey more remarkable. Crossing the mighty River Nile to steep slopes of Mountain Elgon, Mt. Elgon Caldera. The mountain not only has one of the largest surface areas of any ancient extinct volcano in the world but is also peppered with cliffs, caves, gorges and water falls with the most notable being the romantic Sipi falls. The caldera covers some 40 square km at the top of the mountain. On this route you get a chance to pass through small and large farms of Robusta coffee in the central part of the country , track Mabira forest and visiting the source of River Nile the longest river in the world. Trust me your eyes will always focus outside staring at the beauty that Uganda posses. Kapchorwa lies on the western side of Mt. Elgon, one of Uganda’s best-known volcanoes. The rushing 
rivers, rich volcanic soil, altitude above 4000m (asl) and long growing season makes Kapchorwa ideal for growing Arabica Coffee.It boarders the Bugishu coffee growing areas and projects into the Mt.Elgon National park. Kapchorwa coffee is fully washed, or wet processed. In wet processing, beans are only dried after all the fruit on the bean has been completely removed. (Letting the fruit ferment first makes the process easy.) This processing method enables a bean to develop flavours and a clean cup. It’s also here that I found one of the flavor-notes I enjoy the most in coffee: Bergamot. Are we in Ethiopia? No, we are most definitely in Uganda. Mt. Elgon National Park covers a wide range of animal species, unique vegetation and numerous Rivers and Waterfalls. Sipi Falls will make your eastern farm trip unforgettable.
Experience the Complete Coffee Journey: From Cherry to Cup
Generic placeholder imageDon’t just surround yourself with coffee, immerse yourself in it. Our farmers offer several practical experience where you can take part in harvesting and post-harvesting work, and you can walk the fields to discover more about coffee production and the region’s history. Generic placeholder imageYou will also get a chance to share with the farmers, roaster and baristas this is interesting, since you can so easily talk to the producers themselves. They have an intimate knowledge of the entire process and will willingly share their insights. Sometimes you can even contribute ideas and make a difference yourself. Several trainings are given to coffee stake holders at all levels of production Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA)a body that oversees the entire coffee industry in Uganda together with other organizations in the process of improving on coffee production and consumption they organize trainings to coffee stakeholders in order to keep them equipped with the knowledge needed for quality coffee production and boosts local consumption as well.
Back in the capital Kampala, feel free to express your passion and love for coffee by checking in at different cafes in the town to enjoy a perfect cap of Ugandan coffee freshly brewed just for you. Most of the modern brewing methods are: Espresso, Power overs , Aeropress, French press, Siphon Turkish coffee to mention but a few, you could as well wish to enjoy your cup in cocktails, milk shakes or in any other form don’t shy around to ask your favorite cup.
Visiting origin, and taking part in the harvesting and post-harvesting, is one of the best parts of coffee tourism. It will inspire you, inform you, and Impassionate you. It will make you a better barista, roaster, cafe operators or consumer. There are more coffee tourism options than the few places mentioned in this article (although they come highly recommended) and, no doubt, more and more will appear. Remember that coffee tourism often develops out of necessity. It is one more source of support in an often unstable economy that’s vulnerable to drought, disease, and pests. When you go to origin, you’re deepening your understanding of coffee and you’re also helping to support the very industry you love so much. So what are you waiting for? Check with your doctor about vaccines, brush up on your English or any other international language and start planning your itinerary. BIRD’S NEST SAFARI IS waiting for you and will design an itinerary that suits you.
Written by Edwards.(the Espresso engineer) .
