Things to see and do West

Comprehensive and well presented, this museum is undeniably interesting. Traditional clothing, musical instruments, the first Bible translated into Oromo by Anismos Neciv in the ^19th century... Objects and tools from the Oromo culture tell us about the daily life and work of this ethnic group with cotton, wood, leather, metal, horn, stone or earth. One room also highlights the Jebelawi, a Muslim ethnic group living around Asosa. Some of the explanatory panels, with their ideological texts, date back to the Derg period. A lively guided tour.

In three successive rooms, the museum presents the Oromo kingdom founded by King Abba Jifar and the history of his reign from 1830 to 1855. There are Oromo costumes and musical instruments, weapons and books, and local handicrafts, including the famous seats carved from a single piece of wood. Among the possessions of the Oromo rulers, the throne of the last king Abba Jifar is one of the major pieces in the collection. This king was also the first to convert to Islam following the Gondar Abdul Hakim trader in 1830.

This original building is the work of Aba Jifar, sixth ruler of a powerful Muslim Oromo dynasty established in the ^18th century. He reigned from 1877 to 1933, the last of his name, and spent a lot of money on this palace: 400 kg of gold and 65,000 Marie-Thérèse silver coins, the currency in use at the time. Impressively tall at 2.10 m, he retained his prerogatives despite the expansion of the Christian kingdom, thanks to his friendly relations with Emperor Menelik II, to whom he nevertheless had to pay substantial taxes. He also stabilized his power by marrying six women from the surrounding provinces. On his death, Emperor Haile Selassie took over the administration of the province, putting an end to the Oromo dynasty. Strongly influenced by Indian architecture, the building comprises, on the first floor, the family mosque and the reception hall, where a window higher than the others gives the giant a view of the outside world. Upstairs are the courtroom and private apartments arranged around an inner courtyard. The whole complex is dominated by a watchtower with windows looking out towards the provinces of Choa, Kaffa and Welega, as well as the town of Jimma below. The palace's furnishings may be a little sparse, but its originality and the view it affords of the city make it worthwhile. The sovereign's tomb is located on the road leading to the palace, some 1.5 km away.

After 7 km on the road south of town, turn left at the "Gore Water Supply Treatment Plant" sign to reach the village of Becho, 13 km along a track that is difficult in places. The Hotel Baranagash is a good address for organizing the expedition. From here, an hour's walk or horseback ride will take you to the waterfalls in the heart of a beautiful forest: plunging more than 30 m, they are ranked among the most beautiful in the country. The excursion takes a good half-day, or more depending on trail conditions.

When it was built in 1900, before being converted into a church, it was intended to be the residence of Emperor Menelik II, who wanted to build his capital here, which explains its unusual rectangular shape. Richly decorated with paintings on the outside, you can see pretty Abyssinian lions and lionesses painted on the façade, and rich ornamental friezes around the doors and windows. Inside, the frescoes are more classical. Nearby, a small museum displays relics from the imperial era, as well as religious objects.

The Wenchi Ecotourism Association is run by the local community. A good way to encourage fair tourism. With local guides, we trek through villages, meeting lots of people and having a truly enriching experience. The association offers circuits ranging from 35 minutes to 5 hours' walk. The longest trek is the 16 km Bagoba-Abagalalcha (see details of circuits on the website). Boat excursions are also available.

This palace was built in 1870 by Moti Kumsa Moroda, the third and last king of Wolega, who converted to Christianity and pledged allegiance to Emperor Menelik. His family, who lived there, were later evicted by the Derg and sent to Addis Ababa. Since then, it has been opened to the public and transformed into a museum dedicated to Oromo architecture. The two-storey palace also features a dozen buildings built in an interesting traditional architectural style. Guided tour in pleasant rudimentary English, complementary to that of the museum.

After eight years in the making, the Coffee Museum was inaugurated in 2015 to great fanfare in Kaffa, the historic home of the red bean roasted and ground around the world. Since then, the empty building has struggled to be filled, apart from a modest exhibition on the history of coffee, and in particular of the Kaffa species and its cultivation in the region. There are, however, a few archaeological objects on display, including the world's oldest coffee beans, discovered in the Kumale cave in the ^3rd century AD. An exhibition that makes you want an espresso immediately.