Are you looking to explore authentic coffee culture — to take a journey from bean to cup, engaging with local coffee producers as they harvest and process Timor-Leste’s renowned coffee? Perhaps you want to escape daily life for a quieter, more relaxing place amid stunning scenery? All this is possible with a weekend getaway to Ermera on a coffee tour package offered by Café Brisa Serena (CBS).
Café Brisa Serena is a subsidiary of a local social enterprise established by Peace-Winds Japan to improve the livelihoods of coffee farmers through an income generation program, add value to the coffee product, and promote high-quality Timor-Leste coffee in domestic and international markets.
Letefoho Specialty Coffee Roaster
Dili residents and many visitors to Timor-Leste will be familiar with Café Letefoho and its Letefoho Specialty Coffee Roaster on the Dili beachfront. The coffee served here is freshly roasted for maximum aroma and flavour.
First opened as a specialty coffee roaster in June 2014, the café set out to promote Timor-Leste coffee sourced directly from producers in Letefoho, Ermera. Since then, it has attracted many international and local visitors, offering a unique coffee experience through different brewing methods prepared by expert baristas. As visitor numbers grew, so did demand for on-farm experiences and a deeper engagement with local coffee culture at origin.
The Letefoho Coffee Tour Package
Coffee tourism has great potential to support Timor-Leste’s local economy by drawing visitors to cafés and farms alike. In June 2020 — during the global pandemic, when international tourism was at a standstill — Café Brisa Serena identified an opportunity to collaborate with coffee producers, youth, and local women entrepreneurs who run guesthouses in Letefoho.
The result was a coffee tour package, initially combined with a yoga retreat in collaboration with Dili Ashtanga Yoga, aimed at domestic and expatriate visitors during the 2020 harvest season.
What the Tour Includes
During coffee harvest season, visitors can:
- Book trips to coffee farms and engage directly with farmers
- Pick coffee cherries by hand
- Try coffee processing and traditional roasting techniques
- Brew coffee at the farm where it was grown
- Stay at community guesthouses or accommodation run by Café Brisa Serena
- Explore local markets held every Wednesday and Saturday
- Visit local tea plantations
- Tour the spectacular Mota Bandeira waterfall in Atsabe with local guides
The goal is not simply to visit a farm. It is to help visitors understand where their coffee comes from, how every cup purchased impacts producers’ lives, and how sustainable tourism can strengthen the entire coffee value chain.
“We are happy to create business and employment opportunities for youth and women in Letefoho, support local businesses and help farmers to generate additional income from visits to their coffee farms. It is also great to learn through this tourism initiative and with the small capital we have invested — Café Brisa Serena has been able to attract many visitors and run this initiative with great collaboration with guesthouse owners in Letefoho, youth and women from the community, and other businesses working to support the promotion of Timor-Leste tourism.”
— Jonia Leite Soares, Business Development Manager, Café Brisa Serena
Local People, Local Skills
Maria Silvina Babo (“Silvia”), 27, is a local chef and guesthouse assistant at Café Letefoho Guest House. Through on-the-job training organised by CBS, she has developed skills in:
- Hospitality and guest welcome
- Preparing seasonal local ingredients and promoting local food
- Coffee brewing alongside the Letefoho barista team
She now trains other staff in food preparation and is actively involved with the local youth tourism group from Letefoho. She works closely with Laurentina Babo (“Rina”), Café Letefoho barista, who organises coffee farm tours and visits to other attractions across the region.
Resuming After the Pandemic
In 2021, activities were paused following a local COVID-19 outbreak in Ermera that led to booking cancellations. During that period, all Café Brisa Serena partners worked to put safety measures in place and develop their skills, ready to welcome visitors back to coffee country once the situation improved.