For the Sake of Paradise Sensation

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

A Hindu woman worships and gives offerings at Kopi Temple in Banjar Taman, Munduk village, Banjar district, Buleleng regency, Bali, on Wednesday (31/1/2018).

The cup of coffee arrived as fog moved over the land. With a plate of banana fritters, the hot beverage warmed the body. The afternoon became more special with views of the lush green forest and clear blue skies in the Batukahu mountains in North Bali.

Sipping a cup of coffee at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level will make you feel like you are in your own piece of heaven. This was the atmosphere on our recent visit to the Ngiring Ngewedang coffee shop in Munduk village, Banjar district, Buleleng regency, Bali, in February.

Coffee and tourism mixed together in a perfect blend. The coffee was produced by a factory in Banyuatis village. The son of the factory’s founder, Gede Pusaka Harsadena, manages the coffee shop.

Such a perfect blend can also be found in other places. On Jl. Raya Jurusan Tampaksiring in Bangli regency, you can find the Agro Buana Amertha Sari agritourism area. There, visitors can take a look at the coffee cherries, learn how to roast coffee and then take a sip of it. Various flavors of Arabica and Robusta coffee are available, including coconut, pandan, mocha and rosella tea coffees. Vast coffee plantations stretch far and wide on both sides of the road leading to the Tampaksiring Palace.

Traditional

In Aceh, the Ulee Kareng coffee production center is a mainstay in the province. Hundreds of filtered coffee shops in the area blend traditional and modern brews. Coffee powder and beans, as well as unique coffee-themed shirts, are on display in different storefronts.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

A worker roasts coffee beans manually at a traditional coffee-processing plant in Ie Masen village, Ulee Kareng district, Banda Aceh, on Thursday (21/12/2017).

Travelers wishing to observe old coffee-processing techniques can visit the coffee shop owned by Said Ali, 86, and Ida Arifin, 49, in Ie Masen village, Ulee Kareng district. Visitors can see Ida and her employees produce coffee using traditional ways.

They have been using the same tools since the shop opened in 1955. All of its old tools, including pestle and roasting tubes, are still in use. In order to pulverize the coffee beans into powder, the workers use a pulverizing technique called jeungki. The machine comprises a wooden pedal supported by two wooden beams. A pestle is attached at the end of the pedal. Every time the pedal is stepped on, the pestle moves up and down, pulverizing the coffee beans inside the stone mortar.

Preserving old traditions has profited the coffee shop, which is the only place that still uses the old jeungki system. As a result, many travelers are curious to see the process. Ida does not charge travelers wanting to see the process. However, many give small donations to the female workers.

The exoticism of coffee is not exclusively about factories and shops. Old plantations are also huge tourist magnets. There, they can really enjoy being impromptu coffee farmers, while also understanding their hardships. Coffee farmers around Lake Toba in North Sumatra have used this opportunity to develop local coffee tourism.

Lintong Ni Huta Cooperative head Gani Silaban established coffee tour packages on the plantation he inherited from his grandfather. Here, travelers can enjoy picking red coffee cherries. On the century-old plantation, travelers can also observe coffee-processing methods, sip Lintong coffee and enjoy the stunning vista of Lake Toba from afar. It is truly unforgettable.

Coffee and nature tourism has also been developed in Lerek, Gombengsari, some 14 kilometers from downtown Banyuwangi, East Java. A number of farmers have established promotion centers in the middle of their plantations. Lerek-Gombengsari (Lego) Coffee Tourism Community head Hariono Ha’o was among the pioneers. He said that, at first, he used his plantation and house to attract travelers in 2016. It turned out to be popular among travelers and, soon, other locals followed suit. Since last December, 13 local families have turned their homes into homestays.

Travelers can now enjoy the sensation of walking through coffee plantations in a village, where they can meet and chat with local farmers who will welcome them warmly.

Coffee tourism is not only prevalent in coffee-producing regions. Even in regions without coffee production, such as Yogyakarta and Belitung, coffee culture is blossoming. University students and travelers often gather at roadside coffee stalls. Visits to Yogyakarta are incomplete without a visit to one of these simple establishments.

“Yogyakarta is just crazy. College students come to coffee shops late at night. I do not see this in Semarang, Malang or even Surakarta. Without gathering [at coffee shops], life is just not complete,” said Jatmika, the owner of Legend coffee shop in the Kotabaru area.

In Manggar, East Belitung, the Coffee Pot Monument stands proudly. Manggar Coffee Cooperative head Ayung said in the past decade, local coffee shops were becoming increasingly popular among travelers. Consequently, coffee shop owners also sell various snacks such as crackers and coffee as souvenirs.

The future of coffee and tourism is bright, where adventure and natural beauty blends perfectly.

(SIG/COK/NSA/AIN/IKI/ITA/GER/DIA)