Coffee Beans and Animal Defecation resulting in a delicious brew. Swing in!

Top things to do in Bali – Alas Harum is one of a few coffee plantations located in Bali. What makes them special is how their unique flavours are realized.  We went for a tour to find out their secret.

A knowledgable young lady was assigned to us upon entrance and we were quickly on our way. She explained to us how the animal Kopi Luwak, also known as an Asian Palm Civet consume the coffee cherries (I thought they are beans). Normally a disaster to have your coffee plantation eaten away, in this case a sort of blessing.

The civit or luwak defecate (poop) the partially digested fermented cherry out and humans harvest the fecal matter which is then cleaned, roasted, and sold for a premium price.

The entire process is very controversial due to the fact that nowadays, the animals are caged and force fed to produce the quality outcome. Supposedly, they only consume the best quality of coffee cherries, thus resulting in a superb roast.

We watched how, traditionally, the coffee cherry is roasted over an open fire before being crushed by a huge wooden mallet and then brewed into a delicious cup of coffee.

It was brought to our attention that not only does Alas Harum produce one of the most expensive coffees in the world, they also grow tea. Of course, what is a visit to a plantation with sampling the wares? Our host led us to a terrace overlooking the extremely steep green hills of the property where we were then brought an entire tray of tea samples and a crown jewel coffee.

Truthfully, the majority of the teas were delicious. The coffee, albeit good, had a little too rich of a price for my liking and I found it ever so slightly bitter. The view was amazing!

Tip: While visiting the plantation, why not go for one of those crazy swing rides that are plastered all over Instagram? You can swing single or double the pleasure 😉

Plantation Name: Alas Harum AgroTourism
Address: Tegallalang, Gianyar, Bali 80561, Indonesia

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