From Dusk till Dawn in Coffee Delusion

Bali is a Coffee Island! You might not believe it, but it’s true! And I don’t just mean the cafés and coffee shops popping up in every tourist center—yes, even Starbucks has made it here.

In Bali, coffee is both roasted and grown. The Kintamani region in the northeast of the island provides the perfect climate for it. However, it took me almost three weeks before I finally visited one of the local coffee farms there. You might wonder why it took so long.

For those unfamiliar with Bali, the island isn’t huge—traveling from the northernmost tip to the southernmost point takes only about four hours. Most locals and tourists cover short distances on scooters or motorbikes.

Although I am a coffee expert and an experienced traveler, I don’t have a driver’s license that allows me to ride such a vehicle. And, to be honest, I was a bit scared. Well, now you know.

But Bali also has incredible coffee enthusiasts—locals and travelers like me—eager to explore the island’s coffee scene. Getting up at 4 a.m. for this was a challenge for me, as I am not a morning person… at least, not that early! But what wouldn’t one do for a great cup of coffee?

On a Thursday morning at 5 a.m., the journey began. Nick, an Italian barista, picked me up at the agreed meeting point; luckily, he was just as sleepy and hungry as I was! That hour was far too early for breakfast at my accommodation, even for me.

Before setting off north on Nick’s scooter, we made a stop at the market in central Ubud, which opens as early as 3 a.m. and is frequented almost exclusively by locals. A bustling scene with haggling over the best fruits and vegetables from the island’s fields. During the day, none of this can be seen—I checked!

Equipped with a bunch of mini bananas, a branch of juicy rambutan (a type of lychee), and a bag of banana fritters, we set off toward Kintamani, with the sunrise greeting us in the east.

For those who wake up even earlier than we did, it’s possible to catch the sunrise from Bali’s famous Mount Batur. Various trekking tours are available to reach the summit, not only for sunrise.

Nick and I, however, were too late. About halfway there, the red sun climbed above the horizon, casting long shadows on the palm trees and rice fields lining our route. The unbeatable advantage of a private scooter tour? Stop and take photos whenever you want!

By 7 a.m., we reached our first destination: the lake below Mount Batur, still wrapped in thick morning mist. The road west of Danau Batur winds through sparse greenery and small villages, which were already busy at 7 a.m., as if it were noon.

Through deep potholes and puddles—because Kintamani experiences rain and thunderstorms almost daily—the road led us to the northeastern shore. And then it was over. Bali’s road network isn’t fully developed, and circumnavigating the lake was not possible via this route.

Time for a well-deserved break, especially for Nick, my driver, at one of the quietest spots I had seen in Bali so far: the small temple Segara Hulundanu Batur. The water’s surface mirrored everything above perfectly.

The early hour, however, demanded its toll. We desperately needed coffee! Luckily, just a few minutes’ ride away was Kintamani Coffee, a specialty coffee shop that had only opened last summer. So back we went along the same pothole-filled route to the main road and Kintamani Coffee, which had just opened for the day and for our caffeine cravings.

Kintamani Coffee offers not only espresso-based drinks but also filter coffee—exclusively using beans from Indonesia. Don’t expect to find Ethiopian or Brazilian beans here. The most breathtaking highlight—and the reason you must visit this coffee shop if you’re in Bali—is the view! Not only of Mount Batur and the lake but also of Mount Agung.

Mount Agung? That’s the volcano that was on the verge of erupting in late 2017. Thankfully, it has been quiet for some time, including that morning, with the sun shining beautifully. A perfect spot for our first coffee of the day. But not for long—remember, in Kintamani, it rains almost every day. Actually, it poured buckets.

This meant an unplanned pause for Nick and me on our Bali Coffee Road Trip, at least for the duration of the downpour, which stubbornly lasted that morning. The dark, thick clouds seemed to circle directly above us. On the bright side, it gave us time to try one of the freshly prepared vegetable wraps.

And that was just the beginning of the day’s adventure!

When the rain finally eased, we headed to our next destination: Bali Beans Coffee, a recommendation Nick had received just days before from a café owner, coffee roaster, and farmer in Ubud.

Without knowing what to expect, I navigated us via Google Maps straight to a driveway. This had to be it!

As we removed our helmets, a middle-aged Balinese woman greeted us, waving her arms excitedly as she rushed into the house. Minutes later, Adi, the son of the coffee family, appeared, wearing a T-shirt boldly labeled BALI BEANS. We had arrived!

If I were to summarize the two hours we spent on the family property: Bali Beans is a coffee empire founded in 1985, specializing in growing, processing, roasting, and selling organic coffee, mainly the Bourbon variety.

Bali Beans is an impressive family business with immense passion for coffee—from the father, still active in his seventies, to the three siblings who have traveled as far as Dubai and Japan to gain international coffee knowledge.

We were lucky to experience the story not only at the coffee shop table but also while walking through the coffee bushes, which were just weeks away from harvest, and tasting the coffee grown on-site.

For me, this Bali Coffee Road Trip held an additional surprise: I drank my first Kopi Luwak!

Yes, I did it! Until that day, I had vowed never to try this controversial coffee—part marketing, part animal cruelty—but Bali Beans’ ethical approach convinced me to take a sip.

For those unfamiliar with Kopi Luwak: In Indonesia, a cat-like animal called the civet eats only ripe coffee cherries and fallen fruit in its natural habitat. The civet’s digestive enzymes naturally ferment the fruit and beans, supposedly creating a unique aroma. The beans, extracted from the excrement and processed further, are sold worldwide as Kopi Luwak at high prices.

Many buyers don’t realize that some producers use caged civets, force-feeding them cherries. That was the reason I had refused to try it—until that Thursday.

Bali Beans, however, sources their Luwak coffee naturally: only during harvest season, only from cherries eaten by free-roaming civets, and only after Adi and his family manually collect, process, and roast the beans. Traditionally, Kopi Luwak was even given as a wedding gift.

The taste of my first Kopi Luwak? Mild, well-balanced, but not as extraordinary as advertised. I still prefer a fruity Ethiopian or Kenyan with more character.

Later that afternoon, after many coffee moments and professional discussions, Nick and I hopped on his scooter again, heading back toward Ubud—though we were briefly delayed by a funeral procession near our destination, led by a white-clad casket with half the village in attendance.

Over twelve hours later, richer with unforgettable memories, impressions, and experiences, we finally returned to the meeting point where we had started before sunrise. By then, darkness had fallen again.