When traveling to Indonesia, and Bali in specific it’s a must to try Kopi Luwak coffee at least once. You can get Starbucks when back at home but if you want a cup of Kopi Luwak coffee outside of Indonesia it will cost you.
We tied in visiting a coffee plantation with a sunrise hike up to Mount Batur on a $40 tour, click here for more tour details.
*When looking for the best price and biggest selection of hotels in Bali check prices on Booking.com, we’ve found they are the best option and have a great cancelation policy.*
Bali Kopi Luwak Coffee
What Is Kopi Luwak?
Kopi is the Indonesian word for coffee and Luwak is the local name of the Asian palm civet in Sumatra. Kopi Luwak is the coffee that has been digested by an Asian palm civet. The civet eats the coffee cherries, the cherries go through the digestive track and fermentation occurs, and then they pass through the intestines and eventually pooped out. The coffee cherries are then picked out from poop aka poop coffee.
Where Does Kopi Luwak Coffee Originate?
Kopi luwak came about in the 18th century in the Dutch East Indie islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. Nowadays it’s mainly produced on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Sulawesi. The Philippines, East Timor, and Vietnam are also making similar versions of poop coffee.
Where Can You Get Kopi Luwak Coffee?
The best way to purchase authentic kopi luwak coffee is to go to Indonesia and make a vacation out of it. It’s one of the tastiest things to do in Bali. Learn about the coffee’s process, sample a cup of poop coffee, and then buy some fresh Indonesian coffee to bring home with you.
If you can’t swing an Indonesian vacation there are many websites selling the coffee or some specialty coffee shops may carry Kopi Luwak from Bali or other regions.
How Much Does Kopi Luwak AKA Poop Coffee Cost?
Kopi luwak is one of the most expensive coffees in the world with a retail price as high as $700 per kilo/$300+ per pound. However, farmed Kopi luwak coffee (low grade) can be purchased in Indonesia at large grocery stores for about $100 kilo.
Genuine kopi luwak from actual wild civets is insanely hard to purchase and hard to prove if the poop coffee is real or fake. There are kopi luwak roasters in Bali that sell the coffee by the cup so you can sample it, and decide for yourself if you like animal poop coffee. A cup sells for over $5 a cup in Indonesia.
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What Does Poop Coffee / Kopi Luwak Taste Like?
The thought of an animal eating the coffee cherry, pooping it out, cleaning the coffee bean, and roasting it may sound a bit strange. What on earth could it taste like? The result of all this work is a very flavorful almost fruity coffee that has very little bitterness. During the digestive process the beans altered and it yields a much less bitter cup.
Have you been to Indonesia and tried kopi luwak coffee?
Niraj Rana
Thursday 29th of March 2018
Where can I get to buy these kopi Luwak beans?
Adam
Saturday 7th of April 2018
You can find them while traveling to places in south-east Asia, like Bali - or you can order them online.
Claire
Thursday 14th of September 2017
I just returned from Bali and was taken to a plantation without realising that it was luwack coffee, I felt so bad for the poor luwacks kept in these tiny cages and forced to eat just coffee :(
Steve
Thursday 5th of December 2019
We did the plantation on the 15/11/19. The coffee worked out to be about $70AUD a kilo . Checked on a few other sites where it's hitting up to & over $170AUD a kilo
Hannah Lukaszewicz
Tuesday 19th of September 2017
Prior to visiting had you heard or knew about the Bali Koi Luwak coffee?
Adam S.
Tuesday 9th of May 2017
I would like to visit Indonesia this summer. Hopefully I will get a chance to try some of this coffee
laura tyler
Tuesday 1st of November 2016
I am a coffee lover.I have never been to Indonesia but when i will be there i will definitely try it.
Hannah
Tuesday 1st of November 2016
If you are a coffee lover you def have to try Kopi Luwak when in Bali.
Saiful Islam Opu
Wednesday 20th of April 2016
This is a crazy stuff! Coffee lover would taste it for its charming process :) ha ha ha And have you ever try 7 layers tea in BD? This is another crazy stuff!