Ah, coffee! That magical elixir many of us rely on to kickstart our days. Celebrated on October 1 as World Coffee Day, it’s the perfect reason to explore countries that produce coffee beans. While you’re at it, you can also contribute positively to these places. Expand your palate with new coffee varieties as you travel through intriguing parts of the world. Here’s some inspiration:
Costa Rica
Take a Fair Trade coffee tour and learn about sustainable coffee farming that benefits the growers. Add some adventure with zip lines, hot springs, volcanoes, and lakes in Arenal, along with wildlife and beautiful beaches at Manuel Antonio and Corcovado, among other spots.
Make your trip even more rewarding by volunteering at a wildlife rescue center. You can prepare meals and feed animals like monkeys and parrots, maintain their enclosures, and assist the vet with daily rounds. This will provide a great learning experience for you and your family about local wildlife.
Where to stay: Arenal Nayara Tented Camp
Best time to visit: November to March
Belize
While a smaller coffee producer, Belize has the Gallon Jug Estate in its western region, where coffee is grown organically under the Mayan rainforest shade. Gallon Jug Coffee is the top coffee brand here, offering fantastic 100% Arabica coffee beans. Belize also offers chocolate-making sessions, wildlife spotting, diving, snorkeling, exploring Mayan ruins, and kayaking.
Enhance your trip by installing an eco-friendly stove for a rural Mayan family. These stoves are safer for children, reduce respiratory issues by channeling smoke outside via a chimney, and are more fuel-efficient.
Where to stay: Copal Tree Lodge
Best time to visit: November to March
Peru
Peruvian coffee is noted for its quality, with flavors ranging from citrusy to chocolaty. Different microclimates in the Andean regions offer unique flavor profiles. Visit Peru in August to enjoy coffee fairs, tastings, and barista competitions. The main coffee-growing regions include Amazonas, Cusco, Cajamarcas, San Martin, and Puno.
Combine your coffee experience with visits to Machu Picchu, biking in the Sacred Valley, seeing condors in Colca Canyon, kayaking on Lake Titicaca, whale watching along the coast, and exploring the Amazon’s wildlife.
To make a meaningful impact, help build a bathroom block for villagers in the Sacred Valley. Get involved from the start by making adobe bricks, and enjoy the experience while making a difference.
Where to stay: Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba
Best time to visit: June to September
Guatemala
Guatemala’s coffee is grown at high altitudes, giving it a robust and unique flavor profile. The subtropical climate and volcanic soil further enrich the coffee beans. Primary growing regions like Antigua and Atitlan coincide with great tourist spots such as colonial Antigua and Lake Atitlan. Other highlights include the colorful markets of Chichicastenango and the stunning Mayan ruins of Tikal.
Make a fulfilling difference by helping build a home for a family in need in Antigua.
Where to stay: Villa Bokeh
Best time to visit: November to March
Indonesia
Indonesia is famous for its unique Kopi Luwak coffee, made from beans that pass through a civet cat, whose digestive enzymes ferment the coffee cherries. Produced mainly on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, Sulawesi, and East Timor, the ethical concern is the poor conditions in which the civet cats are kept. Ethical travel options involve visiting farms that use 100% wild-gathered beans. Bali is recommended for its top hotels, cooking classes, beautiful beaches, mountain biking, hiking, surfing, white-water rafting, and arts.
Support a remote village in Bali by funding and building a disabled-accessible bathroom for a paraplegic. Providing such facilities greatly enhances the individual’s independence and quality of life.
Where to stay: Amankila
Best time to visit: May to September
Wherever you decide to go, enjoy your coffee and make a difference!