While exploring the lush valleys and jungles of Ubud on our Bali day trip, we were taken to an establishment called Bali Pulina. As part of our tour package, we’d signed up for two activities: a thrilling big swing experience and a coffee tasting session. As it turned out, this was the perfect place to enjoy both!
Bali Pulina is a beautiful plantation and cultural attraction showcasing aspects of traditional Balinese life, with its coffee plantation being one of the main highlights. Here, you can explore the different ingredients and plants grown locally (I never knew cinnamon came from tree bark!). If you’re a true coffee connoisseur, you’ll probably have heard of Luwak Coffee, a rather unusual speciality that involves coffee beans passing through the digestive system of civets before being cleaned and processed.
Our guide was incredibly informative, walking us through the entire process and showing us how the coffee beans are collected, cleaned, roasted and eventually ground into the fine coffee we know and love. It was fascinating to see just how much work goes into producing that perfect cup!
Perched along the cliffs overlooking Ubud’s lush valleys, Bali Pulina also offers some fantastic opportunities to sit back, relax and soak up the scenery. However, if you’re feeling a little more adventurous, it’s also home to some of the big swings that you’ll find dotted across Bali’s spectacular landscapes!
We’d already booked our big swing experience, so naturally, we had to give it a go! It was absolutely worth it. The team were incredibly friendly and made sure we were securely strapped in before sending us soaring above the jungle. Make sure you hand over your phone or camera, too, as they’ll happily capture some fantastic photos and videos of your experience!
After that little bit of thrill seeking, it was time to slow things down and head back to the Jungle Top Café. Perched above the jungle canopy, the views from here were simply spectacular. As part of our tour, we were treated to a complimentary tasting selection of teas and coffees, all made using ingredients grown right here on the plantation.
There was quite a variety to work our way through, ranging from fruity teas to herbal coffees (Ginseng Coffee, anyone?). My personal favourite was the coconut coffee, which I enjoyed so much that I even ordered a separate iced version to help cool down in the Bali heat!
If you’re feeling a little adventurous, you can also make your way down to the cliffside seating area, where you’ll find yourself sitting right above the plunging jungle below. Personally, we preferred the shaded canopies of the café, where we could enjoy the views in a little more comfort!
There are several other areas worth exploring around the plantation, including their beehives. Unfortunately, as we were planning to head out a bit further north after this, we didn’t have quite enough time to see everything. We did, however, make one final stop at the gift shop, where we picked up some lovely coffee souvenirs to take home. After all, having sampled so many of their delicious blends, it was hard to resist! The complimentary tasting session certainly made for some very effective marketing!
We honestly didn’t know what to expect when we signed up for a coffee tasting session as part of our Bali tour, but I’m so glad we did. There’s something rather special about sitting back with a freshly brewed cup of coffee, surrounded by the incredible green jungle canopies stretching out beneath you.
For me, that simple moment, taking in the views with a cup of coffee in hand, ended up being one of my favourite highlights of Bali!
Find out more about Bali Pulina here
Leave a Reply