Indonesia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 233

KOPI LUWAK: THE CAT POO COFFEE
Some find it delicious and others repulsive, but all pay a pretty price for kopi luwak . One of the
world's most expensive coffees, the unique beverage is brewed from beans fermented within
the stomachs of palm civets , arboreal creatures that look more like weasels than cats. The palm
civets tend to pick only the ripest and sweetest of red coffee cherries from the plantations of
West Sumatra and their stomach enzymes go to work breaking down the proteins that give
coffee its bitter taste. Following defecation, the civets' excrement strings are picked from the
jungle floor bordering the plantations to be cleaned, sun-dried, roasted over cinnamon wood
and finally hand-pounded into a fine powder. Thanks to the civet cats' digestive tracts, no filter is
necessary when serving: simply stir in a teaspoon of the coffee powder, wait a few minutes and
decide for yourself whether kopi luwak is worth its hefty price tag.

INFORMATION
Tourist Information Rajawali Homestay ( Jl A Yani 152)
is the best option for maps and local activities. Also useful
are the listed tour operators (see below), as well as the
ever-helpful Arman ( T 0812 674 1852) at PT Maju
Indosari near the clock tower.
Tours The top tour operators are based in Bukittinggi's
popular hotels and cafés. Among the best of these are Lite 'n'
Easy (Fikar T 813 7453 7413, W liteneasy.nl), based at Turret
Café ; Roni's Tour & Travel ( T 812 675 0688, W ronistour
.com), based at Orchid , both of which run group tours as
well as individual motorbike tours. There's also Wendra Tours
( T 0752 21652, W seruling-travel.com), based at Canyon
Café ; and AdvenCulture ( T 0852 6513 1335) at Bedudal .

excellent informatio n on local and regional activities.
Rp75,000/120,000
Rajawali Homestay Jl A Yani 152 T 0752 31905,
E [e-mail]. This unassuming place on the
corner has decent-value, spartan rooms upstairs with
grimy inside mandi and a pleasant rooftop sitting area
that's great for meeting fellow travellers. Owner Ulrich
offers a veritable wealth of information on local activities,
including a number of original , GPS-mapped trekking and
motorbiking routes. Rp70,000

4

EATING
Dozens of nameless food stalls set up shop each night
along Jl A Yani junction (7.30pm-3am), offering sate ,
nasi goreng and other staples.
Bedudal Cafe Jl A Yani 95 W bedudal.com. The hippest
traveller hangout on Jl A Yani, featuring reggae, live
music on weekends and a good selection of Western and
Indonesian dishes. Roast chicken dinners for Rp150,000.
Daily 8am-midnight.
Canyon Café Jl Teuku Umar 8. There's a pleasant outdoor
seating area and knowledgeable staff at this quiet
place just beside Hello Homestay . Super-cheap meals
( nasi goreng Rp10,000; veggie taco Rp13,000; chicken
sandwich Rp18,000) are delicious and come in generous
portions. Fast, free wi-fi. Daily 8am-10pm.
Selamat Jl Ahmad Yani 19. One of the best Padang
restaurants in town; they usually have eggs in coconut
sauce, especially good for vegetarians, and staff are used
to Westerners. Daily 8am-10pm.
Taruko Café Jl Taruko. Set 6km west of town along
the scenic road to Koto Gadang, Taruko is a splendid
place to while away an afternoon. Seated under a large
Maningkabau-style thatched roof, you'll have a breath-
taking view of Tabiang Takuruang, a lone spire projecting
from a bend in Sianok Canyon, with Gunung Singgalang
rising in the background. Attracting a hip, young local
crowd, there's a varied menu of local, Chinese and Italian
cuisine (carbonara Rp26,000). Daily 8am-7pm.
Turret Café Jl Ahmad Yani 140-142. Breezy open café
and

GETTING AROUND
Angkots scurry around town in a circular route (Rp2500).
For the bus terminal, stop any red angkot heading north
on Jl A Yani, which will circle to the east of town and pass
the main post o ce before turning for Aur Kuning.

ACCOMMODATION
D'Enam Jl Yos Sudarso T 0752 32240. Simple, clean
rooms in an airy bungalow on top of the ridge. There's a
friendly, family atmospher e, a lounge for residents and
a laundry service next door. Rp100,000
Hello Guesthouse Jl Teuku Umar 6B T 0752 21542,
E [e-mail]. The newest addition to
Bukittinggi's accommodation scene is already among the
most popular. Friendly owner Ling offers simple, clean
rooms with hot water. There's also wi-fi, self- service tea
and co ffee, as well a s breakfast included. Dorm Rp75,000 ,
double Rp140,000
Orchid Jl Teuku Umar 11 T 0752 32634. One of the best
deals in town, with clean, well-kept rooms, most of which
sleep three and come with balconies. Ask for a room facing
west (to the right when entering), both for the sunset
views and to dampen the wake-up call from Masjid
Nurul Haq to the east. On the roof there are a couple of
no-frills crash pads with shared mandi, and there's a café
with wi-fi downstairs, where friendly owner Roni provides bar next door to Rajawali with friendly,