Apr 12 2009
Coffee Tours Guest Post
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| Photo credit: ana_labate@Stock.Xchang |
Happy Easter! I’m taking the day off from posting today and handing my space over to Jennifer, who writes about unique hotels and other travel adventures over at Journeys and Adventures. Jennifer contacted me a while ago to tell me she’d seen some interesting coffee tours advertised and wondered if I’d like more information about them. Here’s what she found out about coffee tours for you all!
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Many people enjoy coffee as a part of a morning ritual and recognize the hot drink as a source of caffeine and wake-up call, but there are others who truly enjoy coffee—those who linger over each and every part of the rich aromatic brew from the grinding of the fragrant beans to the steaming of the added milk. If you’re excited by the introduction of a new Latin American breakfast blend, have several kinds of coffee beans at home, and can spend hours enjoying a cup of coffee, you have a passion for coffee. For true coffee lovers, then, the best idea for a vacation is a coffee-related tour. Yup, there are coffee tours and coffee vacations for those that are passionate about coffee. Depending on your coffee and travel preferences, there are several to choose from including:
Kotowa Coffee Tour, Panama Lonely Planet’s guide to Panama says, “Kotowa coffee estate offers the best coffee-estate tour in the area.” Two and a half hours includes a description of the estate’s history, a tour of the farm and the oldest still-standing coffee mill in Panama, a tasting, and tips on brewing an ideal cup of coffee. Offered every day at 2 p.m., the tour costs approximately $28 per person.
Café Monteverde Coffee Tour, Costa Rica –Monteverde is a popular tourist destination in Costa Rica and coffee has become one of its most important agricultural products. In fact, Monteverde coffee beans were the most expensive in the world in the mid-1990s. For 2-4 hours, coffee lovers can visit the working plantations, learn about coffee’s production, and enjoy a trip to the well-stocked coffee shop.
Kona Le’a Plantation Tour, USA coffee grown on Hawaii’s Mount Hualalai and Mauna Loa is known as Kona coffee. If a coffee is pure Kona coffee, it has a robust well-balanced taste and a visit to the Kona Le’a Coffee Plantation is an ideal way to learn more about the delicious product (and pick up some stuff to take home). The plantation offers free tours and tastings throughout the day. In the book Watch it Made in the USA, the tour was featured as one of the best factory tours in the USA.
Kahawa Shamba Coffee Tour, Tanzania Although the Eastern part of Africa is mainly known for its wild animals and the intimidating Mt. Kilimanjaro, the area is also full of tea and coffee plantations. The Kahawa Shamba Coffee Tour is offered by the Native Cooperative Union and ensures its visitors not only learn about organic coffee, fair trade standards, and coffee production, but are also treated to the experience of picking fresh coffee berries, intimate time with local coffee growers, and a lunch made there at the coffee farm. For just $21 for the 4-5 hour tour (including the lunch), it’s a bargain for any coffee fan.
Volcanoes and Coffee, Columbia The Volcanoes and Coffee Tour offered by the Latin American Collection is the ultimate adventure for a coffee lover. You’ll travel through the enchanting mountainous coffee region of Columbia staying on various coffee farms, going on ecological walks, learning about coffee production, and visiting the Nevado Del Ruiz Volcano. At $776 per person, including local transportation, some meals, accommodations, and more, it’s a good price for a five-day tour of Columbian coffee region. So why not combine two of your loves (coffee and travel) and take a coffee tour during your next vacation?
Going on a coffee tour sounds like fun!!