Losari: Coffee, trains and nostalgia
Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post, Magelang, Central Java
If you want to sip real coffee, you should go to Losari, an old coffee plantation in Magelang, a coffee aficionado friend of mine told me.
He was right. One dusk, after a 90-minute drive from Yogyakarta, we were enjoying the fresh and strong robusta coffee, which immediately charged and energized our tired minds and bodies.
To add to the sensation, the coffee was served on the terrace of an old house situated in the middle of the huge Losari coffee plantation.
The coffee's strong aroma also woke us in the morning and helped us get ready to face the day after a little walk around the house and a glimpse at the blanket of coffee trees. This time the coffee was served in the bamboo gazebo. Our coffee time was special because the coffee powder brewed with boiled water was picked directly from the coffee mill. The scent of fresh coffee grounds wafted through the air, stimulating our nerves when we inhaled the heavenly aroma.
Losari, often referred to as the heart of Java island, is actually a small village in Magelang regency. The coffee plantation, dating back to the Dutch colonial era, is now the Losari Coffee Plantation Resort and Spa.
The resort, opened in late 2003, sits on 22 hectares of land 900 meters above sea level. Modern spa and resort facilities -- with classic Javanese touches -- sit enticingly in the middle of the estate.
Some 26 villas of various sizes are built facing the green hills. The villas are named after famous mountains like Gunung Sumbing, Merapi, Merbabu and Andong.
The only old building is the Indies-style Manor House. It was built in 1928 by Dutch architect Van der Swan. The building is now used as the dining room, library and a multifunction area.
The old Dutch-style estate has become an exclusive resort, offering comfortable and refreshing weekends or holidays. To emphasize the colonial setting, an old railway station office was brought in from the town of Mayong.
"This railway station office is original. We brought it here because it was just being ignored," said resort owner Gabriella Teggia.
The railway station is still intact and now functions as the resort's lobby. Upon entering the railway station, you are greeted by old photographs of trains from around the country.
"The Yogyakarta-Semarang railway was fantastic. Too bad that it's now damaged and not maintained by the authorities," said Italian Teggia, who has lived here for about 40 years.
Her comment opened an intense conversation about trains in Indonesia, showing her profound love for Indonesia's trains and railway development.
For her guests, Teggia includes a trip to the Ambarawa Train Museum to ride on old trains. The antique trains at the museum now serve as tourist trains plying a sight-seeing route around the Ambarawa railway station.
Guests can also walk around the coffee plantation and watch how coffee is produces, from the picking of the beans, drying and milling them. Teggia assures that her coffee plants are naturally grown and no chemicals are used.
"So it's safe to drink and more delicious," she said.
Back at the resort, a friend boasted that he felt like a respectable Dutch official enjoying his leisure time. Tasting the Losari coffee was indeed like gaining a peek into the Dutch colonial times, when Dutch officials and businessmen lived in big mansions with large yards, with maids at the ready and delicious food and drink at hand for their pleasure.