Cacao Route

Sumatra

Mentawai

· Localitation: West

· Area: 6,033.76 km²

· Habitants: 87,623 (2022)

May

· Humidity: 42%

· Temperature: 26º / 19º

· Precipitation: 400 mm

Gastronomy

The history of chocolate in western Indonesia dates back to the CVI century. At Trail Travel we offer a walking tour of the orchard and factory, to later, of course, include in this tour, the tasting of supreme quality chocolate. Fabulous tour...packed with information about every step in the chocolate making process, from growing the trees, to molding each delicious original handmade chocolate bar.

And all this grandeur is found in a small town with large houses and palm trees, which live in harmony among the trees of the cocoa fruit. It is an active working plantation located in the Muara area on the island of Siberut, Mentawai, Indonesia.From the tree it goes straight to the bar, the only chocolate of its kind in the world! Since 1997, on this farm, they have dedicated themselves to creating the most delicious and unique chocolates, made and grown 100% from Sumatra. Chocolate for everyone to appreciate life's most delicious pleasures.

There's something about this tropical Hawaiian sun that blesses the cacao trees with a unique, world-renowned flavor. This farm we visited is the first to produce and process 100% Hawaiian cacao chocolate!The factory is 100% autonomous, which guarantees full quality control from the fields to the final chocolate bars.

The cocoa beans, once sorted and roasted to perfection, are put through a custom-made flap that removes their shells and leaves the pure chocolate. The 100% cacao nibs are bagged for our roasted nibs or ground into a chocolate liqueur paste within the highly specialized Conche/Refiner. After extracting the cocoa beans, they are fermented in wooden slatted boxes. The beans are then spread out and slowly dried on racks in our Hawaiian sun for 22-28 days.The hands that select, process, and create Indonesian chocolate are often the same ones that carefully package and ship the final product. Indonesian goodness can be seen from the seed plantations to the chocolate bars that end up in your mouth.

We add passion for good work and love for these lands. We keep some ingredients, which will only be revealed there, on this cocoa tour, live, on the palate and that we reserve for the delight of our most demanding travelers. We all know that the best recipes jealously guard some secret element in their ingredients and we don't want to be less! Only a limited amount are able to treat each bar with sweet loving care.A different day where you can discover an unexpected world of fragrance and flavor, in the midst of beautiful nature!

Hike - Launani Valley

Theislands of the Republic of Mentawai are full of high mountains and a multitude of peaks that provided an extraordinary opportunity for the first visitors, plants, insects and animals that came to its shores from the hand of man, to settle. Bojakan National Park was established in 1909 by Governors Proclamation for the purpose of protecting watershed areas vital to the lowland agricultural economy.

Siberut is located in eastern Indonesia and has 12,500 acres of public land. Lush vegetation occurs mostly in lower parts, although the most exuberant native forest, with plants and animals, is present in the Utara areas. There are plantations with exotic woods in both sections of the Reserve. The primary goal of valley management is to maintain the area for various uses, including watershed protection, recreation, maintenance, and possible wood and/or biomass production. The Native Tribal Trails and Access Program in Indonesia manages the Sumatra Trails. The Endangered Species Act defines habitat as critical, those areas that may or may not be occupied by a threatened or endangered species, but are essential for its conservation.

These areas require more specific management considerations. The Indonesia Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy identifies the reserve as a management priority area for long-term conservation of native wildlife on the island of Siberut. The area is a priority because it is virtually intact forest on the island with high densities of common and rare forest birds. Great potential habitat for restoration of some endangered bird populations.

The lower areas of the National Park are home to a diverse fauna full of endemic insects. Some trail passes through the native snail habitat. Look carefully for them on both sides of the leaves of nearby shrubs and trees. Years ago, many valleys of Siberut had their own species of snail. Most have gone extinct due to shell collecting, habitat loss, and snail predation. Trail Travel wants to take you to that postcard place with fantastic views and exotic flora. Spend some time in these hidden Indonesian networks.