Coffee aficionados rejoice! International travel authority Lonely Planet has named Asia’s best coffee cities in its latest journey around the gastronomic world in Lonely Planet’s Global Coffee Tour.
The book features cafes, espresso bars, roasteries and plantations that caffeine-obsessed travellers can visit in more than 35 countries across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.
In Asia, Lonely Planet’s Global Coffee Tour says Tokyo, Chiang Mai and Ipoh are the region’s “Top 3 Coffee Towns”.
Tokyo: “Japan has always embraced new trends, and coffee is no exception. Its capital is the place to go for the highest proliferation of third wave-style coffee shops, but be sure to round out your education with a visit to a traditional kissaten.”
Chiang Mai: “Thailand’s northern city of temples has exploded with coffee shops, many having the added bonus of serving single-origin roasts grown within just an hour or two of the coffee shop itself. Coffee tourists will be spoiled for great music, food and street life.”
Ipoh: “Ipoh’s signature white coffee is famously hot, sweet and almost buttery in taste, and has spawned a chain of cafes that has found its way around Malaysia. For the authentic stuff, Sin Yoon Loong is adored for following the traditional recipe.”
Other Asian countries featured in the book include Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
How to use Lonely Planet’s Global Coffee Tour
Within each of the 35-plus countries in the book, Lonely Planet has organised the best coffee experiences to have by city.
In each entry, authors have suggested the must-try coffee, and also recommended local sights so ‘coffee tourers’ can explore the local area, as well as its brews.
About the Book
Lonely Planet’s Global Coffee Tour
Published April 2018
256pp, full colour, 216mm x 171mm, hardcover
Price: USD $19.99
You can get the book online or at certain local bookstores in Singapore.
But what about all the new merchandise and drinks at Starbucks?!
