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7 PLACES FOR A MEMORABLE SRI LANKA TEA PLANTATION TOUR

Sanjeewa Padmal (Seerendipity)
Tea estate nuwara eliya

The hotels selected in the Sri Lanka tea plantation tour are mostly located in the tea plantations, and they feature characteristics of rich heritage planter bungalows. Most hotels are boutique villas with more than 100 years of history and the bungalows exhibit a fine blend of colonial décor and sylvan flooring. As you go on a Sri Lanka…

Table of Contents

WHAT ARE THE 7 PLACES FOR A MEMORABLE SRI LANKA TEA PLANTATION TOUR?

  1. Damro Labookelle Tea Plantation
  2. Glenloch tea plantation
  3. Giragama Tea plantation
  4. Pedro tea estate
  5. Blue field Tea estate
  6. Tea museum
  7. Handungoda Tea plantation

Is tea one of your favourite drinks? If the answer is Yes, you might be planning to do a Sri Lanka tea plantation tour to visit the plantations, where world-renowned Ceylon tea comes from. Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, is one of the world’s best tea producers and the fourth largest Tea manufacturer.

Spend five memorable days on a tour of Sri Lanka with a variety of sightseeing activities. Visit the Golden Temple of Dambulla, bicycle around the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, tour Sigiriya Rock Fortress, and see the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa) — all UNESCO World Heritage sites.

NUWARA ELIYA

Every Sri Lanka tea plantation tour essentially revolves around Nuwara Eliya because the cradle of Sri Lanka’s industry is Nuwara Eliya, which is also known as Sri Lanka’s tea country or hill country. The tea plantations spread all around Sri Lanka’s hill country and Nuwara Eliya is the most known capital in the hills, which sits 1800 meters above sea level. Nuwara Eliya showcases many interesting places such as Victoria parks, Haggala botanical garden, Sita temple, Golf course, Racecourse, Gregory lake, etc.

There are many tea plantations around Gregory Lake, which had been established by the British planters during their long rule in Sri Lanka. As Sri Lanka regained its independence they returned the ownership of these plantations to the local people. However, the plantation workers that were brought to Sri Lanka from India in order to provide cheap labour, are still living in these plantations.  

Gregory lake is one of the most picturesque parts of Nuwara Eliya. Most visitors don’t miss having a stroll around Gregory lake. Same time there are plenty of opportunities for kids as well as adults to entertain themselves here. Horse riding, boating, speed boating, fishing, and riding water scooters are some of the popular activities here.   

All around Gregory lake demonstrate the colonial charm, especially the opposite side of Gregory Lake demonstrates a rich historical colonial past. A large number of colonial mansions, built by wealthy British planters occupy the beautifully landscaped area, facing Gregory lake. After the independence from the British, most of these mansions have been converted into hotels and guest houses.

TREKKING DURING THE SRI LANKA TEA PLANTATION TOUR

If you are venturing on a Sri Lanka tea plantation tour, you do not have to travel far from Colombo to find a couple of very different landscapes with suitable conditions for trekking. Usually, the tea plantation revolves mainly around Sri Lanka’s hill country, where your encounter hundreds of mountains, and valleys.

Lower ranges of Sri Lanka hills country is warm while higher elevated area tends to be much cooler. These hill country mountains offer great walking in a magical area where green-capped mountains and deep gorges are mixed with waterfalls, rivers, streams, boulders, fertile valleys of rice paddies, tea plantations, and isolated small hamlets. The terrain may make for gentler trekking, but it still offers some challenges and plenty of rewards.

The gem here is the Horton plains national park, a bewitching area of highland that has a fascinating blend of meadows and patches of forests that are particularly delightful during the rainy season when they are covered in wildflowers. Although trekking here is less demanding than many other trekking routes in the mountains, the Horton plains national park is still cut through by hidden gorges, thick with forests, edged with peaks, and studded with stunning lakes and streams.

SRI LANKAN TEA INDUSTRY

The tea industry on the island goes back many centuries and it adds aroma to the island’s economy while adding a large sum of hard currencies to the economy. Tea was introduced to the island during the British administration on an island in the early 18s; the British East India Company had heavily contributed to the development of the tea industry on the island, on the other hand, they were the people who benefited from the investment in the early days of the tea industry. A large chunk of upcountry land was brought under tea plantations by the British administration and the momentum continued even after the British occupation making it the single most agricultural export product on the island.

90% of tea produced on the island is been exported to all corners of the world, while a portion of tea produced on the island remains in Sri Lanka for consumption.  The Tea industry is under the purview of the tea development authority, which is a government institution, and it regulates all aspects of the tea industry and maintains the quality of tea sold under the emblem of CEYLON TEA.

Sri Lanka’s hill country with green-capped mountains, patches of forests as well as cascading waterfalls hosts a large number of tourist places in Sri Lanka. It is very popular as a tourist site and is included in most Sri Lanka trips such as 4 days Sri Lanka tour and 3 days Sri Lanka trip. Even 1 day trip to Sri Lanka upcountry can be booked from Colombo.

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TOUR OF SRI LANKA TEA PLANTATIONS ACCOMMODATION

The hotels selected in the Sri Lanka tea plantation tour are mostly located in the tea plantations, and they feature characteristics of rich heritage planter bungalows. Most hotels are boutique villas with more than 100 years of history and the bungalows exhibit a fine blend of colonial décor and sylvan flooring. As you go on a Sri Lanka tea plantation tour, you are able to visit the tea factories and sample what they produce at their factories.

Usually, the accommodations during the Sri Lanka trip will be arranged in small boutique hotels and bungalows that converge with tea plantations. The tea plantation bungalows have only a few rooms and can accommodate only a few customers at a time. Therefore we should require well in advance booking in order to confirm the tour.

HOW TO GET AROUND ON THE SRI LANKA TEA PLANTATION TOUR?

Transportation in luxury and modern private vehicles with English-speaking tour guides or guides that speak any other language. You will be able to enjoy the luxury in one of our luxury vehicles that feature reclining seats, Wi-Fi, and a spacious interior. Most importantly this Sri Lanka tea plantation tour is a private trip means that you have maximum privacy during the trip, without any intruders. This Sri Lanka tea plantation tour can be customized to meet your requirement or it can be combined with any other Sri Lanka tour package.

The main mode of transportation for the Sri Lanka tea plantation tour is road transport while a part of the trip can be done by train. The upcountry rail journey is considered to be the best rail journey on the island and provides breathtaking scenery across, mountains, valleys, rainforests, tea plantations, and vegetable gardens. A rail journey from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya or to Ella can be easily added to the trip.

This is a question for most travellers, who look for a Sri Lanka tea plantation tour; however, the answer is very simple because tea plantations are widely distributed on the island except on beaches and dry zone areas. Upcountry is the most popular for the tea industry and tea plantations and is distributed far and wide across all the mountains and valleys.

The upcountry tea, which grows above 500 meters above sea level considered to be the tea with the best aroma, taste, and colour, is sold at the highest price in the world market. The low country Tea, which grows below 500 meters above sea level, has a high demand from Arabian countries and Asian countries including Sri Lanka.

Almost every Sri Lanka tea plantation tour includes the breathtaking upcountry in its program. Nuwara Eliya and the upcountry is a major holiday destination on the island and is visited by hundreds of thousands of foreign as well as local travellers. Most travellers, who take part in the Sri Lanka tea plantation tour, are mesmerized by the well-maintained and regularly manicured tea gardens and the unique bio-diversity around them.

While some people choose the Sri Lanka tea plantation tour to explore this mountain-dominated region others opt for short tours to explore the mountains and take part in day tours to visit Nuwara Eliya. Local tour operators such as Seerendipity tours organize regular day outing tours and two days tours to Nuwara Eliya and Kandy for travellers, who wish to explore Sri Lankan tea plantations, these short tours are very popular among the travellers, who stay on the beach as well as the travellers, who make a short visit to the island.

Every year, thousands of travellers visit important tourist places in Kandy for sightseeing and a large number of them make a visit to the island’s first tea museum. The main objective of the tea museum is to depict the evolution of the tea industry on the island over the last several centuries, from basic rudimentary tea roller to the computerized tea factory that we see today.

This nature tour includes rainforest trekking, white water rafting, safari, hiking, and trekking. This adventure tour also includes whale watching based in southern Sri Lanka. If you

HEREUNDER 7 TEA PLANTATIONS THAT YOU CAN ADD TO THE SRI LANKA TEA PLANTATION TOUR

  1. Damro Labookelle Tea Plantation
  2. Glenloch tea plantation
  3. Giragama Tea plantation
  4. Pedro tea estate
  5. Blue field Tea estate
  6. Tea museum
  7. Handungoda Tea plantation

DAMRO LABOOKELE: SRI LANKA TEA PLANTATION TOUR

As you make a road trip of Sri Lanka from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya, the Labookellie tea factory sits 60 km from Kandy, on the right side of the road. In the backdrop of the tea centre is the plantation that produces valuable 2 buds and the tip required to make tea at Labookellie tea factory.

The history of Labookellie goes back to the British colonial era and was established about 150m years back. The tea plantation of Labookellie and the tea factory lie at an elevation of 5,000 feet above sea level, making it the second oldest tea plantation on the island, which produces some finest Ceylon tea. The doors of the tea factory are open to visitors and the friendly staff of the factory helps you to have a closer look at the manufacturing process of tea.

At the end of the tea factory visit, the visitors have the opportunity to sip a cup of freshly brewed Ceylon tea at the Labookellie tea lounge, which is only a few meters away from the factory. The tea lounge is carefully planned and constructed giving a mesmerizing view over the mountains in the backyard. It is a perfect opportunity to enjoy the green that carpets the jagged mountains and valleys while observing the colourfully dressed tea-puckers move lazily in the field and nimbly harvest the tender two leaves & bud.

Labookellie is one of the highest-grown orthodox tea plantations on the island. The factory produces mainly black tea while they supply a limited amount of expensive green tea varieties as well. The factory has undergone a major transition in the recent past and has adopted advanced tea manufacturing know-how and introduced modern machinery. The seven-step process of tea-making involves rolling, withering, fermenting, drying, sieving, grading, and fibre extraction.

GLEN LOCH TEA FACTORY: SRI LANKA TEA PLANTATION TOUR

The tea factory of Glenloch was established in 1917 under the British administration and Marzetti, Charles. J had been the first manager of the tea plantation. Glenloch tea garden lies at the laid-back village of Katukithula, about 45 km from Kandy. Like most tea gardens on the island, the visitors at Glenloch are allowed to witness the hygienic tea manufacturing process using high-tech modern machinery.

The spacious and cosy Tea lounge is a perfect spot to sip a cup of Ceylon tea with leisure while enjoying the breathtaking scenery of mountain peaks and valleys in the immediate surrounding. The tea factory and plantation serve a large number of travellers every day and provide easy access to a large collection of the finest Ceylon tea. The tea factory has a well-stocked tea shop, selling a large array of flavoured and unflavoured black tea, Green tea oolong tea, silver buds, and golden tips.

Sri Lanka 3-day tour with Sigiriya rock fortress, Dambulla golden temple Kandy, and Nuwara Eliya

GIRAGAMA TEA FACTORY: SRI LANKA TEA PLANTATION TOUR

Giragama tea plantation is under the administration of Pusellawa tea plantations and primarily produces tea for the export market. Sri Lanka upcountry is the best tea-grown area on the island, where the majority of tea plantations are to be found and best for Sri Lanka tea plantation tour.

The morning mist hides the rolling hills and the temperature and humidity at their lowest ebb due to the altitude, almost like wine country. Nicely manicured tea bushes with shimmering tea leaves look like a green blanket that covers the mountain peaks. This idyllic setting is most visible in the upcountry cities like Nuwara Eliya, Ella, and Badulla. But, it is still possible to make a Sri Lanka tea plantation tour even if you are not heading upcountry at the Giragama tea plantation. The tea grown in the Giragama tea factory is coming under the mid-grown tea varieties, which inherit the characteristics of low-country tea and upcountry tea. However, the tea of Giragama tea plantation shows more close relationship with low-grown tea varieties with strong taste, dark colour, and pale aroma.

Perhaps the tea plantation tour of Giragama is not a perfect match to a tea plantation tour in Nuwara Eliya; however, it gives you the pleasure of strolling in a tea plantation, visiting a tea factory, and sipping a freshly brewed Ceylon tea.

The Giragama tea plantation is located off the Colombo-Kandy main road, about 5 km away from the main road. The nearest city to the Giragama tea plantation is Pilimathalawa, which lies 103 km from Colombo on the Kandy-Colombo main road. A narrow road named after the Giragama tea plantation provides access to the tea plantation from the main road.

PEDRO TEA FACTORY: SRI LANKA TEA PLANTATION TOUR

Pedro the plantation is another upcountry tea plantation that lies 1800 meters above sea level. Pedro tea plantation is only a few kilometres away from Nuwara Eliya, which is the capital of the tea country of Sri Lanka.  The Sri Lanka tea plantation tour at Pedro is very convenient for travellers, who cross the hill station of Nuwara Eliya on their Sri Lanka tour, due to the easy access from Nuwara Eliya to the Pedro tea plantation.

Unlike low country tea plantations that are popular for dark and strong tea with poor aroma, upcountry tea has the characteristics such as a strong aroma, pale colour, and mild flavour, which are considered to be the qualities of the most demanding and expensive tea varieties in the world. In fact, the finest tea plantations are located at high altitudes like the Pedro tea plantation, which lies 1800 meters above sea level.

Tea is a thriving crop in the Nuwara Eliya and growing for more than many centuries and is the most important industry in the region. The Pedro tea plantation produces tea that has a very strong aroma, with mellow and clean liquor.

The tea factory of Pedro is popular as a place, where excellent flavoursome tea is been produced. The tea factory was started by the British planters in the nearly 18s and is still in very good shape.  The tea factory is located in the middle of the tea plantation. The factory still heavily depends on its traditional method and serves as an important tourist attraction for tea connoisseurs.

BLUE FIELD TEA ESTATE: SRI LANKA TEA PLANTATION TOUR

Blue field tea estate is another favourite place for the Sri Lanka tea plantation tour and lies on the Kandy-Nuwara Eliya main road just after the Ramboda pass.  The Tea garden and tea lounge are picturesquely located amidst The Mountains and valleys overlooking the Ramboda pass.

The tea grown at the blue field tea plantation is categorized under high-grown tea and has all the qualities of the finest Ceylon tea. The blue field tea shop has a large stock of different varieties of Ceylon tea with varying prices and qualities.

VISITING TEA MUSEUM ON SRI LANKA TEA PLANTATION TOUR

Kandy is a major tourist attraction with a large number of places to visit; therefore Kandy is a part of most Sri Lanka road trips. The tea museum is conveniently located within easy reach of Kandy giving easy access to travellers who wish to study the history of the Sri Lankan tea industry.

The tea museum of Hantana in Kandy is the first museum dedicated to the tea industry of Sri Lanka. The museum is located near the cultural hub of Sri Lanka better known as Kandy, which is one of the most important tourist hotspots on the island. The museum is located in the laid-back locality known as Hantana, featuring breathtaking scenery across the mountains and valleys in the surrounding area.

The tea museum is merely three kilometres from Kandy and takes only 20 minutes to reach the museum on a well-maintained and curve-filled road. The museum is housed in an abandoned tea factory that consists of four floors.

The ground floor and the second floor of the museum house a collection of very old machinery used in tea factories in the past. There is a library on the first floor that has a large collection of valuable books mainly related to the tea industry of Sri Lanka. A spacious auditorium on the first floor has facilities for audiovisual presentations.

A tea sales outlet is established on the third floor and has a large collection of tea varieties coming from all tea-grown areas of Sri Lanka. The top floor of the museum is reserved for a tea café. The view from the top floor, with the telescopes that are mounted on the top floor, is simply gorgeous; Kandy town can be viewed from the top floor with surrounding mountains such as the knuckled range, Hunasgiriya, and Matale range of hills. The landscaped garden of the museum is planted with different varieties of tea.

The available time for this Sri Lanka tea plantation tour

Tuesday to Saturday: 08.30 am to 15.45 pm
Sunday : 08.30am to 15.00pm
(Closed on Mondays & Poya day falling on weekdays)

The cost of entrance

Non-resident Adult: 800LKR
Non-resident Children: 400LKR

The Sri Lanka tea plantation tour also features many other important naturals, religious and historical places such as lover’s leap falls, Ramboda falls, Victoria Park, Gregory Lake, Horton plains national park, Kandy city tour, Sita Amman temple, Nuwara Eliya city tour, and Haggala botanical garden.

VISITING HANDUNGODA TEA FACTORY GALLE

Most places recommended above for a Sri Lanka tea plantation tour are to be found in the mountains. Only Hadungoda tea plantation nested on the low country of Sri Lanka near the southwest coast. If you travel upcountry of Sri Lanka to places such as Kandy, and Nuwara Eliya there are many possibilities to visit a tea factory and plantations, however, if you have a Sri Lanka beach tour and like to visit a tea factory, Handungoda is the only option for your Sri Lanka tea plantation tour. Handungoda tea plantation is still under-explored and it is an off-the-beaten-track tourist place.

Handugoda tea plantation can be reached on a 40-minute drive from Galle. Unlike all other tea plantations, the Handungoda tea factory produces tea, coconut, cinnamon, rubber as well as peppers for the local and export market. Handugioda tea factory not only produces the most common tea varieties such as BOPF and BOP it also produces a very rare tea variety called ‘Saphire Oolong Tea’, using the buds of the tea bush.

WHY SHOULD SEERENDIPITY TOUR YOUR TEA PLANTATION TOUR IN SRI LANKA?

Serendipity Tour is an entirely locally owned travel company with a head office in Colombo. The highly experienced local staff is a key strength of Serendipity Tours, and they can plan your dream holiday to Sri Lanka.

The best price guaranteed for your Sri Lanka trip

When you book a tour with Serendipity Tours, you directly book the tour with the local company, which means there are no middlemen and therefore you can guarantee the best price. Simply get in touch with us and let us know when you travel and what you like to see.

Plan your best Sri Lanka trip with-expert

Our staff makes a personalised program for you, which you can change until you find the best Sri Lanka trip package for you. Visit www.sirilaktours.com to browse our existing tour packages, which you can customise to meet all your expectations. Write to us at admin@seerendipitytours.com, tel. 0094-77-440977, WhatsApp 0094-77-4440977.

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