Sri Lanka is the country of tea so if you love the stuff you will definitely enjoy your time here. Nearly every way you turn you’ll see a tea plantation or two. Each boasts its unique blends and flavors, as well as delicious treats to eat with your tea.
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When you come to Sri Lanka on a tea expedition, you can simply take any route in any direction and stop at plantations that catch your fancy. The majority of them have a variety of facilities and offer tours. However, if your time is limited and you want to spend it exploring the best of the best, the following three should be top of the list.
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Hatton Tea Plantations
Here stands out among the many attractions of Sri Lanka because they are the ones that have the smallest number of tourists, says Janet of Journalist on the Run. If you aren’t a fan of crowds, this is the place you should visit. But bear in mind that this part of the island is mostly filled with luxury resorts, so prices here are higher than average.
However, the chance to enjoy magnificent nature views and even better tea is definitely worth the extra cost. Here you’ll find one of the top tea estate bungalows in Sri Lanka, called Ceylon Tea Trails. This place is an experience in itself and a visit is a must if you are on a romantic vacation. The colonial bungalow is filled with antiques and you’ll be guided through it and served by Swiss-trained butlers.
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Nuwara Eliya
If tea is your main purpose of visiting Sri Lanka, you must go to Nuwara Eliya, says Fathima from T2 Travel Tours, and offers to check this guide to see the highlights among the local attractions. This is a region with the largest number of plantations and they are extremely versatile. You can set yourself a quest to try every tea in Nuwara Eliya, but only if you come to the country for a long time because there are dozens of options to enjoy.
Not only is Nuwara Eliya the tea capital of a tea island, but it’s also a place of spectacular beauty. It’s popular among tourists, which means there are many types of entertainment available all over.
Tea plantations of Nuwara Eliya are fascinating and you can learn something interesting when visiting any of them. Some of the most popular places here are Blue Field Tea Factory and Pedro Tea Factory.
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Nallathanniya
The majority of travel experts on Sri Lanka, like Oksana and Max from Drink Tea & Travel, will tell you that climbing Adam’s Peak in Nallathanniya is an experience you mustn’t miss when visiting this beautiful country. Not only is the Peak a place for enjoying magnificent views, but the climb itself is a sort of pilgrimage that can help settle turmoil in your soul.
And tea will definitely help because, as you’ll see from Adam’s Peak, local jungle forests are peppered with small tea plantations. This isn’t a place for huge luxurious estates. Instead, local tea plantations are tiny and cozy and the teas made here are unique. Due to slight differences in climate and altitude, local tea has rich complex flavors that vary quite a bit. This is a place for true tea lovers who are looking for an opportunity to look at their favorite blends in a new light.
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Also, local teas are said to have valuable medicinal properties. There are no studies to support those claims, but you can be sure that the delicious hot tea will help you relax and forget about stress for a while.
Sri Lanka is a country where a tea lover won’t get bored and there are so many tea plantations and factories, you can find them anywhere. Therefore, plan a vacation long enough to explore all the top places.