How to Explore Sri Lanka's Tea Plantations

As the home base of Ceylon Tea, a holiday in the island paradise of Sri Lanka must include a tour of its captivating tea estates. Occupying the central region of the country, the island's tea country is a world away from the stunning beaches and coastal resort havens Sri Lanka is famed for. From finding the perfect local tea tour to going it alone, here are some of the best ways to explore and experience Sri Lanka's tea plantations and tea culture.

Time the Visit

Those who are visiting Sri Lanka with intentions of exploring its tea plantations must ensure that they are holidaying on the island during the right time of year. This is due to the fact that the rainy inter-monsoon and monsoon seasons make tea tours a challenging prospect due to inclement weather conditions and the dangers of hiking in high-elevation tea estates during rainy days. The dry season from January to March is, however, ideal for tea plantation tours as the sunny weather means that tourists can spend time in not only high-country tea plantations but also those located along the southern coastal belt. The months between August and September are also a good time to head to the hills and enjoy the island's tea-cultivating areas.

Choose Your High Grown Tea Region

Travellers must understand that Ceylon Tea is divided into 3 categories based on the elevation in which the tea leaves are cultivated.  Those who wish to explore Sri Lanka's tea regions must visit at least one plantation in each elevation.

High-grown tea is by far the most popular and what most tourists are aware of in terms of the country's tea heritage. With an altitude above 6,000 feet, the best locations for a tour of high-elevation tea estates include Uda Pussellawa, Dimbulla and Nuwara Eliya. The tea produced in Nuwara Eliya is counted among the finest in terms of quality as Broken Orange Pekoe and Orange Pekoe teas are grown here.

Mid and Low Grown Tea Areas

When it comes to mid-grown tea regions in Sri Lanka that boast an elevation between 2,000 and 4000 feet, the estates found in the Uva and Central provinces reign supreme. Badulla is Uva Province's main tea cultivation town while Kandy, the hill capital, as it is known to many is another must-experience highlight for tea connoisseurs. Home to some of the most iconic UNESCO sites and historical attractions in the country, Amaya Resorts & Spas and similar holiday hotels are also found in Kandy.  The low-country tea cultivation areas, on the other hand include the Sabaragamuwa Province and Ruhuna where white or silver-tip tea is also grown.

Sign Up for a Tea Tour

Ranked among the top things to do in Sri Lanka, tourists who are short on time can sign up for a curated tea tour with a local travel agency. These tour packages often cover an exploration of the tea factory and a walk around the tea estate with tea-tasting sessions and other demonstrations also thrown into the mix. Travellers with an interest in Sri Lanka's tea history may also want to pencil in a tour of the Ceylon Tea Museum in Kandy as a part of their tea tour.

Finding Factories Open to Visitors

Those who would rather go on an independent tea trail of their own making should be aware that there are a number of tea estates that offer tours to the public while some are closed to visitors. High-elevation tea estates open to travellers include the Pedro Estate in Nuwara Eliya the Blue Field Tea Factory in Ramboda, the Talawakelle Tea Factory and the Damro Tea Factory in Labukele. The Uva Halpewatte Tea Factory and the Kinellan Tea Factory are great mid-elevation tea plantations to add to your itinerary while Galle's Handungoda Estate also welcomes tourists.