Tea Trails Around the World
The world of tea is a global one, and the culture of drinking tea is also global. I’m a huge tea drinker (I live in Britain – is it any surprise?) but that isn’t why I decided to do some research on the bets places to visit tea plantations - the inspiration visited me not once, but twice!
In November at World Travel Market (a big industry conference), I met Champika de Silva from the Ceylon Tea Trails. It’s a luxurious, ultra-fabulous resort on an old Sri Lankan tea plantation. It was carefully placed into the old plantation homes and much of the activities taking place here relate to tea – how the plantation works, exploring the countryside and Sir Lankan history and culture. It is a couple of hours west of Nuwara Eliya, one of the popular tea stops, and several hours south of ‘Kandy’, a tea whose name is so cute I couldn’t resist mentioning it.
Then last week I met Erica Moore here in Edinburgh, owner of the fabulous and tea-licious eteaket, a tea boutique here in Edinburgh. The eteaket website has a number of directly sourced teas and best-in-class accessories that ship world-wide so check it out. Erica taught me how to make the perfect cup of tea, which you can read more about here.
And without further ado…some fabulous tea-inspired destinations, great with or without milk. 
Sri Lanka
This lovely island nation is no stranger to Sharing Travel Experiences – we had a guest earlier this year give us the insights on things to do Sri Lanka. And it’s no surprise Sri Lanka is first in my list, because not only is it on my bucket list, but it’s my favourite tea (Ceylon). I’ll definitely be headed to visit Champika’s plantation I mentioned above as well as explore some of the other wonderful tea-tastic sights that the country has to offer.
Some of you may remember the reports of civil war and strive in this country, but that’s all in the past. Be vigilant to your safety just like you would anywhere else in the world and you’ll be fine.
Kenya
African teas are known for their brightness and brisk flavour, so if that sounds like something you’d like then be sure to add Kenya to your list. The Subukia Tea Factory tour is one that I hear recommended over and over again, so it sounds like a must-see. You’ll find it in the Great Rift Valley, the area of the country where most tea is harvested. There are also some plantation homestays in Tigoni, near Nairobi.
Kenya also happens to be in this month’s travel super specials, so be sure to check it out!
India
India is a very inspirational place – the one location most often sighted in our weekly travel interviews. But it’s also a huge tea destination – in fact, and Erica from eteaket actually mentioned that it was one of her favourites (along with Sri Lanka – she hardly could disagree with a travel writer, could she?)
You’ll no doubt recognise many big teas from India but unaware they are from here. There’s Darjeeling, which grows in the foothhills of the Himalayas, surrounded by Buddhist monasteries, old railways, and the other mystics of India. Or what about Assam, in the east of India. Surrounding the Assamese tea capital of Jorhat you’ll find loads of ages-old plantations, bubbling streams, and the relics of other industries like the world’s oldest operating oil machinery.
Iran
It may seem like an odd place to end our tea travels, but as one of the oldest parts of the world, Iran’s fertile soils hold lots of mysteries, and tea is a part of the story. Lahijan, in the far north of Iran, is believed to be the first city in Iran to have a tea plantation, and “Lahijan Spring Tea” is considered the best in the country.
In Lahijan you’ll find more of the unexpected: the Kashef-ol-Saltaneh Tea Museum or Iran Tea Museum. It’s named after the first mayor of Tehran, who was born in Lahijan and his mausoleum is part of the museum. Here’s his story, courtesy of Wikipedia:
As the Iranian ambassador to India under British rule, he knew the British would not allow him to learn about the secrets of tea production, as it was their biggest business in India at the time. So being fluent in French, the prince pretended to be a French laborer and started to work in the tea plantations and factories to learn how to produce tea. Ultimately his plan was to take back some samples of this tea to Iran to cultivate. He was successful in this endeavor only because of his diplomatic immunity which stopped the British from searching his secretly stashed sample.
What a great tale to end our tea trails journey.
Photo by Zedzap(Nick), hulivili, meaduva, spo0nman, hapal
Andy Hayes is the managing editor of Sharing Travel Experiences. Featured in Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, National Geographic Traveler, and other major publications, he travels for up to seven weeks at a time and spends the other seven right here with you. Follow him on Twitter, @andrewghayes.
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December 21st, 2009 at 10:26 pm
I love tea … it doesn’t matter where in the world I am, I love it! I had tea in South Korea that was actually mixed up with a gel and didn’t come in tea bag form at all, which was probably the most unusual experience I’ve ever had with it. As for the most comforting? Hot water with a few coca leaves high on the Inca Trail. Heaven in a leaf!
December 21st, 2009 at 10:50 pm
JoAnna – mixed up with a gel? Weird! And I’m looking forward to the coca leaves when visiting the Inca Trail.