Top Tea Plantations

If you're looking for your next travel destination and want to experience something unique and, most importantly, tea-related, then look no further. As true enthusiasts we think there would be nothing better than to relax in the misty rolling hills of a tea plantation sipping a freshly plucked brew... So, we have collated a list of the Top 5 Tea Plantations you really should visit if you love tea half as much as we do.

1. Darjeeling Tea Estates, India

Only 10 million kilos of Darjeeling Tea is produced annually and all of it is in the 86 tea plantations in the Darjeeling District of India. This romantic mountainous region is at an elevation of 750-2000 metres, receives generous rainfall, and has rich soil – a perfect recipe for the most sought after tea in the world. Even the tea pluckers are well aware of the status their produce enjoys and they pick only the finest two leaf and the bud to enhance the unique flavour.

2. Ceylon Tea Trails, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka had a rocky start when it came to tea. Tea planters overcame many disasters to build what are now endless green acres of tea. In fact, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle recognised on their bravery, and said, "The tea fields of Ceylon are as true a monument to courage as is the lion at Waterloo." Now, Sri Lanka produces nearly 300 million kilos of Ceylon tea annually, which is a refreshing and light blend of tea that is infused with bergamot and citrus to make the famous Earl Grey tea.

3. Kericho Tea Plantations, Kenya

Kericho is located in the west of Kenya and is now considered the tea capital of Kenya. Tea is grown in the highlands that enjoy year-round afternoon showers. Tea bushes were first imported to Kenya from India and China after World War I, and in less than a century Kenya has become the world’s 3rd largest exporter of tea and the largest exporter to the UK.

4. Assam Tea Estates, India

Tea is grown in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam in northeast of India. The tea is known for it’s distinctive, rich colour and it’s smooth, malty flavour. If you visit in November you can witness and celebrate the colourful Tea Festival with locals.

West Lake District, Hangzhou, China

Famous for growing high quality green tea, Hangzhou’s tea gardens are a green tea lover’s paradise. Hangzhou is well known as the imperial capital of China and tea has been enjoyed in this city for over a thousand years by Chinese emperors. Hangzhou also has a Tea Museum dedicated to the history of Chinese tea.