Tea estate and plantation visits

Welcome to the island country of tea plantations and fine tea factories. Sri Lanka is famous
for producing some of best quality tea in the world. Being World’s 4th biggest tea producer
and 3rd largest exporter of tea, it certainly stands out among tea producers.
This small island country was formerly known as Ceylon, a British colony and the name was
kept for over 25 years after independence. Tea was introduced to Sri Lanka by James Tailor,
a British citizen. He planted 19 acres of tea plants in Kandy and surrounding areas. Today, he
is called, the Tea Pioneer of Ceylon.
Tea in Sri Lanka is grown at a high altitude of above 1200m as well as mid altitude of 600 -
1200m and low altitude areas range up to 600m. Depending on altitude of the region, the
teas come in different flavors. The climate, temperature, sun and soil make each tea differ
in taste, character and style. It makes Sri Lanka unique, as it is so diverse for such a little
island country.

What makes the Ceylon tea so special?

Ceylon tea is high-grown black tea in Sri Lanka. It is known worldwide for being the finest
black tea in the World. Ceylon teas are orthodox teas. What does it mean?
The 150-year old tea industry follows the traditional methods and standards of processing
teas. The high-quality leaves are handpicked and processed by hand to provide the best
taste and aroma. Today, Sri Lanka is the largest producer of orthodox tea in the world. It is
believed that: Great Tea should not be hurried.
Every day, thousands of tea pickers collect enormous amount of leaves in Sri Lanka. It is said
that the average skilled tea picker can collect about 20kg of Ceylon leaf per day.

Where to find the best tea plantations in Sri Lanka?

Today, the tea plantations cover over 4% of Sri Lanka’s Hill Country and around 90% of the
harvest are designated for export.

1. Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Eliya known as the ‘Little England’ of Sri Lanka, is set in the mountainous area at an
attitude of 1868 m. The unique climate provides a perfect ecosystem for the excellent high
grown teas. This area is considered as the most outstanding for tea growing in the country.

2. Kandy
Kandy is set in a valley and this is a place where everything began. Here, over 150 years ago,
the well-known James Taylor planted the first acres of tea and this moment was marked as
the birth of tea industry in the country. Tea in Kandy is ideal for those who enjoy strong tea
served with milk.

3. Uva
Tea in Uva is known to have a unique flavor, as it is grown at elevations from 1100m to 1700
m. This region is exposed to the winds of monsoons and produces tea with a special
aromatic and exotic flavor and particular character.
4. Dimbula
Tea plantations in Dimbula are located at elevations from 1100m to 1700m. This region
attracts visitors for its incredible green jungles, rain forests and plenty of green tea gardens.
The dry climate and cold nights bring a wide variety of teas, from full-bodied to very light,
but always mellow in flavor.

5. Uda Pussellawa
Cold weather and monsoon rains bring very strong and dark teas in Uda Pussellawa. This
small mountainous region is also well-known for producing teas rich in rosy flavor.

6. Ruhuna:
Tea plantations in Ruhuna are defined as low grown teas, as they are grown at an attitude
of 600m above sea level. The climate and the condition of the soil make the leaves to grow
rapidly long and dark. This full-flavored black tea is ideal for those who enjoy sweet and
strong flavor.

Train Journey
The beautiful train trip from Ella To Kandy
Taking the train is the most comfortable way to travel, in my opinion. You can walk around
whenever you want, go to the toilet, have some food, meet other travelers and locals, read,
listen to music, relax, and watch the landscape go by peacefully outside.

Train travel in Sri Lanka is a beautiful and affordable way to see the country. No trip is more
scenic than the train from Ella to Kandy or the reverse train from Kandy to Ella!

The scenery is fantastic! You will see beautiful green hills covered with tea plantations,
mountains, lovely old bridges, waterfalls, small villages, and you are greeted by lots of local
kids running along the train tracks.
Taking the train to or from Ella is the most famous stretch of train travel in Sri Lanka, and is
nearly a tourist attraction.

The Sri Lankan Railway System

The Railway system in Sri Lanka was initially built by the British in 1864. The main reason
was to transport tea and coffee from the Hill Country to Colombo for shipping
internationally.

Today there are train tracks between some of the biggest cities in Sri Lanka.
Most trains have different government-run classes/ carriages that you can choose from:

1st class: observation car is available on certain daytime trains, mostly on the trains
between Kandy and Ella, and is very popular among tourists. The observation car provides a
full view of the scenery and is usually at the rear of the train but occasionally behind the
locomotive. Air-conditioned seats are available on occasional inter-city express trains. 1st
class sleeper carries sleeping-berths and is available on a few overnight trains.
2nd class: Seats are provided on all inter-city trains and are available as either unreserved
seats or reserved seats. 2nd class has fans, and you can open the windows.
3rd class: seats are available on most trains. This class can get very crowded and carries only
basic facilities.
You can, however, not open the windows at 1st class since it is air-conditioned. If you want
to take those famous and spectacular photos out of the windows, you should buy 2nd class
tickets.

Adams Peak
Soaring from the southwestern edge of the hill country, the summit of Adam's Peak (Sri
Pada) is one of Sri Lanka’s most striking natural landmarks and one of its most celebrated
places of pilgrimage – it stands head and shoulders above the surrounding hills, giving a
wonderful effect of sheer altitude at 2243m. it’s only Sri Lanka’s fifth-highest peak. The
mountain has gathered several legends centered around the curious depression at its
summit, the Sri Pada or known as Sacred Footprint. The original Buddhist story claims that
this is the footprint of the Buddha himself. Different faiths subsequently modified this to
suit their own theologies. During the eighth century, Muslims began to claim the footprint
to be that of Adam, who is said to have first set foot on earth here after being cast out of
heaven, and stood on the mountain’s summit on one leg in penitence until his sins were
forgiven – Hindu tradition, meanwhile, claimed that the footprint was created by Shiva.
Many centuries later, the colonial Portuguese attempted to rescue the footprint for the
Christian faith, claiming that it belonged to St Thomas, the founder of the religion in India,
though no one seems to have ever taken this random assertion very seriously.
Despite all these claims, Adam’s Peak remains an essentially Buddhist place of worship. The
mountain has been an object of pilgrimage for over a thousand years, since the
Polonnaruwan period, when Parakramabahu and Vijayabahu constructed shelters here for
visiting pilgrims. In the twelfth century, Nissanka Malla became the first king to climb the
mountain, while later foreign travelers including Marco Polo all described the peak and its
associated traditions with different extend of unrealism.

When to go

The claim to Adam’s Peak is normally made by night, reach the top in time for dawn, which
offers the best odds of seeing the extraordinary views free from cloud as well getting a
glimpse at the peak’s enigmatic shadow. Most visitors climb the mountain during the
pilgrimage period, which starts on the Duruthu Poya day in December - January and
continues until the Vesak Poya day in May. During the season, the weather on the mountain
is at its best, and the likelihood of a clear dawn at the summit. The steps up the mountain is
illuminated and little stalls and teashops open through the night to cater to the pilgrims
climbing up.
The summit

The summit is covered in a huddle of buildings. The footprint itself is not exceptionally
remarkable. It is small irregular depression, protected under a tiny structure and painted in
gold. History claims that this is only an impression of the true footprint, which is said to be
underground. Upon reaching the summit, pilgrims ring one of the two bells. The view is
spectacular. When dawn breaks, you may see the mysterious shadow of the peak – a
spooky, supernatural illusion which seems to hang magically suspended in mid-air in front of
the mountain during a clear sunrise. One of the mysteries of Adam’s Peak, is the shadow’s
perfect triangular outline, which does not resemble to the actual irregular shape of the
summit. The Buddhist explain that it is not actually the shadow of the peak at all, but a
physical representation of the “Triple Gem” which is a Holy Trinity, encompasses the
Buddha, his teachings and the association of Buddhist monks.