Teardrop Hotels launches an 8-Night ‘Tea Odyssey’ itinerary, perfect for adventurous food and drink purists who want to deep dive into the country’s history, local culture and the farming traditions of Sri Lanka through one of the island’s most famous exports – tea.
The itinerary is a chance to sample the flavours and quality of tea varieties grown across the country at different altitudes, whilst indulging in authentic Sri Lankan wellbeing, cuisine, and touring experiences across Teardrop’s collection of intimate tea bungalows and country garden hotels. Guests will come away with a deeper understanding of how nature and wildlife can live in harmony with the tea country and how Teardrop Hotels’ positively impact local communities who rely on the tea trade.
The journey begins at Wallawwa where wellness and tea make the perfect blend. Just a short drive from Colombo, where tropical gardens surround a jungle pool and an 18th century manor house, guests can sample herbal teas throughout the day, a Jet Lag recovery spa treatment incorporating black tea and take a masterclass with the chef on how to make the perfect cup of Sri Lankan ‘Yaara’ tea. Yaara tea involves “pulling” tea from one cup to another to create a frothy and flavoursome concoction of milk tea.
Camellia Hills, a characterful five-bedroom bungalow, located in the high growth ‘Golden Valley’ tea region and surrounded by pea-green tea bushes is where the humbling and inspiring real-life stories behind a cup of tea are uncovered.
Guests can visit a centre run by The Tea Leaf Trust, focusing on upskilling young tea pickers to lift them out of poverty through education. Along with a local resident, guests will tour a school and be given a brief history of the tea estates and tea plucking communities.
There is also an opportunity to immerse in local traditions by taking a ride on a traditional canoe with a local fisherman on nearby Castlereagh reservoir, where a flask of Belimal tea and jaggery (Sri Lankan alternative to sugar) is served to accompany every trip.
The spectacular landscape surrounding Camellia Hills can be best enjoyed on a guided walking or cycling tour led by Teardrop’s naturalist, along one of the many scenic trails running through the tea estates. However, for the more adventurous, a late-night wilderness walk is a chance to get a glimpse of the nocturnal wildlife that lives within the tea bushes, such as leopards, deer, porcupines and buffalo.
Heading deep into tea country, Goatfell is a four-bedroom hill top bungalow where The Pekoe Trail, a newly opened 300 km-long walking trail through verdant tea fields can be easily explored independently or with Teardrop’s resident guide. A popular way to immerse in local culture is making the most of the complimentary Guided Tea Factory Tour offered to all guests on property. After working up a thirst, guests can order high tea sundowners served by a roaring fire pit from Goatfell’s stunning viewpoint overlooking the Badulla mountain range and sprawling tea plantations below. There is also the opportunity to dine on a tea-infused dinner and take the train from the hotel to Nuwara Eliya, a region known for its beauty and high-quality teas.
Nine Skies, majestically perched on a tea-fringed hill near Ella, offers an authentic tea tasting experience. From learning the art of rolling and making artisanal teas surrounded by waterfalls and caves to taking a picnic of flavoured tea and Sri Lankan snacks on the mountain side, this is the ideal property to combine tea and culture – with visits to Ella Rock, Nine Arch Bridge, and beautiful Hindu temples.
The Tea Odyssey ends in the bohemian and lively UNESCO-listed forted city of Galle where Teardrop Hotel’s Fort Bazaarprovides a stylish base from which to explore the unique storytelling around the Virgin White Tea – the purest and one of the most expensive in the world. A tour of the Handungoda tea estate on route to the property, located in the low grown tea region, offers a fascinating step back in time to when the Chinese would only use virgins in white gloves and gold scissors to pick the tea.
The new ‘Tea Odyssey’ 8-Night package with Teardrop Hotels is priced at USD 5,970 / HKD 46,6 00/SGD 8,100 based on two adults sharing and includes 1 night at Wallawwa on B&B, 2 nights at Camelia Hills all inclusive, 2 nights at Goatfell all inclusive, 2 nights at Nine Skies all-inclusive and 1 night at Fort Bazaar on B&B, plus all transportation, tastings, tours and experiences connected with tea, plus a tea turndown bedtime ritual at all Teardrop bungalows. Excludes international flights into Colombo. For reservations visit: www.teardrop-hotels.com or email enquiries@teardrop-hotels.com
