Wellness

GORGEOUS TEA PLANTATIONS SOOTHE MIND, BODY & SPIRIT

Photo: Courtesy of H & T Consulting. Boseong Green Tea.

Tea plantations can be beautiful, tranquil places to visit, with rolling hills of corduroy green rows creating peaceful landscapes. We share some of the most extraordinary tea plantations to consider as you cozy up with a cup and plan your next holiday.

BOSEONG TEA PLANTATIONS -- KOREA

Tea cultivation in Korea dates to the 7th century and Queen Seondeok (선덕여왕) of the Silla Kingdom.

Boseong is one of the key tea growing regions here. The largest and most famous plantation is the Daehan Green Tea Plantation (보성녹차밭 대한다원), originally planted during the Japanese occupation of Korea. The Botjae Tea Plantation, nearby, offers views of tea fields all the way to the South Sea.

Boseong tea is known as yubi-cha, and is prized for its superior taste and scent.

The best time to go to see these verdant fields is in April, during harvest, although they are beautiful in every season. Walk along cedar lined pathways and inhale the intoxicating scent of the beautiful green leaves.

Twenty green tea fields spread out at the base of Hwangnyeongsan mountain(황성산), covering several hundred kilometers.

Another great time to visit is in May, when the Boseong Green Tea Festival is held. It features hands-on demonstrations of green tea picking and other cultural activities. For more information, visit Korean Tourism.

SREEMANGAL TEA ESTATE -- BANGLADESH

Sreemangal (Srimangal) is known as the Tea Capital of Bangladesh. The hills ripple like green velvet during a soft passionate kiss. Some of the world's highest quality tea is grown here.

As simple cup of tea can only be enjoyed as a result of the labor-intensive attention to growing, harvesting, and crafting of tea leaves. Bangladesh supplies 3% of the world's Tea production. The industry here dates back to 1857 when the first Tea garden was established at Malinicherain, Sylhet District.

In addition to the endless rows of green tea bushes, the beautiful fields are resplendent with fragrant lemon groves, and pineapple gardens.

Enjoy the breathtaking views, the peace and tranquility of this special land.

LONGJING TEA PLANTATIONS - CHINA

Tea cultivation began in China about 2,500 years ago. The majority of China’s green tea comes from the Longjing Tea Plantation Village.

Longjing Village is also known as “Dragon Well,” because, as legend has it, a dragon once lived here. The village that lies south of West Lake in Hangzhou, surrounded by heavily forested lands.

There are several tea villages in this region, including Shifeng, Longjing, Yunxi, Hupao and Mei Jia Wu, but Longjing tea is considered to be the best in all of China, with 55 hectares of planted tea fields.

Longjing (Dragon Well) Tea boasts green-colored leaves, rich in aroma, with a mellow taste, and distinguished leaf shape.

It is best to visit during harvest season which spans from late March to the end of the summer.

MUNNAR TEA PLANTATION

Munnar (Malayalam: മുന്നാർ) is a town in the southwestern state of Kerala, India. It is perched at 1,600m above sea level, in the Western Ghats Mountains.

The Munnar Tea Plantation is one of the most beautiful places to see tea cultivation, with its terraced gardens creating a gorgeous green carpet that stretches out for many miles.

The Madhurapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundaly rivers converge to help irrigate more than 50 tea estates. It is one of the biggest centers of tea trade in India.

SRI LANKA TEA PLANTATIONS

About 4% of Sri Lanka (727 square miles) is covered with tea plantations. Here, tea is cultivated using the ‘contour planting’ method, with bushes grown in lines that follow the contours of the sloping lands, resulting in beautiful patterns to behold.

The skillful harvesters hand-pluck two leaves and a bud from each sprig of the bushes. Each person picks about 15 to 20 kg (33 to 44 lb) of tea leaves per day.

Check out the tea factories found on most tea estates where the tea is weighed, dried, fired, rolled, fermented, sorted by grade, and packed.

The major tea growing areas to visit are Kandy and Nuwara Eliya in Central Province, Badulla, Bandarawela and Haputale in Uva Province, Galle, Matara and Mulkirigala in Southern Province, and Ratnapura and Kegalle in Sabaragamuwa Province.

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