More Tea Factory Adventures!

I am so excited because we had a chance for a brief visit to the mid-altitude New Uva Tea Factory yesterday! Here we were given a great tour of the black tea production process, including a tea tasting at the end. I'm proud to say that I can now clearly taste the difference between BOP (Broken Orange Pekoe) grade tea and BOPF (Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings). Maybe one day I'll understand the entire black tea grading system - all in due time.

Next we stopped by the high-altitude Luckyland Tea Factory and estate. Saying that the view from the door of this factory is incredible is an understatement; the mountainous areas of Sri Lanka are truly breathtaking. We were greeted at this factory with flower necklaces by the daughters of one of the estate's many tea pluckers; Sri Lankans are known for their warm hospitality.

After Luckyland came Mattakelle. At a staggering 5,400 feet in elevation, it is not uncommon for the entire area to become enveloped by clouds. I sat on the porch of the manager's bungalow for hours enjoying this strange phenomenon. This high-volume factory grows all of its own tea locally - the estate covers mountains. With professional tour guides and a chic cafe, it's truly a must-visit destination for tea enthusiasts.

Right now we're staying at Holyrood (pronounced "Holy Road"). This is a beautiful 800 acre estate and factory, producing 5-6 grades of incredible Ceylon tea. I'd better head to bed (early morning traveling), so I'll fill you in on the rest of the details soon!

New Uva tea factory

Close-up of the tea leaves ripe for the picking in the lower tea regions of Sri Lanka

Tasting Ceylon teas at the New Uva tea factory

The tea packing and storage room at the Luckyland Estate