Itinerary       

Ceylon 5 Day Pre-tour - Today known as Sri Lanka, the "resplendent" isle of Ceylon has a long and colorful history. It is also one of the top tea exporting countries in the world. A tropical wonderland, this developing nation has been shaped by Dutch, Portuguese and English influence since the 1600's. Arriving into the capital city of Colombo, we'll transfer to the historic Mt. Lavina hotel which overlooks the Indian Ocean.

Day 1 - After a short orientation where we'll formally meet our guides, board our private coach bus and head for the South Western tea center of Ratnapura. We'll have our first look at a tea plantation and visit a tea factory to learn about tea production and taste examples of freshly made tea. This area is also famous for gemstones so our next stop is a gem showroom and workshop. Our stop for tonight is in Bandarawela.

Day 2 - We'll get an early start this morning and ride to Udawalawe National Park for a Jeep safari where we'll see all kinds of wildlife, including elephants. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the savanah complete with afternoon tea. In the afternoon we'll continue our trip as we drive to the hills of Nuwara Eliya and tour the Pedro Tea Estate. Roll up your sleeves because it's time to learn how to pluck the tender leaves and take them to the factory for processing. Enjoy the taste of some fine teas and then retire to the old world splendor of the Grand Hotel.

Day 3 - This morning we'll visit the Strathspay Tea Estate for a comparative tea tasting and a tour of the various sections of the factory. By early afternoon, we'll arrive in the Kandy region in the South-central part of the country. Teas from this area are sought for their robust flavors and one of the most well known tea estates is the sprawling Kenilworth estate. Visit the manager's bungalow for a short rest an then tour the gardens, factory and and tea tasting room for an introduction on the many teas produced by this estate. Kandy is also the ancient capital of Sri Lanka and we'll take in some of the colorful culture in the music and dancing performance. After dinner we'll remove our shoes and enter one of the most holy places in the country, the Buddha's Tooth Relic Temple. Rest for the night bathed in the fresh mountain air.

Day 4 - Today our first stop is the Tea Museum at Hantane for some background on the history of Ceylon tea production. Keeping with the historical theme, we'll visit and tour Loolkondra, the first tea estate in Sri Lanka started by James Taylor. Among the other things for which the island is famous, Sri Lanka is known for exotic spices. Tour a spice garden and enjoy a relaxing and fragrant spice massage. Before heading back to Colombo, we'll visit a batic workshop to see how this traditional craft is made.

Day 5 - Our last day in Sri Lanka includes an educational visit to the famous tea brokers J. Keells for some training in professional tea evaluation and tea tasting. Then; we're off to the airport to catch our flight to India!

Tea Tour of India 2012 - Base Tour - Upon our arrival we'll clear customs in the South India city of Coimbatore and hit the ground running as we meet our new guide and head for the "blue hills" of the Nilgiris. Enjoy a dinner and social meeting with the Tea Planters Association members.

Day 1 - Lesser known in the West, Nilgiri teas are peized for their full flavor and bright aromas. We'll have a full schedule today starting with a visit to the Glendale Tea Estate for a tour and introduction to their teas. Next we're off to the Chamraj Tea Estate for a tour of the plantation and it's exceptional medical and educational services for the workers. The manager will present a seminar on Nilgiri teas and then host us to a delicious lunch in the manager's bungalow. We'll also take a visit to Thiashola, the area's historic, first tea estate to see some of the areas oldest tea bushes.

Day 2 - Before returning to Coimbatore, we'll visit one more tea estate to see the unique production style of bouTEAque teas. After our flight to Kolkata (Calcutta) we'll have time for a tour of some historic sights including the palatial Victoria Memorial.

Day 3 - This morning we'll have a meeting in the offices of tea brokers J. Thomas & Co. and have a chance to get acquainted with the different Indian teas as well as how they are bought and sold. Join in a formal tea tasting session to refine our palates. Next, we'll visit the offices of the influential Tea Board of India to learn about the tea trade from the top view. Refresh body and mind as we enjoy afternoon tea at a luxurious hotel. Before returning to our hotel we'll visit the Jain Temple with it's intricate tile and mirror work decor. Dinner tonight will be a special reception with some of the Tea Board of India directors.

Day 4 - This morning we'll fly to Jorhat, a major city in Assam and delve into the experimental side of tea at a program at the Tocklai Tea Research Association. Learn about the latest developments in farming a production practices. Before dinner we'll attend a lecture on Assam teas with at tasting of some examples of various local teas. Producing teas that are deep and malty, Assam supplies more than half of all the teas for the country.

Day 5 - After the night to rest, we'll get up promptly and climb into our special Scorpio jeeps and drive into the heart of the province to Kaziranga Natinal Park, the last refuge of the endangered one horned rhino. Climb aboard for an elephant-back safari and trek through the park to take in the natural sights and the remarkable wildlife. Continuing on our way in the afternoon, we'll arrive at the "jewel in the jungle," the Wild Masheer Lodge. The elegantly refurbished bungalows and main house of the Addabarie Tea Estate will be our home for the next two days.

Day 6 - After bedside "morning tea" and a delicious breakfast we'll visit the Addabarie tea estate to interact with the tea pickers and learn the process of making CTC tea. Taste teas fresh off the line and then enjoy a special lunch in the village, including a festive culture show by local villagers. Before a sumptuous dinner put your tongue to the test with a Mystery Ingredients tea tasting in the First Flush tasting house.

Day 7 - This morning we bid farewell to our jungle oasis and drive to the provincial capital of Guwahati. After a visit to the bustling auction center we'll board the plane to Siliguri, the tea trading city at the base of Darjeeling. We'll be greeted by the executives of Lochan Tea Ltd. and hosted to a lecture on Darjeeling tea as well as a dinner gathering with members of the local tea traders association.

Day 8 - Our destination today is the legendary Darjeeling, with some of the highest elevation tea gardens in the world. Traveling by four wheel drive Scorpios to the town of Kurseong we will be met by the owner of the bio-dynamic, organic Makaibari Tea Estate and tour the gardens, factory and have a chance to taste some of their record-price setting tea. After lunch we'll continue on to our mountain home for the next two days, the luxurious bungalows of the Glenburn Tea Estate. Know for wonderful hospitality as well as great teas, enjoy a Manager's reception followed by a world class dinner.

Day 9 - Our day starts early today to behold the inspiring color of Mt. Kanchanjunga and the Himalayas at sunrise. Breakfast overlooking the valley below will sustain us for our morning walk though the tea garden and then to the tasting room to sample some of their best teas, plucked just the day before. The markets of Darjeeling town are famous for fabrics and crafts so we'll take a drive "into town" and have some free time to wander around the stalls. We'll also visit a local Buddhist temple to see monks in their meditation practices. Our dinner awaits us back on Glenburn as do our comfortable beds.

Day 10 - School is in and we'll sit in on the morning class at the Glenburn elementary school - education provided by the estate. On the tea trail again, we'll drive to a smaller, family run estate. Giddapahar teas are often darker than other estates and we'll enjoy several teas from this estate as well as tour the factory and make your own tea. Continuing back to Siliguri we say goodbye to the hills and prepare for our flight to Delhi the next morning.

Day 11 - Today we set our sights on the nation's capital, Delhi. In between seeing the sights of the city, we'll pamper ourselves with an afternoon tea, Imperial Style at the famous Taj Hotel. Get a good night's sleep before we get an early start to our next destination.

Day 12 - Agra is the location of the famed Taj Mahal. With a stop to visit the temple/monument dedicated to historic leader Akbar the Great en route, we'll reach the Taj Mahal in the afternoon. If we are lucky we may see the delicate pastel colors emerge as the sun begins to set. The stone carvers who build this amazing wonder were master craftsmen and their descendants still live in the area and continue to apply their trade. Visit a stone carver's workshop and showroom to see how the skills have been handed down for generations.

Day 13 - The Western state of Rajasthan reveals a very different feel and culture than the East and today we travel to it's capital of Jaipur. Along the way we'll stop at a desert oasis for a short rest and then travel via camel caravan (a short one) to get a feel of days past when tea was carried this way. We'll arrive in this ancient city and enjoy a special reception with the King of Shahpura. What's more, we'll stay the night in his city palace and enjoy a special roof-top banquet and ethnic dance show. Earlier, we'll visit the local bazaar market to see the hustle and bustle of textile merchants, craft makers and jewelry dealers as they bargain with their customers.

Day 14 - The sprawling, hilltop Amber Fort is one of the major "must see" sights of Jaipur. We'll tour the compound and then visit the showroom where metal and silver crafts are the specialty.  With our luggage and camera's full, we'll make our way back to Delhi and enjoy a farewell dinner together, sharing stories and memories that will linger for years to come.