Indians enjoy a nice cup of tea any time of the day. India is amongst the largest tea cultivators in the world. Seventy percent of the tea cultivated in India is consumed by Indians only. If you love tea then you must visit the following five tea plantations as they are the best in India. You can even plan to stay on one of the tea estate.
1. Darjeeling: This is one of the most popular hill stations of India. It is surrounded by tea estates. The tea cultivated here is high quality, light colored and smelling of flowers. Twenty five percent of the entire tea produce comes from Darjeeling.
An estate known as Happy Valley is situated at a distance of three kilometers north of the main town. This estate has a prestigious history and is known for producing Darjeeling’s finest tea. Situated at a height of 2750 meters above sea level, this estate is the highest tea estate in the world. It remains open from Tuesday to Saturday. The timings are 8 am till 4 pm. From March till November you can experience the tea plucking season. Avoid visiting in monsoon season which lasts from June till September.
2. Assam: This is a north-eastern state in India. Assam is the largest tea producing state in India. The tea cultivated here is bright colored and malty. The cultivation mostly takes place in the Brahmaputra Valley. The central area of the valley, Jorhat, is commonly known as the ‘Tea Capital of the World’.
You can plan your stay at Burra Sahib’s Bungalow situated on Sangsua Tea Estate, quite close to Jorhat. The colonial architecture of this bungalow is magnificent. You can also visit the tea factory located in the estate itself and see how tea is made. A tea festival is organized in Jorhat in the month of November every year. Visit in May and June to enjoy best tea.
3. Munnar: Munnar is a famous hill station in southern India. When in Munnar you will get to experience lush green tea gardens for miles. Visit the Tea Museum located at Nallathanni Estate to take an intriguing peek at the history of tea cultivation in Munnar. Museum is open everyday except Monday from ten in the morning till five in the evening. You can understand the entire tea making procedure at the Kundale Tea plantation. The Tea Sanctuary is a nice place to stay with all the refurbished old colonial bungalows. It is extremely cold in December and January. You can visit anytime between August to May.
4. Nilgiri Mountains: Situated in Tamil Nadu. The tea grown here is highly aromatic and distinctively dark. Some tea estates worth visiting are the Highfield Tea Factory, Tranquilitea Tea Lounge and Glendale Estate. To enjoy the best Nilgiri tea visit from Late November till middle of February.
5. Wayanad: This is a green agricultural region in Kerala. Wayanad is known for tea, coffee and spices cultivation. You can stay at the Wayanad Tea County. This is an exquisite guesthouse located in Priyadarsini Tea Estate. You can even plan a trek trip through the tea plantations to tribal tea house located at the peak point of the plantations. The best time to visit is from September till April. Do not visit in monsoon as it gets too wet and slippery.
