….is how the “Tea Trails” is described and they were right. After the efforts of Adam’s Peak Gill had very cleverly planned four nights flashpacking in utmost luxury in a Tea Planter’s bungalow. It was all white walls, dark wood and muslin with a real sense of history. It was located in the middle of the tea gardens in the hill country of central Sri Lanka, near the towns of Dickoya and Hatton.
OMG this is our idea of a pilgrimage destination, one of Conde Naste’s hot list of the best hotels in the world.
Tea Trails are four tea planters bungalows spread out over the valley that have been restored and updated to a fantastic level. With only five bedrooms, our bungalow, Norwood had seven staff on duty 24hours a day to be at our beck and call and nothing was too much trouble. The corrugated roofed bungalow from the 1890’s was exquisite, the gardens and pool perfect and the surrounding tea gardens and valley breathtaking. The bungalow had beautiful wooden floors, the gardens had a multitude of flowers and plants from the exotic to the British summer garden variety – roses, dahlias and chrysanths. All the rooms were named after British Plantation managers – Gill was in Hazel, Ant was in Jeffery. We were here for four nights – hurrah. Each day started with bed tea. This in itself was complicated due to the bewildering choice of tea. At an hour of our choosing fresh tea was delivered to our rooms together with the newspaper. This gentle introduction to the day was followed by breakfast on the verandah overlooking the valley. Breakfast had no menu which was a little bit daunting as every morning we had to decide what we wanted- we challenged them with requests for porridge, curries, Marmite soldiers, tropical fruits – every time they delivered. Our breakfast tea of choice was single estate BOP (broken Orange Pekoe) and hot milk as is the Sri Lankan way – no teabags here! Breakfast was followed by discussions with the chef where we would agree what we would eat for the rest of the day. Neither of us have eaten meat since we have been away and we have kept this up here, and Ant has also been trying to avoid wheat! He fell into a trap of his own making on Day One. When offered a bowl of fresh vegetable and barley soup to start lunch, he asked for the barley to be removed. But of course had not thought through the implications of this request as the home made, freshly baked bread basket appeared, followed that afternoon by freshly made scones with afternoon tea – he has spent four days eating all the wheat products in secret and the butler is convinced that Gill must be very greedy!
Discussions with the chef at a close, the morning lay before us. Some days we chose to lie by the pool and read, on another we walked 15kms though the tea plantations and Tamil villages waving to the pluckers as we passed until we reached the Castlereigh bungalow. The walk was as random as usual – we had a vague map of where we were headed but went “off piste” and found ourselves passing schools, small settlements, Tamil temples and crossing various unexpected streams whilst crossing a number of different tea plantations. At Tea Trail’s Castlereigh bungalow, we had pre lunch cocktails and a three course lunch with wine overlooking the scenic Castlereigh reservoir. Norwood sent a car to collect. They were very concerned that we had got lost as we had set off alone without a guide. Another day we had a personalised tour of the local tea factory by Andrew Taylor a direct descendent of Sri Lanka’s original tea planter and we spent a couple of hours looking around the tea factory which cannot have changed since it began. We saw the fresh leaves arrive, be withered, be rolled, broken, oxidised, dried, graded and packed ready to go to the tea brokers in Colombo. This entire process from field to cup can take as little as 20 hours. So if you want to know your silver tips to your orange pekoes, your fannings to your dust, your udawattas to your medwattas, we are the experts to ask! We will never drink from a teabag again and will pay much closer attention to our tea. Mornings rolled slowly round to lunch. On the verandah, three courses of top end London restaurant quality food, with all the herbs and vegetables grown in the bungalow garden was served – of course with splendid wine and more tea. After all this food it will come as no surprise that the afternoons were lazy, spent lying in the gardens or playing croquet on the lawn. We did however find ourselves eagerly awaiting 4pm for afternoon tea – cake stands, teapots, finger sandwiches, perfect scones with fresh cream and home-made jam – and yet more choice of tea from the tea menu. Typically, we chose another single estate tea, mid altitude, which seemed appropriate for the afternoon! As the valley slid into dusk and the birds flew home to roost for the night, a cool mist descended and we slid into our claw footed pedestal baths – the luxury of endless hot water, fluffy white towels and clean bathrooms was too much for Gill to miss! Pre dinner drinks at 7.30pm in the sitting room in front of a log fire soon came around, together with caviar canapés – with the best G&T’s and Bloody Mary’s ever – this was the only time we saw the other guests, it was all very discreet. We then rolled into a four course dinner on the terrace under the light of the moon, stars and patio heaters, with surprise, surprise, yet more wine.
And did we mention unlimited drinks, free laundry and wifi. Four poster beds draped with nets, no tv or phones in the rooms, no music, just the birds and geeko’s. Hushed tones, invisible yet impeccable service, onward travel arrangements by the butler and our favourite – a butlers bell (well used!) next to each bed – what more could we want. These last four days have probably cost us more than all the tea in China – but we’re worth it! It is one of the most magical places we have ever stayed but it is back to reality tomorrow!
OMG this is our idea of a pilgrimage destination, one of Conde Naste’s hot list of the best hotels in the world.
Tea Trails are four tea planters bungalows spread out over the valley that have been restored and updated to a fantastic level. With only five bedrooms, our bungalow, Norwood had seven staff on duty 24hours a day to be at our beck and call and nothing was too much trouble. The corrugated roofed bungalow from the 1890’s was exquisite, the gardens and pool perfect and the surrounding tea gardens and valley breathtaking. The bungalow had beautiful wooden floors, the gardens had a multitude of flowers and plants from the exotic to the British summer garden variety – roses, dahlias and chrysanths. All the rooms were named after British Plantation managers – Gill was in Hazel, Ant was in Jeffery. We were here for four nights – hurrah. Each day started with bed tea. This in itself was complicated due to the bewildering choice of tea. At an hour of our choosing fresh tea was delivered to our rooms together with the newspaper. This gentle introduction to the day was followed by breakfast on the verandah overlooking the valley. Breakfast had no menu which was a little bit daunting as every morning we had to decide what we wanted- we challenged them with requests for porridge, curries, Marmite soldiers, tropical fruits – every time they delivered. Our breakfast tea of choice was single estate BOP (broken Orange Pekoe) and hot milk as is the Sri Lankan way – no teabags here! Breakfast was followed by discussions with the chef where we would agree what we would eat for the rest of the day. Neither of us have eaten meat since we have been away and we have kept this up here, and Ant has also been trying to avoid wheat! He fell into a trap of his own making on Day One. When offered a bowl of fresh vegetable and barley soup to start lunch, he asked for the barley to be removed. But of course had not thought through the implications of this request as the home made, freshly baked bread basket appeared, followed that afternoon by freshly made scones with afternoon tea – he has spent four days eating all the wheat products in secret and the butler is convinced that Gill must be very greedy!
Discussions with the chef at a close, the morning lay before us. Some days we chose to lie by the pool and read, on another we walked 15kms though the tea plantations and Tamil villages waving to the pluckers as we passed until we reached the Castlereigh bungalow. The walk was as random as usual – we had a vague map of where we were headed but went “off piste” and found ourselves passing schools, small settlements, Tamil temples and crossing various unexpected streams whilst crossing a number of different tea plantations. At Tea Trail’s Castlereigh bungalow, we had pre lunch cocktails and a three course lunch with wine overlooking the scenic Castlereigh reservoir. Norwood sent a car to collect. They were very concerned that we had got lost as we had set off alone without a guide. Another day we had a personalised tour of the local tea factory by Andrew Taylor a direct descendent of Sri Lanka’s original tea planter and we spent a couple of hours looking around the tea factory which cannot have changed since it began. We saw the fresh leaves arrive, be withered, be rolled, broken, oxidised, dried, graded and packed ready to go to the tea brokers in Colombo. This entire process from field to cup can take as little as 20 hours. So if you want to know your silver tips to your orange pekoes, your fannings to your dust, your udawattas to your medwattas, we are the experts to ask! We will never drink from a teabag again and will pay much closer attention to our tea. Mornings rolled slowly round to lunch. On the verandah, three courses of top end London restaurant quality food, with all the herbs and vegetables grown in the bungalow garden was served – of course with splendid wine and more tea. After all this food it will come as no surprise that the afternoons were lazy, spent lying in the gardens or playing croquet on the lawn. We did however find ourselves eagerly awaiting 4pm for afternoon tea – cake stands, teapots, finger sandwiches, perfect scones with fresh cream and home-made jam – and yet more choice of tea from the tea menu. Typically, we chose another single estate tea, mid altitude, which seemed appropriate for the afternoon! As the valley slid into dusk and the birds flew home to roost for the night, a cool mist descended and we slid into our claw footed pedestal baths – the luxury of endless hot water, fluffy white towels and clean bathrooms was too much for Gill to miss! Pre dinner drinks at 7.30pm in the sitting room in front of a log fire soon came around, together with caviar canapés – with the best G&T’s and Bloody Mary’s ever – this was the only time we saw the other guests, it was all very discreet. We then rolled into a four course dinner on the terrace under the light of the moon, stars and patio heaters, with surprise, surprise, yet more wine.
And did we mention unlimited drinks, free laundry and wifi. Four poster beds draped with nets, no tv or phones in the rooms, no music, just the birds and geeko’s. Hushed tones, invisible yet impeccable service, onward travel arrangements by the butler and our favourite – a butlers bell (well used!) next to each bed – what more could we want. These last four days have probably cost us more than all the tea in China – but we’re worth it! It is one of the most magical places we have ever stayed but it is back to reality tomorrow!
