Tea plantations and their factories are a common sight across inland Sri Lanka, especially in the hill country. I have chosen to write about this estate as it is a little different. Sitting between an evergreen rainforest and the Indian Ocean it is easily reached for a visit from the southern beach resorts. Look for Ahanagama just inland from Unawatuna and Galle or hire a tuktuk.
Home to the luxury Herman Teas brand the tea factory is run as a living, working museum.
Trees provided feathery shade for the tea plants from the intense sunlight
The world famous Virgin White Tea is the only tea in the world produced completely untouched by human hands. At dawn women wearing gloves fine pluck the delicate top tea buds which are then dried naturally under filtered sunlight. White tea is very high in antioxidants and is normally drunk without the addition of milk, sugar or honey.
For the small fee of US$2 you get a guided tour through the tea and rubber plantation, stopping halfway round at the owner’s bungalow for a cup of Sapphire Oolong tea and a piece of chocolate cake.
Then into the tea factory itself to see the machinery in action, drying, crushing and sorting the leaves.
The machinery was imported from the United Kingdom nearly 150 years ago and is still in perfect working order.
An experienced tea plucker can collect, on average, 30 kilograms per day. A Virgin White Tea plucker will only collect about 160 grams per day.
At the end of the tour there is an opportunity to taste 36 different teas and see the difference in the leaves. There is also a shop where you can buy the Estate products.
More information can be found on http://www.hermanteas.com
Janet's Journal 
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