Wander through places where tea shapes life and landscape.
Ancient symbolism and practices are essential aspects of Chanoyu the Japanese tea ceremony, although much of the experience is about enjoying the present moment. Many Japanese consider chanoyu the quintessential artistic expression of Japanese hospitality.
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Experience what it’s like to be a tea lover in Brighton, England, home to specialty tea shops Hoogly, Bird & Blend, and MD Teas. All three brands originated in this popular day-trip destination and seaside city loved by Londoners.
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Colombo’s quiet residential neighborhoods are a world apart from its crowded main streets, full of honking tuk-tuks and spicy street food hawkers. Enchanting areas like Cinnamon Gardens feature picturesque tree-lined avenues and colonial architecture, housing boutique tea shops and hidden garden cafes serving specialty teas from the country’s finest producers. […]
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Malik Fernando, of Resplendent Ceylon, and a legacy in tea, speaks about what drew him to hospitality and why tea lovers must visit Sri Lanka.
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If you drive 250 kilometers west of Bangalore, India, you reach Sakleshpur, where the coffee country begins. And sitting here amongst the coffee estates is a tea garden called Kadamane. And that itself seemed reason enough to book a stay.
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Taking a steaming cup of tea in my hands, I stepped out onto the Palmo’s teahouse porch. And there it was, a rainbow stretching across the vast expanse of the Langtang mountain range. The vibrant colors contrasted against the backdrop of the rugged terrain. I stood there, in awe but […]
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In 1881 when it was completed, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was the only option to commute. Anyone who missed the train boarded a bullock cart on a much longer journey. There was no concept of a “Toy Train” back then. In the decades since it was constructed the commuter railway with its 55 miles of zig-zags and loops has established itself as a tourist attraction. It was a welcome change for those who prefer a closer look at the Hills instead of just check-boxing! Among those who came were authors, filmmakers, poets, scholars, and artists. When the Buddhist monks traveled on regular passenger trains, they also had opportunities to interact with residents, which brought them closer to the realities of daily life at the hills.
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With every delicious sip and satisfying bite, the Araksa Tea Room in Bangkok is revolutionizing Thai tea culture. Araksa means “to preserve” and both the tea garden and restaurant promote Thai traditions while simultaneously elevating the way tea and food are produced and consumed.
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Buddies Cafe in Ooty. This cafe is the largest tea room in India, which features over 220 varieties of tea: artisanal and hand-crafted single-origin teas, orthodox blends, tisanes, and CTC dust. When I first entered the cafe, Nirmal Raj stood next to a wall of transparent glass tea canisters and opened them enthusiastically to allow customers to inhale as he spoke animatedly about each tea. After leaving my non-heated hostel, I chanced upon the cafe, searching for a warmer place to write from. As a shoestring budget backpacker, I had traveled to the Nilgiris tea-growing region on an overnight bus from Bengaluru, India, and soon found myself returning daily to Buddies Cafe.
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Immersive tours are a remarkable equalizer, bridging the gap between seasoned tea connoisseurs and novices. Through shared experiences of plucking tea leaves alongside local farmers, crafting their blends, and witnessing the alchemy of leaf to cup, they forge bonds that go beyond language and cultural barriers.
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Stay in a restored bungalow originally built in 1910 and once the residence of the Nepali royal family. It offers 12 exquisitely decorated and spacious suites, each named for an historical figure attached to the estate.
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Experience a holiday in the tea gardens and hotels near Darjeeling where lodging is an indulgence, with old-world charm and gorgeous vistas.
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“Stepping into the teahouse should feel like stepping out of the daily world into a place of beauty – of carved wood, paintings, sculpture, calligraphy, and delicate porcelain. It would be lit with silk and stone lamps. Music would be playing at just the right volume, and the tea served must exceed the drinker’s expectations even more than the environment where it is done.” – Austin Hodge
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