Tea Tourism : Niche but growing in popularity
There is nothing like sitting outside on a well manicured lawn overlooking the misty hills of Darjeeling, the Queen of the Hills, enjoying a cup of Darjeeling tea from fine bone china. You will feel relaxed and at ease with yourself and the world.
Darjeeling is known as the “champagne of teas,” not, as is commonly assumed because it is the best of teas, but because, like champagne, Darjeeling tea can only be produced in the area which bears its name. But it is also the best tea around!
The tea is from the same plant, camellia sinensis, as the teas grown in China and elsewhere in India, Kenya and other tea producing regions, but there is something in those Darjeeling hills that produces a unique flavour profile, or I should say flavour profiles. The are a number of seasonal harvests of the tea leaves and each one produces a very different flavour and feeling.
And when you are drinking your freshly brewed tea in Darjeeling you will begin to wonder how you ever were satisfied with tea from a bag. Darjeeling tea may be more expensive, but some luxuries are worth paying for. And getting to know better.
Why tea tourism
Tea tourism may be a little niche, but it is an area in which interest from tourists is growing steadily. It is as much a part of the tourism landscape as visiting vineyards in Spain or Italy, or cheese farms in France. If you enjoy the food and drink you consume, visiting the places in which it is grown or produced will only heighten your enjoyment. It is that feeling of connection with the produce that food tourists value.
Tea is the second most consumed drink in the world. Originally it was taken for its medicinal properties when it was first discovered in China, becoming a drink showing status when the wife of Charles II introduced it into England. It was partly responsible (along with porcelain and silk) for the Opium Wars between China and the West, and of course there was a famous tea party in Boston.
Most tea tourism from the UK will be centred upon India and Sri Lanka, but China is now coming into its own, with its visa free policy for tourists and a positive attitude towards tourists helping to make China much more accessible.
At Anthony Kingsley Travel, my tea tours are largely centred on Darjeeling. This is because I have visited Darjeeling on a number of occasions, and I buy most of my Darjeeling tea from Jayshree Tea in Kolkata, direct from each of their estates. I have a little black book full of contacts in Kolkata and Darjeeling to ensure that I can provide you with the best tea tour available.
But let us not forget other tea growing areas. China, the originator of tea, has a number of regions that are worth visiting, Fujian, Yunnan, and Anhui province – from where Keemun tea is grown, popular apparently with Queen Elizabeth II. I also like the tea grown in Jiangsu, a province which has some interesting tea connections.
Taiwan is famous for its high mountain oolongs, and of course was one of the main warriors in my Battle of the Oolongs promotion.
Japan is famous for its elaborate tea ceremonies as well as Matcha and Hojica.
The other great stalwart, and which is so popular with British tastes is Sri Lanka, although usually it markets its teas as from Ceylon.
I can also organise tours to Assam, a region largely unexplored by British tourists, the Nilgiri region and also Sri Lanka and the other big tea producing areas of India, and from 2027 I will also be more familiar with tea tourism in parts of China and able to provide you with some extraordinary tea tasting tours.
Additional Experiences
A tea tour should comprise more than a few trips to tea plantations, just as a wine tour should include more than visits to vineyards. There is only so much tea or wine you can drink in a day. It is important to invest some time in the local area to fully understand the region and why it produces what it does.
Darjeeling is not the easiest of places to visit, so it is unlikely that you will make the effort to visit just the tea plantations. I can discuss with you additional experiences outside Darjeeling such as exploring Kolkata
Please read my article in One Planet Journey on Kolkata https://oneplanetjourney.com/things-to-do-kolkata-calcutta-deep-tour-city-of-joy/
Or perhaps a short cruise on the Ganges, a stay in an Ayurvedic retreat or perhaps a heritage palace.
Or I can return you to any other area of India so that you can fully experience the magic of this most mysterious and exciting of continents: the beaches of Goa, the jungles and safaris of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the temples of Tamil Nadu, the ayurveda and peaceful calm of the Kerala backwaters, so called God’s own country.