That said I was really sad at the thought of leaving the country without seeing anything tea related. I love tea! So I started searching for tea plantations near Weligama and was ecstatic to discover that the only tea estate in Sri Lankas costal region (Herman Tea’s Handunugoda Estate) was just a half an hour drive away from where we were staying.
Although they produce many teas at this estate, their flagship is the Virgin White Tea. So called as in an ancient, 4,000 year-old, Chinese ritual, the tea was picked by virgins wearing white gloves, with golden scissors and placed into a golden bowl. This was then offered to the emperor and drunk exclusively in the royal court The tea is never touched by human hands which is still part of the process today. Although today the reason is more to do with maintaining the levels of anti-oxidants. At 10.11% the Virgin White Tea is said to have the highest naturally occurring anti-oxidants in any drink. The tea is also only currently stocked in one of the most exclusive tea salons in the world, the Mariage Freres International in Paris. A box in the estate shop will cost you 6,500 LKR (£28 / $37).
The Handunugoda Tea Estate opens at 8am and they do tours all day. It is very casual, you just turn up and you’ll get grouped together for the next tour. We arrived around 10am and waited only a few minutes while some others arrived before we set off with our guide.
The tour of the estate took about half an hour and was on a path way up a slight hill. We just carried our youngest but you could probably get a pushchair around if you tried. We saw rubber trees (and the rubber that had been collected in buckets) – a great worldschooling lesson for our daughter. We also saw black pepper and cinnamon trees and of course, most importantly the tea.
After the tour of the grounds we were invited to sit in the garden for refreshments and served a delicious cup of Sapphire Oolong (Oolong tea) and a slice of cake. This was all for free! After our seat in the shady garden we were then treated to a tour of the factory to show us the tea making process. As a tea lover I found this extremely interesting and again, it was great for our 4 year old to see how something is produced. She even even snuck back in after the tour was done and they let her have a go on one of the machines.
With the rest on the people on our tour, we then made our way to the shop where you can taste and purchase all of the teas grown and processed on the Handunugoda Tea Estate. There was a small museum upstairs with photos and artefacts. The tasting was also completely free and there is no hard sell whatsoever. You are free to taste and browse the teas at your leisure.
We decided that we would purchase a tea called “The Suicide Club” (1,500 LKR / £6 / $8) which I had read about on the website. It has a very cool story behind it of crazy levels of gambling amongst Sri Lanka’s most wealthy men. One of the lost wagers was the very estate we were on, bought back by the loser’s grandson, 80 years later. Apparently the story is one of the country’s best selling books and is also about to be made into a film. I will definitely be looking those up and settling down with a cuppa to read.
All in all a great experience for us and the kids and all for free!
Getting to Handunugoda Tea Estate
We found a local tuk-tuk driver to take us there on the morning we wanted to go, for 2,000 LKR (£9 / $11) return from Weligama. He waited for us while we were on the tour and brought us back afterwards. I have seen formal tours advertised at hostels, so just consider whether they cost more than the price of a tuk-tuk and free entry.
The tea plantation is also near Mirissa and Galle, so a great option if you’re staying in either of those places and don’t want to venture all the way to the mountains.
Handunugoda Tea Estate Opening Times
8am-4.30pm any day of the week (although I do believe that they are closed on public holidays). You just turn up any time and wait for the next tour to start.
Handunugoda Tea Estate Entrance Fees
Free (with free tea and cake!)
Accessibility
The path around the tea plantation is made of gravel, is a bit bumpy and up a slight hill, but I think you could manage it with a buggy. The estate tour is only about half an hour, so carrying a toddler or them walking is also a viable option. Our 4 year old was fine with walking it and we carried our youngest.
Note
We’re always on the lookout for things to do with kids in Weligama but when I first searched for this estate online I found a blog which said you have to leave small children with the staff at the entrance. As a result, I almost went alone with our 4 year-old but we decided, as it was free, just to risk it and one of us could look after our 2 year-old if needed.
I’m so glad we didn’t listen to that advice as it really wasn’t true and there were a few babies being carried around. If we had, one of us would have missed out on a really great experience.
Facilities
There is a toilet on the property which is up a flight of stairs. The shop is more of a gift shop and sells only the teas and a few related products as well as the tea tasting. There’s no restaurant on site, so if you’re looking for some delicious Sri Lankan food, you’re out of luck. Be sure to eat before you come.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a tea plantation near Galle, you can’t go wrong with the Handunugoda Tea Estate. A rich history, great value for money and close to Mirissa and Weligama. The tea plantation guides were knowledgeable and the tea was amazing. All in all, a great outing with the family and very interesting for the kids.
