Suitably relaxed , I make my way to the Sthree Craft Shop and Café for my first taste of Sri Lankan afternoon tea . Established by the Women ’ s Development Centre , the cozy shop features traditional crafts made by female entrepreneurs , plus a newly
The famed Temple of the Tooth
opened café offering Sri Lankan-style afternoon tea with coconut treats .
It ’ s the perfect segue to our next stop : Sri Lanka ’ s tea country . Verdant tea bushes line the hills as we drive the winding road to Nuwara Eliya , the centre of the country ’ s tea industry . During a tour of the Bluefield Tea Gardens , I note that all of the field workers are women . Our guide explains that they tend to have a more delicate touch for handpicking leaves . Each worker averages an impressive 20 kilograms a day .
At the end of the tour , a steaming cup of OPA Ceylon orange pekoe awaits . As I sip the fragrant liquid and look out over leafy fields , I can ’ t help but wonder if I ’ m drinking the perfect cup of tea in the most perfect setting .
If nothing else , it ’ s certainly a contrast to the ritualistic British high tea we later indulge in at the Grand Hotel , our home for the night . Whitegloved servers pour from steaming teapots into delicate china cups , while we nibble on an array of finger sandwiches , dainty cakes , warm scones and jars of clotted cream .
After A crowded train ride through the mountains to Bandarawela , our group heads a few hours south to Udawalawe National Park . At Eco
Picking tea leaves in Nuwara Eliya temple : robertharding / alamy ; Field : Fmajor / istock
42 Fall 2018
AMA InsIder