Wayanad is a hilly region where nature makes medley with soothing climate, beautiful waterfalls, evergreen hill ranges, spice plantations, and coffee plantation spread all over. Wayanad is derived from the expression Vayal Nadu which means the village of paddy fields. In ancient times this land was ruled by the Kings of Veda Tribe. Later Wayanad fell into the hands of the British who opened up the area for the cultivation of tea. The British laid roads across the dangerous slopes of Wayanad. Planting of tea bushes commenced in 1896 and continued until 1902. Today Wayanad has become a nature lovers paradise with a velvety carpet of green tea leaves stretched all over the hilly ranges.
After Munnar, Wayanad is the second most important tea plantation area in Kerala. It is a scenic hill station thronged by nature enthusiasts and is popularly known as Green Heaven of Malabar. Tea plantation Wayanad is a picturesque place with mist-clad hills and crystal clear mountain streams that make you forget the fast-paced city life. Enjoy the drive through the twisty roads of Wayanad surrounded by lush greenery as you conquer the altitudes. The smooth road will take you to the vast tea gardens which look like a Paradise on Earth. The surrounding areas are planted with coffee, pepper, areca nut, cardamom and fruit trees like oranges and avocadoes. Some of the best tea plantations are found in Vythiri and Meppadi areas and during the tea plantation visit, you can also watch the tea making process and taste different types of tea.
The tea estates in Wayanad still bear the marks of the British pioneers including unique agricultural tools and wooden buildings. The tea plants are planted at just enough distances to enable the harvesters to pluck the tender tea leaves. Harvesting is an early morning affair and is done much before sunrise. Tea plants are bushy and pruned to medium height to make the plucking easy. The tender leaves are plucked manually and the yield depends upon the adequate and uniform distribution of rainfall and moisture content of the soil. Visitors can view the entire processing methods from plucking the tea leaves to the packaging of tea in the factory. Factory visits and tea tasting can be organized with prior permissions. Even today you can find tea factories built by the British in the 18th century.
Amidst the tea garden Wayanad there is a Tea Museum which is an initiative of agro-business giant Harrisons Malayalam Ltd. The Tea Museum was established to spread awareness of the history and tradition of the tea industry. The museum has been set up by renovating an old three-storeyed tea factory that was damaged in a fire back in 1995. The museum has antique exhibits providing information on the history of tea production In Wayanad, machines used for processing tea leaves in the past and old photos of tea gardens and factories. It also has a tea bar where visitors can taste different types of tea. The museum provides information on the evolution of the tea industry over the last 100 years along with many other interesting facts about the tea industry. Know more about how to reach Wayanad, best time to visit, and comple tourism information of Wayanad.
A Wayanad tea plantation stay will be a unique and refreshing experience. There are many cottages, homestays, and resorts built inside the tea estates. During your stay, you can experience the life inside the tea estates, walk around the plantations, connect with nature, shoot amazing pictures and enjoy delicious traditional Kerala food. Plan an unforgettable tour to the Wayanad tea plantations and take back beautiful memories with you.
Tea Plantation Entry Fees: It varies with the season and type of package.
