Visit to the Virgin White Tea Factory and Tea Tasting

General information

Destination	Duration	Category
Koggala, Sri Lanka	2 hours	Private Excursion

Program details

Description of the location:
30 minutes from Galle Fort lies the Handunugoda Tea Estate, perhaps the closest tea plantation in the world to the sea and its ‘virgin white tea’. The plucking of ‘virgin’ white tea follows an ancient Chinese tradition lost in the sands of time for over 4000 years, where the Chinese Emperor employed virgins wearing soft silky gloves to cut the tea leaves with gold scissors into a golden bowl. The leaves, with the help of the divine wind, were dried naturally until ready to store. It was a drink exclusively served in the Imperial court and was, even then, considered particularly beneficial to health.Virgin White Tea is the rarest type of white tea, completely untouched by humans from the tea bush to production and until it reaches the lips of the consumer. This tea is Rich with antioxidants and is passionately handcrafted for a unique tea experience.

Description of the Activity:
A resident tea planter accompanies you throughout the factory and tea plantation owned by Herman Gunaratne. Herman himself is known to accompany people through these visits and in the event he is unavailable a fellow team member would take his place. The tour shows you how the famous white tea is plucked and processed with a tea tasting session arranged for you at the end. There is also a shop if you wanted to purchase some white tea for yourself.