If you spend time in India, you are sure to have four or maybe five cups of tea a day.  A former British colony, India has absorbed many British customs, and tea drinking is certainly one of them.  As you drive throughout Kerala, you are bound to see numerous tea plantations on the beautiful hillsides, and Cardamom County offers you the opportunity to tour one of these plantations as well as its factory.  Take the tour and learn how the cup of tea you just enjoyed at All Spice Restaurant ended up in front of you.

We left Cardamom County around 2:15 PM so that we could take the last tour, which was scheduled to depart at 3:00 PM.  It was an easy 20 – 30 minute drive to the Tea Factory, and once we arrived, it was a quick walk up the hill to the “Tea Trail” starting point.  We met the guide, and right away we could tell that he was extremely friendly.  In great detail he explained to us the tea making process.  He broke it down step-by-step, which was informative and interesting.  I learned a great deal about what goes into making a cup of tea.  After the fifteen-minute presentation, he took us to the factory where we went from station to station seeing how the tea goes from the leaf to the fine particles that make up the finished product.  After journeying through the tea-making process, we were allowed to taste a cup of delicious real black tea straight from the factory.  I drank the pure Indian tea with an even greater appreciation.  Following the tea tasting, the tour came to an end; however, we were free to visit the garden and walk to the overlook that looks out over the tea plantation.  The property is very beautiful.  The tea factory visit is an incredible activity, and since tea is such a big part of India, I think all guests visiting this wonderful country should take the tour of the plantation and its factory.