Tea Trails
Sri Lanka
Tea Trails is the world’s first tea bungalow resort, comprising five colonial style bungalows plus a private one bedroom cottage, each originally built between 1888 and 1950. Sensitively and sustainably restored, the hotel offers the unique experience of a working tea estate with all the luxuries of a tailored holiday.
A haven of luxury, Ceylon Tea Trails is Sri Lanka’s first Relais & Chateaux hotel offering graceful living through butler service, period furniture and gourmet cuisine in the pristine surroundings of the Dilmah tea plantations. Guests can opt to sleep in one suite for the duration of their stay, or explore the trails between them during the day, finding their luggage has been delivered when they arrive at their new accommodation for the evening.
Heritage with a refreshing contemporary style and a friendly residential feel is the hallmark of the Ceylon Tea Trails experience, and at its core, a celebration of the country’s greatest export – tea. The Tea Experience, until recently led by the resort’s resident planter Andrew Taylor (descendent of tea pioneer and first British tea planter in Ceylon, James Taylor), follows the trail of the planters of old Ceylon and observes Dilmah’s own tea pluckers practice the age-old tea making process – from plucking to conversion.
Over the past five consecutive years, Ceylon Tea Trails has repeatedly been awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. In May 2015, as the resort approached its 10th anniversary, Tea Trails was presented with the ultimate accolade and was inducted into the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame. In December 2014, the resort was presented with Relais and Chateaux’s “Savoire Fair” trophy awarded as a recognition of excellence in maintaining high standards of service.
Vanity FairJust two nights and the peace of Tea Trails is working its magic.
ALTO Design For Living Awards 2014Endless afternoon teas, delicious curry feasts, tropical wildlife, and a beautifully restored colonial bungalow to call home – Tea Trails is a unique and very special experience.
Evening StandardThe most tantalising tea break in Sri Lanka.