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Culture · Nuwara Eliya

Inside the Tea Research Institute in the Hills

By Days of Iru and Opa

Ceylon tea is one of Sri Lanka most famous exports, and the highlands around Nuwara Eliya are its heart. Behind the neat green slopes sits real science, with research stations working on the plants and the process.

What to expect

The tea country here is a working landscape of estates, factories, and research plots rather than a theme park. Seeing how the leaf is grown, plucked, and processed gives you a new respect for the cup.

Good to know

Many estates offer factory tours and tastings, which are the easiest way to see the process. Mornings are best, when the pluckers are out on the slopes.

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