The cultivation of the tea has settled in the mountainous regions of Sri Lanka. Best climatic conditions and a year-round constant, influenced by the height of the mountain country offers best cultivation possibilities. The British have recognized this early and so in the late 19th century the Tea was introduced by the British and is still vital to Sri Lanka's economy today. In addition to India, Sri Lanka is the largest tea exporter in the world and some of the finest teas of the world are grown here.

The tea plantations turn mountainsides into an emerald-green sea. Women, dressed in colorful saris, work skillfully through the tea bushes. From each branch only two leaves and a bud is plucked before they come back in two weeks to the same shrub and repeat the process. This fine selection is fundamental to making Sri Lankas teas to the finest of the world.

A visit to a tea factory is highly recommended. See how the tea is dried, crushed, pressed, oxidized and heated. The whole process is done according to a method that has hardly changed since the Victorian era.