Handunugoda Estate is the only tea estate situated in the coastal belt of Sri Lanka specializing in the artisanal manufacturing of ‘virgin white tea’. Whether or not you have toured a Hill Country tea factory on your holiday, visiting the Handunugoda Tea Estate in Galle is a special experience. Just a 30-minute drive from Galle, Handunugoda Tea Estate is perhaps the closest tea plantation in the world to the sea. However, this is not the only characteristic that makes the Handunugoda Tea Estate special.
The estate is known as the ‘Virgin White’ Tea Estate as it produces a white tea that is completely untouched by human hands. The process of Virgin White tea plucking follows an ancient Chinese ritual where the best tea leaves were cut with gold scissors by virgins wearing soft silky gloves. Handunugoda mimics this tradition, although nowadays the ‘virgin’ concept only applies to the tea, not the tea pluckers! Coincidentally, it is also one of the most expensive teas in the world.
The charismatic owner Herman Gunarathne conducts a very special tour of the estate when he is around. If Herman is not around, one of his knowledgeable guides conducts the tours which include a wander around the estate, a cup of tea and cake at the estate house, a visit to the tea processing plant and finally a tea tasting session.
