South India - Tourist Attractions - Lockhart Tea Plantation - Kerala
Kerala, popularly known as God’s own country, has many things to surprise its visitors. The backwaters, surrounding lush green landscapes and the beautiful hill stations. You can include the Lockhart Tea Factory in the list which is the only tea factory in this region open to Public.
Lockhart Tea Factory, located at a distance of 15km from Munnar, the most popular tourist destination, has been functioning for the past 160 years. Established by the British people, the Lockhart Tea Factory is deploying the traditional methods of manufacturing tea labelled as the Orthodox Tea.
Specialty of Lockhart Tea Plantation
The sprawling area with the lush green carpets welcomes you into the Lockhart Tea Factory where you are able to witness the mechanisms of processing the tea leaves from the starting phase till the product is getting ready for export to other countries like China and England.
Unlike the opinion of most of the people that different types of tea are grown from different tea plants, all the types are obtained from the same types of plants only. The top most budding portion of the tea leaf is used for making the premium quality White Tea, the subsequent lower layers are used for the green tea and black tea respectively.
Right from plucking the tea leaves, till making the product ready for export, more number of local residents in and around Munnar and the nearby villages are employed in Lockhart Tea Factory.
You can visit the Lockhart Tea Factory on any working days and get to know more about the traditional processing mechanisms and a guide will assist you for further clarifications. There is a separate museum, children play area and a gallery available where you can know more about the factory.
The huge machines which were initially established by the British are still maintained by the factory and you can see the relevant tools and machines used since then. There is factory outlet where you can purchase different varieties of tea products back to your home. An exclusive tea tasting center lets you feel the aroma of the varieties of tea and difference in taste.
Lockhart tea factory is easily accessible form Lockhart Gap, an ideal location from where you can enjoy the panoramic view of the entire plains and Idukki water reservoir area. This location attracts tourists across the globe for its scenic ambience and the tranquility.
Plan a visit to Lockhart Tea Factory, take back cherished memories to share with your loved ones!