Tea Trails – Castlereagh

Trees punctuate the vista, majestically rising above a sea of green tea plants while the lake shimmers below both you and the bungalows gardens. Welcome to Tea Trails… The setting is some 4,000 feet above sea level in the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea growing country, an area known as the Dickoya Region in the Southern Highlands.

Tea Trails comprises of four classic colonial bungalows built for British tea estate managers in the days of the Raj. Each bungalow is different combining both classical and contemporary styles. The effect is quintessentially luxurious and colonial; a stroll back in time but entirely resplendent in modern amenities.

Within the confines of each bungalow guests will find over-sized rooms with four-poster beds, lavish bathrooms. A blazing log fire adds warmth when necessary to the Dining Rooms and Drawing Rooms.

The gardens, meticulously maintained, provide the perfect place to relax amongst tropical plants whilst absorbing the breath-taking views. The gardens also feature sun-decks and summer houses where traditional English Cream Teas are served by the bungalows resident butler.

Castlereagh Bungalow

Built 1925, Altitude 4025 ft.

This bungalow lies nestled on the banks of Castlereagh Lake in a woody glade and is perhaps the most romantic of the four. It is also the most remote and is reached along a windy, sometimes bumpy road that passes through tea plantations where pickers are busy at work. It exudes elegance from its parquet floors, to its inviting drawing room with a log fire. The garden suites have sensational views over the glassy waters of the lake. Enjoy reading by the pool, having high tea in the summerhouse or a gin and tonic on the terrace.

View Tea Trails in a larger map

All the bungalows have three types of rooms; Luxury Suites, Garden Suites and Master Suites, each individually named after former managers who served the estate.

Castlereagh Luxury Rooms
Jameison is a twin room. Tate is a double. Jameison is a little quieter as it is the furthest away from the common areas.

Castlereagh Garden Suites
Baker, Alston and Palmer. The Palmer suite has the best views. However Alston and Baker have private gardens.

There are a number of things one can do at Tea Trails. You could be forgiven for staying in the bungalow and enjoying the gardens, the views, the setting and the amazing hospitality but we would definitely recommend you make the effort to venture out and enjoy the hikes, wander into local villages, take perspectives of mountains from different vantage points and mingle with the friendly plukers and the workers of the tea plantations.

The Tea Trails Tea Experience
A Tea Experience is organize by Tea Trails with a ‘resident planter” which lasts for about 2.5 hours and is very interesting and informative. Here you will learn how the plant is grown, picked and processed. Usually the visits take place in the morning when the factory is working at full steam. Note that on Sundays tea factories are closed. The Tea Experience is free of charge. For more details click here.  The Tea Trails Tea Experience

Other excursions from the bungalow
Sri Lanka In Style or Tea Trails can organize excursions to Adams Peak, white water rafting, or an day trip by train to Kandy, Nuwara Eliya or a half day train and hike or train and bike activity. Please refer to the “Day Experiences” section of our website under ‘Hatton’ for a list of activities and excursions we can organize. For more information visit: Day Experiences around Tea Country

Walks and Hikes in the Bogawantalawa Valley
What follows is a little bit more information on the types of walks one can do from each bungalow. Miguel Cunat, our CEO, was one of the original founders of Tea Trails and has walked, and biked most of the trails in the area. These are his favourite tea trails…

The bungalows are all family friendly. Children can enjoy walking the tea trails as well as learning about tea and how it grows.

Sri Lanka’s ‘green gold’ is a large component of the Ceylon Tea Trails culinary experience; whilst the exceptional cuisine here honours the British planters’ traditions of dining well while being pampered in the unique colonial way the innovative dishes are infused with the tea that lushly carpets the hills surrounding the bungalows to create exquisitely memorable meals. Fresh herbs such as basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, tarragon and mint inspire dishes that, combined with tea and fresh home-grown vegetables, create truly unique takes on classical British and Sri Lankan cuisine.

All food and drink is included at Tea Trails; everything from your steaming cup of bed tea in the morning to your delicious four-course dinner accompanied by fine wines, spirits and cocktails every evening is thoughtfully included. Each bungalow has its own staff that includes a very talented chef and highly personable butler who will take care of your every need and desire.

Breakfasts are lavish affairs where the full English-with-everything must be tried at least once. Lunches are typically light and informally served on your verandah although you could indulge in the delicious siesta-enhancing Sri Lankan rice and curry. For guests taking to the hills to explore the tea trails, picnics of salads and roast beef sandwiches are provided though be sure to return by 4pm to indulge in the delicious Cream Teas!

Dinners are formal affairs in each relaxed bungalow setting. Expect lavish set menus that comprise dishes such as broccoli with roasted almond soup and blue cheese followed by Moroccan mint tea encrusted lamb rump steak with grilled herb polenta and roasted peppers in tamarind sauce. Indulgent desserts include cinnamon tea poached pears with butterscotch ice cream and – my favourite – a wicked chocolate biscuit cake!