Pekoe Trail: Exploring Sri Lanka's Tea Estates (And How Tea is Made!) 🇱🇰 - Stage 2 and 3

Welcome back to the Pekoe Trail! Today marks Day 2 of my journey through the stunning hill country of Sri Lanka. My day started in Deltota with a classic local breakfast of egg rotis and milk tea before setting off. Because of recent landslides, hiking Stage 2 solo wasn't recommended, so I played it safe and took a scenic 6.5km road walk bypass to the start of Stage 3. From friendly locals sharing "good mornings" and bustling tuk-tuks to dodging a few overly protective village dogs, the journey to the trail was an adventure in itself! Once onto Stage 3, the trail climbs up out of the jungle and descends through the breathtaking, rolling hills of the local tea estates. I finally wrapped up the day at the historic Glenloch Tea Factory, where I was treated to amazing hospitality, a mountain of chicken fried rice, and a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of how tea is sorted and processed. Living in China, I'm used to large loose-leaf teas, so seeing how the factory's sorting machines separate leaf sizes finally explained why British tea bags are so fine and punchy! If you're enjoying this multi-stage trek series through Sri Lanka, don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for the next stage of the trail!