Enjoy a two-day tour of Taiwan's tea farms to learn the traditions, tastes, and cultivation techniques of Taiwanese tea. You'll be immersed in the most beautiful tea plantations, tasting fine oolong and Oriental Beauty tea varieties.

Itinerary:

Day 1 – Taipei-Hsinchu-Sun Moon Lake

• We will pick you up from your hotel in Taipei at the time of your choice and leave the city for Hsinchu. This is Hakka heartland and home to cultural and artistic attractions such as Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum. 
• In the hills above Sanyi, the little settlement of Shengxing is appealingly quaint. Surrounding these quaint villages are mountains full of Taiwan’s very valuable Green Gold - Tea. Not just any tea but Oriental Beauty famously named by Queen Victoria when she first sampled the tea.
  
• Many farmers of Oriental Beauty are very protective of their trade secrets, but we have a friend called Mr. Hsu who is passionate about sharing both his tea and how it is processed. Mr. Hsu makes certified organic tea. Unlike other teas, Oriental Beauty gets its distinct flavor due to the tea leaves being eaten by local cicada’s. As the tea heals itself it produces honey like sweetness.
  
• After a lunch of traditional Hakka food, we will depart to Sun Moon Lake to visit another tea farmer at the Antique Assam Tea Farm, a restored Japanese-era tea plantation. The tea grown here is the only Assam Tea grown on the whole island. It was introduced by the Japanese in the 1930’s as they preferred Black Tea (rather than the locally grown Green Tea introduced from China).
  
• As well as learning about the history, you will be able to pick and process teas in a very relaxing and informative afternoon at the Antique Assam Tea Farm.
  
• Finally, we will bring you to your hotel by the stunning Sun Moon Lake. You can explore the local fishing village and try some local snacks washed down by either Oriental Beauty or Ruby Red 18 from Sun Moon Lake.
  
• Overnight at Einhan Resort

Day 2 – Sun Moon Lake-Lugu-Taipei

• Sun Moon Lake it at its best in the early morning as the sun rises over the surrounding mountains. Relax in the morning with a stroll (or cycle) around the lake and visit some of the sights. 
• Around 10am we can set off for Lugu, the most famous tea growing area of Taiwan.
  
• In Lugu, we’ll immerse ourselves in one of Taiwan’s most beautiful tea plantations, and enjoy a lunch of bamboo, mountain chicken, and locally grown vegetables - often cooked with tea or tea oil. We will, of course, sample some of the fine oolong teas that have won a global reputation.
  
• After lunch, we will visit tea farmers and the local tea museum to learn how Taiwan’s oolongs became so famous. We will do a tea tasting ceremony with you so that you can better understand the variations of teas produced via the century-old traditions of wilting the teas in the sun, before letting them ferment for 50 or so hours prior to being cooked to lock the flavors in.
  
• Late in the afternoon we will depart for the 2.5-hour journey back to Taipei and bring you back to your hotel.