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Most people know that India is the second-largest producer of tea in the world,
but few realise that it’s also home to the world’s highest tea estate. Thirty-five
kilometres from Munnar, the Kolukkumalai Tea Estate—bordering Kerala and
Tamil Nadu—cultivates tea leaves at an altitude of over 2,438 metres. Apart from
producing the world’s highest-grown tea, the estate takes pride in its ‘orthodox
process’. The tea factory continues to use its old-school equipment that was set
up in the 1930s; instead of the mechanised crush-tear-curl (CTC) method, tea
leaves are handpicked, weighed, graded, and then dried indoors to ensure that they
don’t crumble. The tea is then rolled, oxidised, dried some more, and ultimately
packaged for sale. Get your hands dirty with the ‘make your own tea’ offering at
Kolukkumalai Estate and combine that with a guided hike of the plush Windermere
Estate nearby. kolukkumalai.com, windermeremunnar.comKalaripayattuisanancientmartialartformthatoriginated in
KeraladuringtheSangamPeriod(300BC-200AD). Today, it’s
popular as one of the oldest surviving forms of self-defense in
the world. Practised either in its traditional form in an old-school
kalari or gymnasium, or in its modern-day iteration as a dance or
theatre performance, the unique discipline is witnessing a swift
revival. Rigorous and strict in essence, it’s ideally learnt in four
stages—meipayattu, kolthari, angathari, and verum kar prayogam.
In some parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, children learn the martial
art in 6 am classes every day. For an authentic experience, sign up
for a lesson at the home of the tradition via kalaripayattu.org.HIKE TO THE
HIGHEST TEA
ESTATE IN
THE WORLD
——LEARN AN ANCIENT MARTIAL ART
——W E
NSFROM TOP: EMAD ALJUMAH/GETTYIMAGES; IMAGEBROKER/ALAMYTHE INDIA LIST