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Sri Lanka Trip Report: Tea Trails, Amanwella, Amangalla

Sri Lanka Trip Report: Tea Trails, Amanwella, Amangalla

Old Jan 13, 2013, 5:23 pm
  #1  
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Sri Lanka Trip Report: Tea Trails, Amanwella, Amangalla

This is my first TR, so please feel free to ask any questions if there is something I’ve not covered, and by all means share any thoughts to help improve this and future reports as well.

We arrived at CMB on CX 711, landing around 10:30 at night. We flew business, though I don’t recall if we were provided with any FastPass’es to clear security. Regardless, at that time of night everything went fairly quickly*, and after clearing customs we grabbed some cash from an ATM and negotiated a taxi into Colombo proper – I believe it ended up being ~ 2500 LKR – where we had a one-night booking at the Cinnamon Grand.

(*Note: I arranged for our Sri Lankan ETA visas online, which I highly recommend. No need to get one on arrival and spend more time at CMB than needed. It takes no more than 10 minutes at http://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa)

As we were getting in late and catching a train in the morning, I saw no need to spend a bundle, and was perfectly happy with this choice.

Check-in went smoothly, with a bustling-for-the-late-hour lobby decorated for Christmas




We’d booked the lowest category room for our 9-hr stay, a Deluxe Room – while certainly not luxury, I had hardly any expectations and was pleasantly surprised when we entered.


Sorry for the mess!


Perfectly Comfortable Bed


Bathroom – has a shower/tub combo, as one would probably expect


How bad can it be, with turndown chocolates!

With complimentary WiFi, strong A/C, turndown, concierges, etc, I’d rate the Cinnamon Grand a solid 3* hotel, and a place I would recommend staying if you need a Colombo “crashpad” before catching a train to Tea Trails, which is what we did. Especially nice, given how horrendous Colombo traffic can be, is that it is located a short ride away (~10 mins) from the train station.

As best I can tell, one has 3 options for getting from CMB to Tea Trails: train, car, or chartered plane (in order from least to most costly).

FT’er behuman had graciously PM’ed back and forth with me about his experiences before in Sri Lanka, and highly recommended taking the train when doing a Tea Trails/Amanwella/Amangalla itinerary… primarily due to the long car voyage from TT to Amanwella. There are several trains from which to choose, and I would highly recommend perusing the following sites to help you in your selection:

http://www.seat61.com/SriLanka.htm#.UPNA-uhXy2w
http://www.exporail.lk/
http://rajadhani.lk/
http://lankalog.net/2012/09/the-rajadhani-express/

Both Exporail and Rajadhani are the two luxury options. They have complimentary WiFi, restrooms, and food (complimentary on Expo, and available for a pittance on Rajadhani), and fairly comfortable leather seats that are selected when you make your internet booking (i.e. reserved seats). You will want to book the "Colombo - Badulla" option, and then get off at Hatton.

Please note, they are not separate trains, but cars attached to regularly scheduled trains. I believe they alternate daily, and your options for departure times are either 0555 or 0945, arriving Hatton at 1100 or 1430 respectively. Given we arrived into Colombo so late, there was never any choice other than the 0945, which for us meant taking the Rajadhani Express (I stumbled onto this thread on TA I found very helpful in helping to choose my seats: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...Sri_Lanka.html)

If you choose this option, you’ll need to pick up your boarding pass on arrival at Colombo - Fort station. If you’re facing the station from the street, head to the office on the far left, which I believe is labeled “Mobitel” or “M-Ticket”. I had my email confirmation out and simply showed it to the man behind the counter, who printed up my two tickets and off my wife and I went into the station.


Interior of the Colombo - Fort station


Rajadhani Express Exterior


Interior of Car

We had a very pleasant journey, and while I’m sure taking a car is fine, too, I greatly appreciated the ability to get up and walk, or eat, or use the restroom, or surf the web while traveling. The food we had was perfectly fine, and ludicrously inexpensive.

Here are just a couple quick pics I snapped on the ride:






(See how cheap!)

The car also has a flat-screen television, on which they play a variety of Hollywood studio films (I believe the showed three, none of which I watched, but I do remember one was the Steve Martin Pink Panther … an interesting choice, to be sure).

Finally, after a somewhat long though pleasant journey, we arrived in Hatton, where we had arranged transfer through Tea Trails (I believe for 2500 LKR).


Up next … Tea Trails!

Last edited by aa213bb; Jul 7, 2013 at 6:24 pm
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Old Jan 13, 2013, 8:56 pm
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Tea Trails - Summerville

We were greeted on the platform by a representative from Tea Trails, who helped us with our luggage and then took us on the ~ 30mins ride from the train station to our home for the next 3 nights, Summerville Lodge and the Shuttleworth Master Suite.


Welcome Sign at end of Driveway


Up Driveway towards the House


Main Hallway


Main sitting area, with dining room in the background


Dining Room


Back Porch


View from Porch 1


View from Porch 2


View from Pool


Shuttleworth Sitting Room 1


Shuttleworth Sitting Room 2


Shuttleworth Bedroom 1


Shuttleworth Bedroom 2


Shuttleworth Bedroom 3


Shuttleworth Bathroom 1


Shuttleworth Bathroom 2


Shuttleworth Bathroom 3 (Massive Shower, toilet is off-frame to the left)


Shuttleworth Outdoor Sitting Area 1


Shuttleworth Outdoor Sitting Area 2


Shuttleworth Outdoor Sitting Area 3

Up next ... Tea Factory and hikes

Last edited by aa213bb; Jan 16, 2013 at 3:10 pm
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Old Jan 13, 2013, 9:13 pm
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Thank you for the report! We are doing the exact same trip, beginning with taking the train to Hatton. But we will be across the pond from where you were at Castlereagh. I am looking forward to reading about the rest of your trip.
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Old Jan 13, 2013, 10:11 pm
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thinking of taking a surf trip there this year, since I have been everyplace in '12. Thanks for the report.
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Old Jan 13, 2013, 10:11 pm
  #5  
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Originally Posted by cakegirl
Thank you for the report! We are doing the exact same trip, beginning with taking the train to Hatton. But we will be across the pond from where you were at Castlereagh. I am looking forward to reading about the rest of your trip.
You're welcome; there seems to be a dearth of pics online for the various Tea Trails lodges, and with so many FT'ers headed out on similar (if not exact) itineraries, I thought I'd try to make as comprehensive a TR as possible ... including many pics of each TT Bungalow.
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Old Jan 13, 2013, 10:18 pm
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Summerville (cont.)

We thoroughly loved our room, and having taken a peek ‘round the other rooms, feel it is the best one in Summerville.

Each morning, we enjoyed waking up (early, for us) at 0630 and ringing our butler to bring in “Bed Tea”, while starting a fire for us in the sitting room.


Cozy!

Eventually we’d get up and head out to have a relaxed breakfast on the porch, which was always wonderful – they’ll do the full English Breakfast, if you’d like, but we were eating so much at other meals we would invariably just have tea, a croissant or pastry, and a fruit plate. I did try one of their sausages one morning, and it was (like all other food at any Tea Trails lodge) fantastic. You will NOT have a bad meal at any of the lodges.

The first morning, after breakfast, we headed off to do the Tea Plantation Tour with Andrew Taylor, a highly recommended experience.


Norwood Tea Plantation (Norwood Bungalow is a 5-10 minute, uphill walk from here)


Norwood Sign

Andrew is beyond passionate about tea, and incredibly knowledgeable – not surprising given his background, and the fact he gives the tour every day (sometimes twice or thrice!).


Andrew demonstrating a “Tea Tasting”


Tea Tasting

As I said, Andrew is very passionate about the tour, though as others have pointed out, I can certainly see the tour becoming tiresome. It is REALLY in-depth, and I would have liked a pamphlet summarizing the information covered on the tour, if only because there was so much info I found it difficult to keep up.

But, this is a minor quibble, and most of the time Andrew was either intentionally charming, or unintentionally amusing/hilarious … there are times when my wife and I were chuckling, thinking, “he cannot be this serious, yet campy simultaneously”; his actual tasting was like performance art!

There are many, many interesting elements to the tour, and as I don’t want to give too much away, here are just a few shots for you:


Turning the leaves


Output for the Day


Finished Product!

After the tour, we went back to Summerville for lunch, before heading out on a highly recommended walk in the afternoon, with views of Adam’s Peak.

As with any Tea Trails meal, lunch was fantastic.


Broccoli Soup with Bleu Cheese (most meals started with a soup)


Pan Seared Tuna with Greens, Tomatoes, Potatoes


Apple Rhubarb Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream

As I said, after lunch we headed out on the longest of the three hikes from Summerville (S1), which is a mixed-terrain 9km walk. One of the many things I loved about Tea Trails is they provide laminated maps for you to take on your hike, and all trails are, for the most part, really well marked.

We were quite fortunate, in that a lot of the time while at TT we had overcast weather, but on this hike we had low clouds with the sun occasionally peaking through, providing us with some breathtaking vistas.


View over Castlereagh Reservoir


Adam’s Peak!


Tea Plants


Even more Tea Plants … so peaceful, so beautiful


Laminated Map


Limes for Leeches (they think of everything!)

I assure you, none of these photos do the hike justice. And while there are some steeper parts, I don’t know that you need full on proper hiking boots like we wore – though if you do have some, I’d recommend them for peace of mind, if for no other reason than if it rains, you’ve got a bit more grip.

We probably took right around the 2.5 hrs they say it will take, though we did stop frequently to take pictures, and there is one part where we got a bit turned around. If you take the hike, at a certain point (looks like around Marker 8) you end up walking into a sort of rustic, very small lodge/holiday spot, where the markers peter out. Just so you know, yes, you ARE supposed to walk through the middle of it and continue ascending … took us a bit to pick up on this, though we did get a full-on tour of the property (thankfully uninhabited but for the one caretaker we finally stumbled upon). Suffice to say, I don't think it will be making an appearance as a Luxury Forum recommendation.

It was very nice to return to Summerville for afternoon Cream Tea, and then clean up and relax with a pre-dinner cocktail before availing ourselves of the Sri Lankan feast for dinner.


Yum!

We also enjoyed, each night around the fire, a postprandial drink, chatting with other couples we met during our stay.

Our next day (last full day) saw us lounge through the morning, waiting out a morning shower, before having a car take us over to Norwood where we had lunch and explored the bungalow and grounds (pics to come).

We then hiked off lunch with a 12km walk over to Castlereagh Bungalow, a hike we enjoyed much less than the one we took the previous day - though it was still enjoyable. We did have the pleasure of stumbling on some young kids playing cricket, which was quite fun to watch. Less fun was getting caught in a torrential downpour for 30 minutes, though we just had a laugh … thankfully we’d brought along light rain jackets, and our hiking pants are of the quick-dry variety.

(I’d also mention here that Tea Trails is (or already has) purchasing a lodge 10 minutes walk uphill from Castlereagh, which looks to be REALLY nice, though it will be the largest of the lodges, with 8-10 rooms)


Dunkeld Bungalow (Castlereagh is a 10 minute walk down the path you see cutting in front of the lodge)

We were warmly greeted when we arrived at Castlereagh, and so thankful they immediately brought us out towels and hung our jackets up to dry out. Meanwhile, we enjoyed another delightful Cream Tea and explored the grounds (pics to come), which are beautiful.

Towards late afternoon, we took the opportunity to catch a boat across the lake (note: for many couples, the boatman will “conveniently” seat any male such that you can help row … all in good fun!)


Castlereagh Reservoir

Our evening ended, as had the couple prior, with a stiff drink by the fire, a lovely meal, and a nightcap while chatting with newly made friends.

The next morning we had an early breakfast before catching our 0800 car to Amanwella.

Up next ... Summerville and Norwood

Last edited by aa213bb; Jan 16, 2013 at 3:09 pm
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Old Jan 14, 2013, 12:16 am
  #7  
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Tea Trails: Summerville & Norwood

Tea Trails is an absolutely magnificent set of properties, and a truly 5* experience.

While we only stayed in Summerville, at each bungalow we encountered such lovely staff, always greeting us with genuinely welcoming smiles, and eager to ensure we had an amazing experience.

One example I’ll give you is, our last night at Summerville, we asked if they would make us a fire while we enjoyed our apertifs. Immediately our butler sprang into action and got one roaring … only to have it quickly die out once he went to check on some other guests.

Seeing this, he again got it started and going for us before once more checking on some other guests. Of course what happens? Yup … it died out once more.

We were laughing, and when he came ‘round once more we begged him not to try again; dinner was soon to be served, and it’s a real production getting a fire started with just wood and newspaper! But naturally he was insistent, and wouldn’t you know … the moment he got it started, someone else called us over to the table as dinner was ready. And of course as we started our meal the fire really took off.

We laughed with our butler, joking that, naturally, the fire would finally catch once we moved away – I feel like I just looked away for a minute, and when I looked back up he and some others were bringing a table inside from the porch, setting it by the fire, setting service, and insisting we come over to enjoy.

To me, this epitomizes the attitude and willingness of Tea Trails staff, who are truly pleased to go the extra mile if it will bring a smile to a guests’ faces.

As I mentioned we were quite fortunate to visit each of the Tea Trails Bungalows, and as there are not many thorough reviews online (especially with pictures), we thought we’d do our best to help out. So, here are some pictures of each lodge, as well as a list of pros and cons as we saw them.

I already posted, up-thread, pictures of the common areas and outdoor spaces of Summerville. We also were fortunate to see the other three rooms (though one was being made-up at the time so we did not get any photos).

SUMMERVILLE:

Garnet (Garden Room)


Garnet 1


Garnet 2


Garnet 3

Middleton (Twin Room)


Middleton 1


Middleton 2


Middleton 3

We felt that the Shuttleworth Master Suite is the best room at Summerville; the sitting area provides separation from the adjacent Garnet room (though these two rooms do have an adjoining door, which may be both a pro and a con), there is lovely outdoor relaxing space (though if the guests in Garnet walk from their garden to the pool outside, they have to go through the Shuttleworth outdoor areas)

Our next choice would be Garnet – it, too, has a fireplace, along with a lovely sitting area, and while in the front of the house, it’s at the end of the driveway while Middleton is on the opposite side of the hallway and thus guaranteed to look onto anyway coming/going from the entrance of Summerville. I also liked its bathroom more than the one in Middleton.

Lastly, for us, would be a tossup between Middleton and Goddard.

Summerville PROS:
- Lovely views of Castlereagh Reservoir
- Quietest of all the Bungalows
- Smallest of all the Bungalows
- Covered outdoor dining facing the reservoir
- One open space for the common area(s), with massive windows/doors looking out onto the reservoir
- “Darker” than the other bungalows, providing a pleasing atmosphere ... especially on colder days

Summerville CONS:
- If you are not in your room, there are no separate, cozy nooks for you to enjoy
- No real views to speak of from the rooms
- No real gardens, especially when compared with the other three bungalows
- A bit darker than the other lodges (at least, Norwood and Castlereagh); we enjoyed this, and felt it gave us an enjoyable atmosphere, but if you like bright and airy this may not be the best option

NORWOOD:

Here are some general pictures of Norwood …


Norwood 1


Norwood 2


Norwood 3 (Gardens) {Main Tea Trails Building in upper right}


Norwood 4 (Herb Garden)


Norwood 5 (View of Tea Fields & Plantation)


Norwood 6 (Sitting Room 1)


Norwood 7 (Sitting Room 2)


Norwood 8 (Dining Room)

Trevaldwyn (Twin Room)


Trevaldwyn 1


Trevaldwyn 2


Trevaldwyn 3

Irvine (Garden Room) {caveat: there’s some confusion if the following pics are Irvine, or Andrew – any clarification would be GREATLY appreciated}


Irvine 1


Irvine 2


Irvine 3

Unfortunately we did not get to see many rooms, as Norwood was pretty full. That being said, we certainly were able to formulate a few opinions while there. Those who have stayed (Larkin), by all means, please chime in with your thoughts.

In terms of rooms, again, the Hazel master suite would seem to be the best choice (just based on location). It appears to be the most private, which would be of great importance to me in a Bungalow we both found to be our least favorite (though still wonderful).

As it’s been a month and a half, and some of my pictures have gone corrupt, I might mix up a few of the room names – I know, I know, no small detail. Again, I’m hoping those who have stayed will chime in with corrections/opinions.

That being said, Jeffery would seem to be the worst of any of the Tea Trails rooms. While I did not see the room itself, the “private” outdoor space is just a couple of doors opening out to the wraparound porch, with only a privacy hedge separating one from those outside. Too, it is located right next to the dining room, so would seem to have potential for being in a bustling location.

Norwood PROS:
- Good central location to see all bungalows
- Set in the Tea Fields
- Good for those with kids, given the large lawn
- Lovely Gardens
- Many public rooms to tuck away into and enjoy the day
- Heart of Tea Trails Organization (should one need anything)

Norwood CONS:
- Just up the road from Tea Factory
- No views of Castlereagh Reservoir
- Did not seem to be any great views from any of the rooms
- Seemed, from our poking about, to have a lack of privacy based on layout
- Many public rooms means not much in the way of openness
- Outdoor dining is not covered; so in inclement weather one’s only option is dining in the smaller, dark dining room (note: tables outside are covered, but the patio is not)
- Heart of Tea Trails Organization (seemed busier than all other bungalows)

Up next … Castlereagh

Last edited by aa213bb; Jan 16, 2013 at 3:08 pm
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Old Jan 14, 2013, 3:01 am
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Join Date: Jan 2013
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Many thanks, an absolutely brilliant report - looking forward to the next instalment. Your lovely photos take so long to load up because of our pathetic broadband speed in the UK that it might be quicker to fly to Colombo and see it all first-hand. You might tell us about the climate - was it always cool up there at 1200m (you often mention fires) and was just lounging by the pool and having a swim a realistic option?

Last edited by Pausanias; Jan 14, 2013 at 4:08 am
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Old Jan 14, 2013, 4:33 am
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Thanks for this wonderful, ongoing, report! The logistics information is also useful......trains, transit hotel, etc. Looking forward to more!
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Old Jan 14, 2013, 9:02 am
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Thumbs up a most valuable FTalker

aa213bb being quite a new (and also young) FTalker he is extremely valuable to our community. I have met him personally and can assure you that he is an extremely knowledgeable and lovely person.

Regarding the train ride to Hatton I would prefer the 0555 AM Exporail. Their carriage has an ample open platform on both sides where you can linger outside enjoying the morning breeze and the views over the mountains.

As mentioned they have a flatscreen TV inside and you can escape its noise . Sri Lankans are very noisy people even compared to other Asians and this can be an issue at Tea Trails. The village nearby Tientsin is a known problem, but even at Castlereagh we had loud music from far away due to a special event at very improper times. But this is what you have to endure when you visit this lovely country.
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Old Jan 14, 2013, 2:02 pm
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Tea Trails: Castlereagh

CASTLEREAGH:

Here are some general pictures of Castlereagh …


Castlereagh 1 (View from across the reservoir)


Castlereagh 2 (View along the front; almost all of those windows are rooms overlooking the reservoir)


Castlereagh 3 (View from front door across the pool and Gardens)


Castlereagh 4 (View from porch over reservoir)


Castlereagh 5 (Porch)


Castlereagh 6 (Main hallway, down which all rooms are located)


Castlereagh 7 (Living Room 1)


Castlereagh 8 (Living Room 2)


Castlereagh 9 (Parlor 1)


Castlereagh 10 (Parlor 2)


Castlereagh 11 (Dining Room)

Castelreagh was, as you can imagine, almost completely booked for the entirety of our stay with Tea Trails. We were only able to see one room, Alston, which is a Garden Suite and the first door on the left as one walks down the hallway.

My first thought was that anyone walking to his/her room would HAVE to walk by Alston; also, it’s left wall as one looks at the bed is the wall that would “look out” over the Living Room. I’m sure most guests at Tea Trails are quiet and respectful, but this would seem to be the least privately located room in Castlereagh (along with the first room on the right, which I believe is either Jamieson or Tate – the other immediately following the first on the right).

Alston (Garden Suite)


Alston 1


Alston 2


Alston 3


Alston 4


Alston 5

There is no Master Suite at Castlereagh, only Garden Suites and Luxury Rooms, with 5 in total. While I desperately wish we would have been able to see many more rooms, I’m hoping we FT’ers can improve the exposure of this bungalow, so others may be most informed on which room works best for them. I imagine others will chime in shortly to provide their thoughts and advice.

For us, one of the best elements of Castlereagh is that 3 rooms (Palmer, Jamieson and Tate) have views over the reservoir. Of these, without seeing them I would choose Palmer, as it provides both those views as well as garden access. Plus, with it being at the very end of the hall, it does mildly cut down on traffic.

Castlereagh PROS
- Views over Castlereagh Reservoir
- Rooms that overlook the reservoir
- Wonderful outdoor spaces, including two separate Gazebos (labeled “Summer Houses” on the website)
- Covered outdoor dining
- Brighter interior than other Bungalows (especially Summerville and Tientsin)

Castlereagh CONS
- Outdoor dining set to the side, not facing the lake
- No Master Suite
- Only two interior options for areas to relax
- Very noisy surroundings (caveat: both behuman and I experienced this – him while staying in Castlereagh. I believe there were some Hindu celebrations ongoing in early December, where the nearby little villages would take turns daily having celebrations with LOUD music. We could faintly hear the music across the water in Summerville, but I was informed it would start early in the morning, and then continue off and on throughout the day. I would DEFINITELY inquire about this before booking, and am hoping it is confined to a few weeks late in the year. Otherwise I would lose my mind, as I intensely crave peace and quiet).

Up next ... Tientsin

Last edited by aa213bb; Jan 16, 2013 at 3:07 pm
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Old Jan 14, 2013, 4:33 pm
  #12  
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Tea Trails: Tientsin

TIENTSIN:

Here are some general pictures of Tientsin …


Tientsin 1


Tientsin 2 (Pool)


Tientsin 3 (Porch)


Tientsin 5 (Stunning Gardens)


Tientsin 6


Tientsin 7


Tientsin 8 (Main hallway, off of which all rooms are located)


Tientsin 9 (Dining Room)


Tientsin 10 (Living Room 1)


Tientsin 11 (Living Room 2)


Tientsin 12 (Village as seen from edge of property)

As we stopped at Tientsin on our way from Summerville to Amanwella – quite a long journey – we did not have much time to explore about or see many rooms.

However, we were able to quickly see two: Moir (Garden Suite) and Irvine Stewart (Master Suite).

Of the three properties with Master Suites, Tientsin is the one I feel, not only do you not need it, one should make it a point NOT to book. Even though it is gorgeous, and absolutely MASSIVE, it is on the front (porch) side of Tientsin, which means any time people are dining there’s potential to hear conversations and noise. But more importantly, it faces the same direction as the village nearby, which could prove REALLY noisy (see: reports of New Year’s Eve revelry in the village).

Moir (Garden Suite)


Moir 1


Moir 2


Moir 3


Moir 4

Irvine Stewart (Master Suite)


Irvine Stewart 1 (Sitting Room 1)


Irvine Stewart 2 (Sitting Room 2)


Irvine Stewart 3 (Bedroom)


Irvine Stewart 4 (Bathroom 1)


Irvine Stewart 5 (Bathroom 2)

Tientsin has, by FAR, the best grounds of any of the Bungalows (even with the future inclusion of Dunkeld, I imagine it will remain the one to beat). My pictures above are just the beginning, and it truly is beautiful. But it has two rather substantial drawback, for me.

The first is the proximity of the local village, as pictured above. The second is the distance from the other bungalows -- I believe it took us, at the minimum, 50 minutes to travel from Summerville to Tientsin. Even from the Tea Factory, I bet it's a 35-40 minute drive (if not longer). However, there is an upside to this, for those of us continuing our journey's southward: namely, if you wrap up your Tea Trails visit with a stay in Norwood, you'll be saving yourself a decent bit of time on what will be a long car-ride.

Tientsin PROS
- Phenomenal Gardens with secluded spots to enjoy some tea outdoors – without a doubt the best of all the bungalows
- Many outdoor amenities (e.g. Tennis Court, Pool, Croquet, etc)
- Covered outdoor dining (though not as well covered as Castlereagh and Summerville)
- A bit of a “darker” interior, like Summerville, which can be a bit dramatic and mood-setting if one is in a colder, rainy mood
- Location gives one a head-start when heading to Southern Sri Lanka (e.g. Amanwella, or the new Tea Trails boutique beach hotel coming in the net year in Tangalle), as well as Adam’s Peak

Tientsin CONS
- Village beneath it can be quite noisy, making this the least quiet of the bunch
- Location entail
- Not much in the way of interior spaces to lounge
- Master Suite, though very nice, is in a sub-optimal location
- Location is far removed from the other bungalows, the tea factory, and reservoir

Up next ... Tea Trails in Closing

Last edited by aa213bb; Jan 16, 2013 at 3:06 pm
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Old Jan 14, 2013, 8:25 pm
  #13  
 
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Great posts from aa213bb! We were at tea trails over New Years and stayed at Norwood for 3 nights. We were a a bit disappointed that given the holiday our only choices were Norwood or tiensen for the full time ( we did not want to change rooms) as we preferred to be on the lake - or so we thought. We chose Norwood as it was more centrally located and had heard about potential noise at tiensen which proved to be true! Also 2 big families were there at the time who we heard were quite noisy as well so Norwood worked great for us! No kids and we ended up in the master suite which was terrific. It was initially not available when we booked and we had Irvine ( also very nice), but it came available and I can assure you was the best in the bungalow with irvine ( saw but did not stay) second best.

We are currently still on vacation at trisara so when I get home I will offer more comments. We did have the good fortune to see all of Summerville as a family was taking it for the holiday and since they had not yet arrived we were able to see every room. It was lovely and the shuttle worth master suite the best! If I had the choice I would probably choose this as my first choice although we loved the views from Norwood and did find quite a few nice places where you could be alone there so were quite happy at Norwood as well. We liked castlreigh a lot too but it was quite crowded when we were there for lunch, and we could not see any rooms!

I would rate tea trails as a marvelous experience with luxury service, but not luxury accomodations. Nice accomodations, but definately not luxury. Having said that the overall experience and service was tops! I would recommend and return!
Larkin is offline  
Old Jan 15, 2013, 6:44 am
  #14  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 226
I will be staying at Castlereagh this summer and will add to the room pictures. I did some research and it seemed that Palmer and Tate were the best rooms to book because of the views and location in the building. We will be in Tate, which is a luxury room with a king bed. I believe the other luxury room are twin bed rooms.
cakegirl is offline  
Old Jan 15, 2013, 11:18 am
  #15  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: DL DM, AA ExP
Posts: 189
Thank you ... Been thinking about going ... So appreciate the post
rajsh is offline  

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