2010 Taiwan Tea TourFinally the tea tour is back! If you are a Taiwanese Oolong lover, or you simply have been listening to Shiuwen talking about how much fun it is to visit tea farmers and the delicious food there, you've got to join us on this tea trip to Taiwan in May 2010. In this tour, you will be participating in picking tea, and see Tieguanyin, Baozhong, Alishan High Mountain Oolong tea making. Ask farmers your tea questions directly. We will also visit some wonderful tea houses to drink tea and relax, and take tea classes from tea masters. And there is so much delicious food and so many interesting things to do. Have you been drinking tea for many years, but have never stood in a tea field, never seen how tea is made? Now it's your chance!
We will continue to have updates for itinerary, pricing and other travel details. Meanwhile, contact us if you have any questions at: tea@floatingleaves.com
Itinerary*Day 1: We will arrive at Taipei's International Airport early in the morning. After you all have had a chance to put your things down in hotel and have breakfast, we will take you to visit the most famous teahouse in Taipei: Wistaria (紫藤廬). You can relax in a beautiful and peaceful space while we brew premium teas for you. The owner, Mr. Zhou Yu, is a very well respected tea person in Taiwan. He will do a tea talk for us. It's a rare opportunity for us to meet with such an enlightened tea master. After that, we will take you to Long Shan Temple where you can see Taiwan's most famous temple and see some common religious symbolism and traditions. To finish off the night, we'll visit the Hwasi night market to try some famous local street food. Day 2: We will take you to Muzha where Taiwan's Tieguanyin is grown. You will visit farmer Zhang and his family. He will take us to his tea fields and you will learn the basic Oolong making process. You will even get to bring back the tea that you make! Mrs Zhang, an excellent cook, will prepare a delicious meal for us using vegetables that she's grown herself. Some of her dishes will also use tea products, such as tea oil. You will get to enjoy pots of Tiequanyin Oolong in their nice teahouse, overlooking the scenery of Taipei city. If we have time, we will visit the nearby tea pot museum. Day 3: Today, we will go to Pinglin to see how Baozhong tea is made. You will visit farmer Chen and his wife, the suppliers and producers of our Baozhong tea. We will go to their farms and have fun picking tea. It'll be a great picture opportunity for everyone. Then we will go to their house and see how farmer Chen makes the tea. For lunch, we will take you to a restaurant that is famous for complete meals made out of tea products. We'll also have the chance to try farmer Chen's many different Baozhongs. Day 4: Today we will visit the National Palace Museum. It's one of the most famous museums in the world, where you will see the vast collection of ancient Chinese art and historical pieces. This museum's collection is so large that they change the exhibits around every 3 months. Based on the number of pieces in their collection, it would take over 12 years to see everything they have! When you are tired of walking around, you can take a break at the teahouse located at the top floor of the museum. Then we will take you to enjoy one of Taiwan's famous hot spring resorts where you can soak and relax. Day 5: We will take the high speed train to Chiayi near central Taiwan, where we will transit to Alishan. We will be staying with farmer Zhen in Alishan. After we've settled in and have had a meal, he will take us on a short hike and show us around the famous Alishan high mountain tea area. Alishan is full of beautiful trees and bamboo forests. Mr. Zhen's wife, Mrs. Lin, is a great cook and will be in charge of our meals. If we're lucky, farmer Zhen might take us out in the middle of the night to see tea being made. Day 6: If you are up to it, you can get up really early for a long hike to see the sunrise on top of Alishan. Alishan is not just famous for its tea, it's also famous for its sunrise. After breakfast and tea, Mr. Zhen will take us to visit his nephew's where you can see how Alishan tea is made, and you will also get to try a lot of different Alishan teas. Day 7: Today we will say goodbye to the Zhen family and head back to Taipei. For dinner, we will go to one of Taiwan's most famous restaurants, the Shanghai-style Din Tai Fung restaurant. It's a place that most visitors are told they must make a trip to. Their steamed pork soup dumplings are excellent. Day 8: We will travel to Beipu where a lot of Hakka people live. We will visit a town that preserves some of the traditional buildings. We will also go to a teahouse and learn how to make the local's famous Lei Cha tea. Lei Cha is a tea that involves many different ingredients that are smashed up and mixed together. It's really fun to make this tea. Day 9: Today we will take you to Taiwan's pottery city, Yingge, where a lot of local teaware is made. You will have a chance to make a clay piece of your own, as well as time to shop for new pots and tea cups. Teaware shops can be found everywhere, with cheap pricing for mass-produced pieces, as well as very expensive, hand-made collector's items. Day 10: We will take a tea class from Mr. Huang, who has been involved with the tea business for over 25 years. It will be a good chance to ask him questions after the experiences and learning that you've had during the trip. In the afternoon, we will take you to more famous teahouses where you can enjoy the relaxing tea environment. Day 11: Free time. You can wander to some other city sites, do shopping, or spend your time packing. We will be going home in the evening. *The daily itinerary is subject to change due to weather condition and any exciting opportunities that may arise. Contact us if you have any questions at: tea@floatingleaves.com |