Tea museum
Munnar, Kerala’s best-known hill-resort, is synonymous with lush tea plantations. The unique tea museum run by the Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company Private Limited, the first of its kind in the country showcases the history of tea cultivation in Munnar since 1876 when tea was first planted in this tea plantation district. On display are several rare artefacts and curios as well as evocative photographs from an era long forgotten and of which few are aware. From the granite sundial made in 1913 by the Art Industrial School at Nazareth in Tamil Nadu that greets visitors at the entrance to the museum, the memorabilia preserved inside include an iron-age burial urn from the 2nd century BC that was exhumed in the 1970s, the original tea roller of 1905, the rotor vane (the old-time CTC type tea processing machine), the Pelton wheel used in the power generation plant that existed in the 1920’s and a rail engine wheel of the Kundaly Valley Light Railway that transported men and material between Munnar and Top Station during the early part of the last century.
The museum has a miniature tea factory attached to it where visitors are expertly familiarized with the nuances of tea cultivation and processing as well as tea tasting. Attracting tourists from around the globe, the visit to the museum an eye-opener, giving one an interesting insight into the evolution of Munnar’s famed tea plantations. The Tea Museum has had more than 2.5 Million visitors since its inception.
Sue2020-08-18Tea County; Incredible India A must if you are visiting Munnar. Such an authentic experience and so well done. Excellent tour, great tea picking and tasting experience in gorgeous countryside. Incredible India!
Indus Holidays2020-06-01Worth a visit If you wish to learn some intricacies about tea, this is the place in Munnar. Start your visit with a small presentation about the history of Tea and how tea plantations and processing originated in Munnar. The presentation is more like a short film on the evolution of 'Kannan Devan' as a brand and its CSR initiatives since inception. Another interesting part of the visit is a small talk by an expert who will brief you about the benefits of Green tea and how to brew a good tea. You will also get to watch the processes involved in converting the plucked tea leaves to the final consumable form. There is a factory outlet which sells wide variety of tea including tea bags, green tea and different flavored tea too. You can also try a cup of refreshing hot tea from there. Entry fees - Rs. 75/- for adults and 35/- for kids below 12 years Overall an experience worth-it as Munnar is all about Tea!
Arathi Suresh2020-03-17Perfect place to visit I've visited kdhp tea museum an year before. It was really good and showcasing the old culture. We can have very knowledgeable guides from the museum itself. All the staffs are very good, friendly and cooperative. They will help us with sharing their knowledge. All over a very good place to visit
Eaibgma2020-03-10Learned alot Your was very informative regarding how the different teas are produced and picked. Spoke English welk
Thelaw3k2020-03-09Tea time! Interesting documentary about the plantation and the make up of the company that runs it (worker owned). Presentation on tea turned into a bit of a Coronavirus rant. Staff in factory demonstration were very sweet. Little tea shop at the end was nice.
ChristineB_Cf2020-02-26Time for tea An excellent museum with information on the history of the local tea plantations and processing. Well worth a visit if you are in the area. After the museum do visit the nearby Srishti Welfare Centre.
Afshaan K2020-02-24Worth a one-time visit The museum has some interesting artifacts from the time of the British colonization. They also run documentaries to show the history of the tea plantations. The best part is the tea factory and the shop where you can buy different varities of tea as well as coffee and jam.
Hemangi2020-02-24Informative visit Good place to visit. It was very informative. The shop outside the factory had good quality tea and other products. Will recommend buying ready mix of lemon iced tea.
Lisa W2020-02-24Enjoyable but hampered a little by aggressive speaker The documentary at the start of the programme is well worth the time as it gives good insight into the history of the place. However, the presentation we later received about the process of tea making, turned into an aggressive political rant from an employee that had people walking away in their droves, so this needs to be looked at as it marred an otherwise pleasant visit.
NanjilsRobin2020-02-23A Place not to be missed in Munnar. If you want to know the ABCD of Tea, the tea museum must be in your top priority. The staff team is marvellous and will show how tea is made. A well made short film is part of the visit and it will give you a lot of historical information about Munnar and tea plantations. Don't miss the shopping centre at the end. You can get all varieties of Teas and many other quality products. But before leaving (if you have time) sit and enjoy a cup of green tea and relax there.