Q: What is the best time of year to visit?

Kaley Tea Estate is beautiful year-round. Mid-October to mid-January is cool. Mid-January to Mid-April are warmer. Mid-April to Mid-July sees the southwest monsoons. Mid-July to mid-August is dry and windy. Mid-August to mid-September sees the northeast monsoon.

Question 1

Do I need to book the daily public tea tour starting daily at 11am?

Accepted Answer

No. Just turn up on any day from Monday – Saturday, except on public holidays.

Question 2

Do I need to book daily private tea tours?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Please call, WhatsApp or email us.

Question 3

Do I need to book in advance to visit Kaley Tea?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we recommend booking in advance, especially for our 'Stay Over' experiences. This ensures we can provide you with the most personalised and peaceful experience possible.

Question 4

Is the estate accessible for children and elderly visitors?

Accepted Answer

Our main tea center and tasting areas are easily accessible. However, the forest trek and some parts of the tea garden involve uneven terrain that might be challenging for those with limited mobility. We welcome children and can tailor the tour to be family-friendly.

Question 5

What is the best time of year to visit?

Accepted Answer

Kaley Tea Estate is beautiful year-round:

Mid-October to mid-January

Is cool and very comfortable

Mid-January to Mid-April

Are the warmer months

Mid-April to Mid-July

Sees the southwest monsoons in full flight

Mid-July to mid-August

Is unique – dry and windy

Mid-August to mid-September

Sees the northeast monsoon in full flight

Question 6

Is your tea certified organic?

Accepted Answer

Yes, all Kaley Teas and Tisanes are certified organic.

Question 7

Is your tea certified fairtrade?

Accepted Answer

Yes, all Kaley Teas are certified for fairtrade.

Question 8

What makes 'Artisan' tea different?

Accepted Answer

Our artisan teas are handcrafted in small batches. Unlike mass-produced tea, we hand-pick only young succulent leaf and handcraft tea in small batches. Our smallest batch size is 5gms whilst our largest batch size is 5Kgs.

Question 9

What makes Kaley Tea globally unique?

Accepted Answer

Kaley Tea is Sri Lanka's only single-garden estate to simultaneously hold organic certification (EU, USDA, Sri Lanka), Fairtrade certification, and practise fully artisan hand-crafted production in micro-batches - all within an agroforestry rainforest ecosystem bordering the Sinharaja UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unlike cooperatives of smallholders, every cup of Kaley Tea is traceable to one contiguous estate, one unified team, and one founder's vision. Kaley also invented the Tea Cigar, a hand-rolled whole-leaf tea unique in the world.

Question 10

What is a Tea Cigar?

Accepted Answer

A Tea Cigar is a hand-rolled whole-leaf tea invented by Kaley Tea Estate. Kaley artisans roll fresh whole tea leaves by hand into a cigar shape using traditional techniques. One Tea Cigar can be infused multiple times to brew several cups of tea. It is a signature product unique to Kaley Tea in the world.

Question 11

Does your tea contain caffeine?

Accepted Answer

All teas naturally contain caffeine. But it is approximately 1/3rd the caffeine content found in coffee. The caffeine content reduces from Black Tea to Green Tea to White Tea. Tisanes don't contain any caffeine.

Question 12

Do you ship internationally?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we ship to many countries worldwide. We use internationally reputed courier services as well the Express Mail Service (EMS) of the Sri Lanka Post. Shipping costs and times vary based on the service used and the volume-weight combination of the package. Generally, larger the quantity, lower the per Kg cost of shipping.

Question 13

Can I order in bulk for my business?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. We love partnering with cafes, hotels, and retailers who share our values.

Question 14

What payment methods do you accept?

Accepted Answer

You can pay via: WISE or a similar transfer solution, Bank transfers, and Major credit cards via secure payment links.

Question 15

How does Kaley support the local community?

Accepted Answer

We are deeply committed to our community. We pay fair wages well above the industry standard. We run a comprehensive children's programme that includes community breakfasts so no child starts the day hungry, provide educational support, and foster creative expression through music and art. We also help smallholder farmers transition to organic agriculture.

Question 16

What does 'Forest-Friendly' mean?

Accepted Answer

We are an Agro-forest where tea, herbs, spices, fruits and a range of other crops grow in harmony with the forest eco-system.

Question 17

You claim that you exist to do good. But how would you respond to difficult times?

Accepted Answer

There is no alternative to doing good. When yields dropped and financial losses mounted when converting this chemically cultivated degraded land to organic, not for a moment did we think of going back to chemicals. When covid impacted livelihoods, we did not cut a single job. When Sri Lanka’s economy collapsed, we ensured that no employee felt the pinch

Frequently Asked Questions