Tea History

• In 1823, two Scottish men, Robert and Charles Bruce, noticed that local Singpho tribesmen ate the indigenous leaves and drank them in boiling water. Having identified tea bushes, they helped form the world’s first tea company, the Assam Tea Company. Export to London began in 1838, and Assam currently produces more than half of India’s tea; the country is the largest producer of tea in the world, employing some 2.5 million people in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Assam tea is noted for its rich flavor and bright color.

Assam Basics

• The Tea Festival is held every November in Jorhat, Assam, in northeast India, just 190 miles from Guwahati, the capital of Assam. The three-day festival pays homage to the world’s favorite hot beverage, with tea tastings and tours of tea gardens around the Brahmaputra Valley and includes performances of local culture, women's soccer and golf. Don't miss the Jhumur Tea dance, a traditional dance of tea tribe communities in Assam to break up the monotony, or take a tour of the world-famous Tocklai Experimental Centre, the oldest and largest tea research center in the world. Tocklai is dedicated to perfecting new varieties of tea and studying its curative properties, particularly with green tea.

Getting There

• Daily flights connect Kolkata to Guwahati, which has connecting flights to Jorhat. Another option is train travel to Mariani Station, just 12 miles away, or luxury bus -- although the journey takes seven hours from Guwahati. Most tours incorporate the three-day tea festival into a week-long tour of the area, taking in the Kaziranga National Park, a 166-square-mile World Heritage Site famous for its elephants, one-horned rhino, tiger and deer. Festival-goers can arrange stays in colonial-era bungalows in the community and can arrange tea estate tours, golf games, jungle safaris and fishing nearby. November evenings tend to be cool, with temperatures dropping to around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Preparation

• While all visitors to India require a visa prior to arrival in the country, there are no special permits needed to visit Assam. Money wise, there are banks in Guwahati and Jorhat where US dollars can be exchanged for Indian rupees; there are ATMs in some Jorhat hotels. Lonely Planet recommends stocking up on rupees before reaching Guwahati and beyond, since credit card use at the festival is rare. While many visitors come with pre-arranged tours, independent travelers can find a good selection of quality, air-conditioned accommodations in Jorhat center, many offering pickup from the airport.