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We've compiled the best of the best in Kerala - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
At one of the only museums of its kind in India, you can learn about the history of local tea growing and view the antique furnishings of an estate manager's bungalow. Another highlight is the 2nd-century-BC urn found at one of the tea estates nearby. You also can sample this area's famous blends in the tasting room. There's also a demo factory here.
The Kanhirode Weaving Cooperative is strewn with yarns of all colors, set out to dry after dyeing. You can watch the weavers at their giant, clackety-clacking looms, making bedsheets and upholstery for export as well as brightly colored saris. Cloth is available for purchase.
At this heritage tea-making factory set among rolling tea plantations, you can witness how tea was produced in an earlier era. Here, the six-stage process starting from the drying of the tea leaves to packaging the final product is still done on old-school machines that whir and hum as they produce an impressive 2,200 kg (4,850 pounds) of tea daily. Complete the tour with a tea tasting session of black, green, and white tea---the last has medicinal properties. There is also a small souvenir shop where you can purchase the teas.
You can see weavers working on giant handlooms here, and Tasara also hosts programs for artists-in-residence. Many different handloom products are also for sale. Call ahead to arrange a visit.
