Walini Tea Estate’s Rolling Hills of Awesome

By : Nonito

I have been caught up in a lot of stuff lately that I totally almost forgot to write about one of the most memorable highlights of my recent trip to Indonesia. I haven’t been completely over that quick jaunt in the West Javanese countryside, and from time to time, I would still get flashbacks of the great time that I had there.

So before I get caught up again in the hustle and bustle of moving into my new apartment in preparation for the start of my Grad School classes in UP, I’d like to attempt to get all the backlogs out of the way, particularly this one piece on Walini Tea Estate, West Java’s highland tea plantations that made my pulse race with its breathtaking beauty.

But first, a trip down memory lane.

Remember how I wrote about going to Kawah Putih and being rendered speechless by the natural beauty of West Java’s best-kept secret of a volcanic crater? I hired a van/tour guide and explored the outskirts of Bandung, where I had an absolutely amazing time going around the artsy streets and the hidden cafés. Mas Jub, the tour guide slash driver slash interpreter brought me to the mountains and showed me around.

After being treated to the visually orgasmic Kawah Putih, Mas Jub still had a big surprise waiting for me. From Kawah Putih, the Walini tea estate was only a few minutes away. After some craggy rocks and cliffs, we turned  a sharp corner on the mountain road and a visual explosion of hills upon hills with tidy rows of tea trees welcomed my eyes.

It was a divine feeling of instantly having your worries lifted off you.

The furrows of tea plants in Walini are the same trees that the Dutch brought to Java when they occupied Indonesia centuries ago. The tea estate now serves as one of the most important employers in the area. The neat rows of plantations and furrows that take up most of the mountainsides and the rolling hills are productive and thriving, and so the business is booming, producing tea for major Indonesian companies.

It was still cold enough that some areas were still misty. I waited by the roadside for the dew to lift, which was one of the most calming things I’ve ever experienced. You know how they say drinking tea calms you down? I felt thoroughly relaxed just taking in all the view and the fresh air. Maybe it was the tea essence in the mist combined with the majestic sight of the rolling mist slowly unveiling the beautiful valleys that calmed my senses?

As far as I know, tea doesn’t grow anywhere in the Philippines so it was something different for me to see. The rural scene in Walini is so pretty and picturesque, and everyone in the villages near the plantations are living postcard perfect lives surrounded by all that natural beauty.

Of course, I had to take a picture in between the rows of tea plants. The rows are actually so close to each other I might have hurt a few twigs and branches and I felt sorry for trampling all over the plants. But hey… Documentation, right?

Will you look at that?

Here’s another one.

This view of the tiny slice of road that peeked through the high hills is so pretty.

The truck is so cute. It passed by in the most opportune moment, and the picture looks like a very relaxed country scene.

I was lucky enough to catch some of the tea plantation workers on their break. I observed them from the van parked across the street so as not to be intrusive, and it was interesting how everyone pulled out their lipsticks after they finished eating. The ladies beautified themselves before going back to toiling the fields. I think that is a super empowering thing to observe in the backwoods: women decide how they want to look like! Isn’t that awesome? They were even comparing lipstick shades, and I just had to come closer to take a look at this wonderful lunchtime activity.

Sigh. Indonesia.

Really. I love you so much.

Xx


Source: No Knee Toe

(Culinary) Trip Around Bandung with Christa: Walini Tea Factory at Ciater

Aswin and Alia's Food Journey

 
Based on Wikipedia, Tea is an aromatic beverage commonly prepared by pouring boiling hot water over cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. It has a cooling, slightly bitter, astringent flavour which many people enjoy.

In Indonesia, tea is easy to get from the low to high quality and the price also quite cheap because of that sometimes we take it for granted. I even didn't know before this visit how is the tea processing. So, the Walini tea factory was our next venue in this trip around Bandung, since we knew there's no tea plant or factory in Holland.

Actually we already wrote about the tea factory in this post but Aswin and I arrived late, so my friends already ended their tour. This was our chance to see how they process the tea leaves from the start. We arrived at the factory near lunch hour, although we kind of hungry but we agreed to take a little tour in the factory first. The fee for the tour was Rp. 15.000,- per person plus Rp. 30.000,- for the tour guide. I kind of confused because when I read last post it was cost Rp. 7000,- per person...hmm. Forget it, but it still reasonable price, we've got a cup of tea and a box of black tea after the tour.

The condition of building was rather not good and need to be renovated, the tour guide said that the factory was established during Indonesia was being governed by Dutch and renovated in 1990s but they still used the old machine. That's the reason why most of visitors were tourist from Holland around 60%, beside that were students from Bogor Institute of Agricultural (IPB). First, we were being taken to the building which used as place for weighing the truck that loaded with tea leaves and we also saw a lot of lumber and he said that it was used as fuel for the machine since the increasing of gas prices.

This factory in Ciater only produce black teas only, the tour guide said that every type of tea had different process. In the production of black teas, the halting of oxidization by heating is carried out simultaneously with drying. So, according to Wikipedia teas can generally be divided into categories based on how they are processed. There are at least six different types of tea: white, yellow, green, oolong, black, and post-fermented teas of which the most commonly found on the market are white, green, oolong, and black. Some varieties, such as traditional oolong tea and Pu-erh tea, a post-fermented tea, can be used medicinally.

And this is the tea processing based on Wikipedia: after picking, the leaves of Camellia sinensis soon begin to wilt and oxidize, unless they are immediately dried. The leaves turn progressively darker as their chlorophyll breaks down and tannins are released. This enzymatic oxidation process, known as fermentation in the tea industry, is caused by the plant's intracellular enzymes and causes the tea to darken. In tea processing, the darkening is stopped at a predetermined stage by heating, which deactivates the enzymes responsible.

Without careful moisture and temperature control during manufacture and packaging, the tea may become unfit for consumption, due to the growth of undesired molds and bacteria. At minimum it may alter the taste and make it undesirable. So, just like aforementioned tea is traditionally classified based on the techniques with which it is produced and processed.

White tea: Wilted and unoxidized

Yellow tea: Unwilted and unoxidized, but allowed to yellow

Green tea: Unwilted and unoxidized

Oolong: Wilted, bruised, and partially oxidized

Black tea: Wilted, sometimes crushed, and fully oxidized

Post-fermented tea: Green tea that has been allowed to ferment/compost

After the tour we had a cup of tea and box of Walini tea. I think the tour was great, now we know how it was made, then we're heading to our lunch venue.

Enjoy!

Source: Jejak Rasa

Drink In an Indonesian Highland Tea Tour

Debra Pangestu | July 19, 2011

Just three hours from the capital, colonial-era plantations provide a taste of a different era. Visitors can stroll through the shrubs, hand pick their own leaves or take a tour of the processing facilities. (JG Photo/ Debra Pangestu)

Tucked in the highlands of West Java, away from the endless hustle engulfing Jakarta, tea estates harkening back to the Dutch colonial period have become Indonesia’s answer to France’s famed vineyards or California’s Napa Valley.

Providing getaway seekers with a chance to savor a different world, these tea estates are drawing city dwellers and foreigners looking for a taste of something out of the ordinary.

“Tea plantation tours offer something different,” said Jimmi Lapotulo, a visitor at the Goalpara Tea Estate in Sukabumi. “The natural beauty, the fragrance of tea leaves, the fresh air breeze — you can’t really find places like this anywhere else.”

Indonesia’s introduction to tea came in the 18th century, courtesy of the Dutch colonialists. Java’s tea industry was painstakingly cultivated by Dutchman Jacobus Isidorus Lonevijk Levien Jacobson, who arrived in Jakarta, then Batavia, in 1827. For six years, Jacobson made exhaustive trips to China to bring back seeds, plants, workmen and materials, until he was able to start a tea plantation in Bogor. The Indonesian tea industry continued to grow, and now the country is the fifth largest producer of tea in the world.

But it wasn’t until the late 1980s that these tea estates began drawing tourists, thanks to a collaborative initiative by the Indonesian government, state-owned plantations and travel bureaus.

Tea fields have been turned into hiking trails, hilly paths are dotted with mountain cyclists, processing factories offer educational and tasting tours and colonial homes are now charming guesthouses. Here, vacationers can travel back to a bygone era and partake in ecological adventures without ever having to set foot on an airplane.

Today, there are more than 30 state-owned tea plantations in West Java and a handful of them are tapping into the growing tourism market.

“Developing tourism at other plantations was simple because the infrastructure was already in place,” said Ali, a spokesman for Goalpara. “Malabar has a big colonial mansion and is close to a hot spring, and Gunung Mas is located at a high altitude, so it’s perfect for adventure sports.” Gunung Mas is another tea estate.

Goalpara’s high production targets mean it doesn’t have the time to promote agrotourism as much as other estates, but Ali said tourists, both locals and foreigners, do make their way to the plantation.

“Locals like to come here to escape the noisy city life,” Ali said. “Here, they can do lots of outdoor recreational activities — picnics, trekking, enjoying the cool weather and the view. It’s all very refreshing.”

According to Ali, tea estates are also popular getaway spots for European tourists, who enjoy the old-world charm.

“Most of the [foreign] tourists come from the Netherlands, because most of these plantations used to be owned by the Dutch,” Ali said. “Coming to the tea plantations is like a way for them to preserve the memory of their ancestors. There’s an emotional connection.”

Unlike a lot of ecotourism, which focuses on adventure travel, tea plantation tours are more relaxed. Vacationers can choose to participate in leisurely “tea walks” around the estate, accompanied by cool breezes and the scent of flowering shrubs.

At Malabar Tea Estate in Pangalengan, walkers can head to the nearby hot spring afterward to soak their tired muscles; Gunung Mas in Puncak has a swimming pool where hikers can cool off.

However, adventurous vacationers, seeking more than just rest and relaxation, will also find plenty of activities to keep them occupied. The sloping, winding paths of the plantations provide a perfect backdrop for challenging treks and mountain biking, while tea estates at higher elevations like Gunung Mas offers adrenaline junkies the chance to paraglide over Puncak’s rolling green hills.

In addition to refugees from the city and adventurers, West Java’s tea estates are also drawing visitors with their educational tours.

“Coming here is not just about relaxation, but also about education,” Jimmi said. “You drink tea every day, but a lot of us don’t know how it gets from the earth to our tea cup.”

Senari has worked at Gunung Mas for 35 years and now leads tours around the processing facility and the plantation.

“We get a lot of young tourists also,” Senari said. “Parents would come visit for the weekend, bring back the tea, and their kids would want to come for themselves to see how it was made.”

Tea estates like Goalpara and Gunung Mas have tours that allow visitors to walk through the shrubs (some close to 100 years old), partake in the tea picking process, observe tea production and packaging, and sample the estate’s teas.

Many tour operators now offer tea-tasting getaways, which include transportation and accommodation at a colonial plantation house, but escaping to these tea estates is simple to do on your own. All it takes is a three-hour drive from Jakarta, and, if you can make it through the traffic, you’ll find yourself up in the cool hills, raising a steaming cup of antioxidants in salute to the charms of tea-estate culture.

“I like to go on ecotours because it’s about preserving our natural wonders,” Jimmi said. “It’s about nurturing the environment and getting away from it all. It makes me feel younger every time I go.” 

Additional reporting by Astrid Paramitha Lyssens & Lauren Zumbach.

Goalpara Tea Estate
Jl. Raya Goalpara, 43/92
Sukabumi
Tel: 026 622 1500
E-mail: gt1.goalpara@gmail.com

Gunung Mas Tea Estate
Jl. Raya Puncak Cawas, Bogor
Tel: 025 125 2501

Malabar Tea Estate
Pangalengan, Bandung
Tel: 022 253 4517, 022 250 2049 

Taken from Jakarta Globe. Read the original article

Work in Paradise

By : Hendra Messa

Kertamanah and Malabar Tea Plantation, Pangalengan, Bandung

These pictures were taken from Inspiring Points. Read the original article

Malabar - Bandung Agrotourism

Welcome to Malabar ...!

The beauty of this tea plantation can not be doubted. Laying on the altitude of 1550 m above sea level with temperatures 16-26 Celcius degrees, it offers the view of green carpet-like tea plantation. The distance is only about 45 km to the south of Bandung, or about 2 hours from Bandung. This plantation has also a high historical value, because the grave and the formerly house of KAR Bosscha are located here.


For the visitors interested in staying overnight, there are 11 units of lodging rooms, each has a capacity of 2 people, located side by side with the House of Bosscha. Every room is equipped with 2 single beds or 1 twin bed, heater, bathroom, and front porch with beautiful view.



In Malabar you can do tea-walk or visited the famous Bosscha cemetery. You can also swim in the hot water swimming pool “Tirta Camelia”, which takes about 15 minutes from the lodging.

This article was taken from AGROWISATA N8. Read the original article

Rancabali - Ciwidey Agrotourism

Please, come to Rancabali ...!!!

Why? Because besides a lot of tourism objects can be visited here, it takes only about two hours from Bandung to get to this plantation. This plantation is located in the district of Ciwidey about 50 km to the south of Bandung and the elevation of 1628 m above sea level.





Villa Kidang Kencana is a unique triangle shaped lodging in Rancabali which consists of two floors. The first floor is for gatherings or meetings, equipped by fireplace, dining room, kitchen and bathrooms. There are 2 rooms upstairs, one room has 5 beds and another has 3 beds. Villa Kidang Kencana is adjacent to Villa Ciung Wanara which is equipped by the private swimming pool. The maximum capacity of Villa Kidang Kencana is 25 people.

This article was taken from AGROWISATA N8. Read the original article

Ciwidey Takes Over

By Mimi Hudoyo

Ciwalini tea plantation: its hotspring is a growing attraction. Picture by Mimi Hudoyo

TOURISTS to Bandung are familiar with the areas in the north – Tangkuban Perahu crater, Lembang, and Ciater – as these are THE tourist spots in the capital of West Java province.

But in the last few years, the local travel trade has discovered and introduced new tourist spots in Ciwidey, some 45km south of the city centre. Ciwidey’s attractions are quite similar to those in the north, but are “natural” and less crowded.

Bhara Mekar Wisata Tour managing director, Mr Herman Rukmanadi, said: “Like the packages offered on the northern tourist spots, Ciwidey offers crater and lake visits, tea plantation, hotspring, strawberry farms, and the strawberry jam home industry. But the difference is Ciwidey is less ‘touristy’.”

The opening of the Jakarta-Bandung toll road, with an exit in Kopo, has provided an easier access to Ciwidey. In addition, according to Batik Holidays managing director Mr Maktal, the site management and local government have imposed regulations to manage Ciwidey in such a way that it will not be “overdeveloped” like the tourist spots in the north.

Mr Maktal said: “Some tourists find the northern area overdeveloped and they are looking for something ‘natural’. Ciwidey is an alternative we can showcase to tourists. Kawah Putih (white crater) for instance, has its own charm and myths.”

Kawah Putih, the crater of Mt Patuha, is managed by a state-owned company, Perum Perhutani Unit III West Java and Banten. The crater is all white but the crater lake changes colour – apple green, light blue, light brown and white. It was opened and given the status of an ecotourism site in 1991, but it only became popular in the last few years.

Kawah Putih is located 2,434m above sea level, a result of a 10th-century eruption. This crater is said to have one of the highest sulphur grades in the world.

“The local people believed that Mt Patuha was the meeting place of devils, as they saw from afar birds flying over the crater suddenly dying. But it was actually the strong sulphur which killed the birds,” the local guide, Mr Harry, said. The crater is usually open in the morning until around 14.00 because the area is often thickly covered by fog in the afternoon.

“The strawberry farms, both traditionally and professionally run, are another draw, especially for domestic tourists,” Mr Maktal said. Strawberries are one of South Bandung’s main produce. A home industry producing strawberry products such as jam, syrup and candy is also growing here, in line with rising demand.

The other attraction of Ciwidey is the Ciwalini natural hotspring, located in the middle of the tea plantation which produces Walini tea, one of the most well-known brands in Indonesia.

The Ciwalini hotspring is gaining popularity among the locals and domestic tourists. The facilities are basic, hot water swimming pools for children and adults, plus some indoor private plunge pools for rent.

The backdrop of a mountain and the green tea plantation surrounding the hotspring makes the view from the pools stunning.

This article was taken from TTG ASIA. Read the original article

Gunung Mas Agrotourism

To Gunung Mas? Let’s go!


This plantation is located on the altitude of 800-1200 m above sea level. The average of air temperature is 12-22 Celcius degrees, so it is a comfortable place for a rest or just relaxation from day-to-day routines. The distance is approximately 80 km from Jakarta, heading for the mountain area in Puncak, Cianjur. Various facilities and activities are for you to enjoy here.


This article was taken from AGROWISATA N8. Read the original article

Taking time out for tea in the Puncak

The tea plants carpet the hillside. (JP/Simon Marcus Gower)

Withering, rolling, crushing, tearing, curling, fermenting, winnowing' onwards and onwards the process goes until finally packaging of the produce occurs. Who would have thought tea processing was so complicated?

Attractive bucolic scenes of tea pickers among tea bushes are one thing, but the actual processing of those humble tea leaves is quite another. Traveling in the rolling hills of Cisarua and the Puncak Pass area of West Java, it is possible to have a real appreciation of all the effort -- and indeed all the technology -- that goes into taking those leaves off the bushes and making them into something that can be brewed into a refreshing cup of hot tea or even an iced tea drink.


The Gunung Mas tea factory sits picturesquely among hills and tea plantations. (JP/Simon Marcus Gower)

The agro-tourism destination of the Gunung Mas tea plantation is both a fascinating place to find out about the industrial processes involved in making tea and a place to relax and enjoy the benefits of cooler mountain air and countryside scenery. Even though this is where huge quantities of tea are processed and packaged -- massive stacks of 55 kilogram sacks seem to be everywhere -- there is generally a quiet and relaxing atmosphere here. The journey from Jakarta to Bogor and then on up toward Puncak Pass can be busy and intense. Hotels and villas line much of the way and so it is something of a relief to reach the greener areas of the tea plantation.

The access road is long, winding and narrow. Among the first things to be seen is a huddle of small horses waiting with their attendants for visitors to come and take a ride. Nearby there is a picnic area where families may be seen enjoying an outdoor meal and children chasing balls bought from stalls selling refreshments, keepsakes and toys. This is just the beginning, though, of the extensive plantation area and the facilities set up for visitors. The winding road continues onwards and upwards and passes through hills that are literally carpeted by the tea bushes. These rolling and tumbling hills that are swathed in green bushes are a substantial part of the attraction. Throughout and among the hills and their covering of greenery are footpaths, some more steeply inclined and challenging than others but all quite readily and easily accessible. It is via these footpaths that visitors may participate in "tea walks" which are essentially communal and sociable walks among the tea bushes. It is on such walks that visitors may encounter tea pickers. These ladies in their wide-brimmed hats carry heavy baskets on their backs into which they skillfully deposit the leaves that they have carefully and expertly chosen to pick.

Their picking is the first step in the long process from tea leaf to dried powder or leaf with which we brew our tea. Further up the hillside is a factory which visitors may enter to see the heavy industry and machinery of tea processing, but its technical details may be a bit beyond the layman. Guides will explain the processes of "withering the leaves in the withering trough for hours to reduce the moisture content", before moving on to the rolling stage which is the "CTC -- crushing, tearing and curling -- which breaks open the tea cells". The next process is "the fermentation stage that leads to oxidation to bring out the taste and color of the tea". All of this can be a bit mind-boggling but the guide will note that "this is the best processing of tea because there are no chemicals or additives in the process". The end result is black tea which is seen as a more full-bodied and robustly flavored tea.

There is understandably some pride and even some bias amongst the guides as they promote the benefits of the process and the outcome in the form of this strong black tea but this is a good thing. If they did not put forward such sentiments they really should not be working here. There are apparently more than 1,000 people working on this plantation alone but it covers about 2.5 thousand hectares so it is far from crowded. Many of these employees are in fact working in the tourism industry rather than the tea industry -- although tea is its central component. Within the plantation are bungalows that may be rented for those who did not just come for the day. There are also leisure facilities, such as a swimming pool, tennis courts and a small lake with paddle boats upon it, that all show that the site is far more than purely industrial.

For the more adventuresome and thrill-seeker types, hang gliding from one of the peaks can be arranged. But whether seeking a leisurely stroll or an active outdoor activity, there is simply no getting away from the tea and its production. This, however, is not a bad thing and a benefit to the body and mind. There is definitely an educational aspect to being able to see how tea is cultivated and then processed. We do, perhaps, in our heavily industrialized and developed cities take for granted the produce that we have such easy access to.

At this plantation it is possible to enjoy its final product -- tea -- right next door to the plantation's production and packaging centers. The humming and whirring of the machinery is not too disturbing, but in fact seems to add to the appreciation of what goes in to providing millions of us with the refreshing and remarkable beverage that is tea.

This article was taken from JAKARTA POST. Read the original article here