Top 10 tea experiences to try around the world

To celebrate International Tea Day, Hills Balfour offers you the best blended experiences around the world.

In Japan, making and enjoying tea is an art and a spiritual discipline. Experience the ancient Japanese traditional tea ceremony at Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa in Tokyo.

Guests are guided to the tea room through a quiet garden and pass through a small entrance to forget all worries. They sit on the floor and the tea host prepares a Japanese green tea called Matcha, offering it in a movement that combines harmony, respect, purity and tranquility.

Matcha is served with sweets to balance the bitterness. People leave with calmness and spiritual reflexes. www.princehotels.com/shintakanawa

2 American Sweet Ice Tea Experience South Carolina

Sweetened iced tea is legendary in the southeastern United States and is served with most meals. In the south, the most popular recipe is sweet tea, poured on ice and served with crystal glassware or a slice of lemon in a jar.

At Charleston Tea Plantation in South Carolina, travelers can learn how to grow, harvest, and enjoy tea.

Visitors can tour the 51-hectare farm and see more than 320 types of tea trees. A free factory tour will inform visitors about the production of green, black and oolong tea, including samples. www.visittheusa.co.uk

3 true high tea at the observatory at restaurant 300 in Abu Dhabi

Travelers to Abu Dhabi can enjoy the best tea while enjoying 360-degree views of the UAE’s capital from the city’s tallest restaurant.

The observation deck on the 74th floor of Jumeirah’s Etihad Towers Hotel is more sophisticated than its name suggests, offering afternoon tea to everyone. The tea menu is provided courtesy of the luxury brand TWG Tea featuring artisan teas such as sweet and smooth fusion creme caramel tea and silver moon tea accented with a bouquet of vanilla and berries.

The background is special and overlooks Corniche Beach, downtown Abu Dhabi and the Arabian Gulf. www, visitabudhabi.ae

4 Drink Long Island Ice Tea Cocktails New York or Tennessee?

The Long Island Ice Tea Cocktail, a combination of tequila, vodka, triple sec, gin, rum and cola, is world famous. But there are some intrigues about where the drink came from.

The apparent birthplace seems to be New York’s Long Island, where a bartender named Robert Bat claims to have created the recipe for the 1972 cocktail-making contest.

However, the community of Kingsport, Tennessee, known as the Long Island, combined tequila, vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, and maple syrup during the 1920s ban, a residence that called his work the “Oldman Bishop”. Claim the invention of this drink.

Legend has it that the recipe was carried on at Kingsport and refined in the 1940s to offer Long Island Ice Tea today.

For a stateside cocktail, head to Hudson’s on the Mile, Long Island, NY and East Coast Wings and Grill, Kingsport, TN to see the original banned recipe. www.visittheusa.co.uk

5 Award-winning Afternoon Tea St. Regis Doha, Qatar’s Sarab Lounge

This 5-star venue is located in the heart of West Bay, the capital of Qatar, with views of the Persian Gulf.

The hotel has 12 destination restaurants, including Gordon Ramsey, Okkasan, Vintage Lounge and Astor Grill Opal, a rooftop bar and Sarab for a snack or a cup of afternoon tea from a global collection of over 100 blends. ..

Awarded the “Best Afternoon Tea” at Timeout Doha Restaurant Awards 2018, Sarab’s menu includes a wide selection of teas, infusions, coffees, cocktails and champagnes, with Lady Astor at Club 400 (now the St. Regis New York), When Inviting Grand Friends to Tea www.visitqatar.qa

6 Discover Mysterious Fruit Tea Trends in Music City

When you visit Nashville, you’ll find “fruit tea,” “fruit punch,” and “tea punch” on the street menu, from biscuit houses to burrito restaurants.

It is a sweet tea formulation brewed with orange juice, lemon, or other juice seasoned with cinnamon, mint, or lemon.

I like fruit tea since the 1970s. The local legend Daisy King opened the Miss Daisy tearoom (now the kitchen) in Franklin in 1974, offering the customer the first tea punch sweetened with pineapple juice. She was one of the first to introduce fruit tea on the menu.

Today, the Caribbean-themed Calypso Cafe has a version similar to the Baha Burito, with knockout wings, star bagels, McCave pubs and corner markets all with variations. Locals order potato chips as a modern Nashville teatime ritual. www.visitmusiccity.com

7 Luxury Royal Afternoon Tea Fairmont Royal York, Ontario

Visitors to Ontario can enjoy afternoon tea at Toronto’s landmark, Fairmont Royal York.

The historic hotel offers a luxurious setting with stunning views, but the famous afternoon tea is a real charm. A selection of Fairmont teas has been added to the traditions since its opening in 1929, traditional scones, savory sandwiches and fine pastries offered at the REIGN restaurant.

For even more special occasions, you have the option to upgrade to Royal Sparkling or Royal Champagne Afternoon Tea. www.ontario travel.net/en/home

8 Tea Field Tour and Tea Tasting Sri Lanka and Ceylon, 1 Traveler

Sri Lanka is one of the largest tea producing countries in the world and is ideal for tea holics. The countryside hills of tea are often referred to as “Little England”, but they are surrounded by mist-covered mountains and terraced tea fields, and are home to world-class breweries.

One traveler offers a 16-day trip to Sri Lanka, enjoying the pace of life at ease. Take a picturesque train from Kandy to the plantation, passing through villages, waterfalls, mountains and arriving at the tea garden.

You can try the finest Ceylon tea before you see the tea making process in the factory. www.onetraveller.co.uk

High Tea at the Chateau Mont des Cyr Maritim Resort and Spa, Mauritius

Enjoy high tea at the exclusive “à la carte” restaurant surrounded by colonial mansions. The restaurant was awarded the island’s “Best Fine Dining Cuisine” by the “World Luxury Restaurant Awards”.

Overlooking the “Historic Ruins of Balaclava” and the “Citron” River, this venue offers excellent international, French and Indian Ocean cuisine. The high tea menu includes pastries, juices and hot drinks in a charming setting featuring traditional British afternoon tea. www.tourism-mauritius.mu

Daily Afternoon Tea Iceland and Faroe Islands, Iguru Cruise on 10 Cunnar Voyage

Afternoon tea on a luxury liner is famous all over the world. Cunard leads, along with its historic British heritage.

A white-gloved waiter serves tea daily from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm. The Victoria’s Veranda Restaurant serves famous champagne tea. Tea comes from Twinings, sandwiches followed by scones with solidified cream and jam.

Igloo Cruises offers a 14-night no-fly cruise on Queen Cunard’s Queen Victoria. Prices start from £ 1,699 per person and leave Southampton on 11 July 2021. Visit Edinburgh, Reykjavik and Torshavn.