THAILAND – Chiang Mai – Tea Workshop at an Old Factory with Lunch

Description

Tea is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, and Thailand is no exception. While coffee has gained a lot in popularity, tea has been grown and consumed for centuries, especially in Northern Thailand. This visit allows guests to learn about “wild” tea from the plant to the cup, as they can pick, roast, and bruise the leaves. For example, there will be plenty of opportunities to taste the tea during the simple but delicious local lunch.

Selling points

• Combines a hands-on experience with a simple but delicious local lunch.
• A convenient stop along the way between Chiang Mai and Pai.
• Suitable to a wide range of clients, from FIT to GIT (up to 30 pax).
• A high-quality product that is used by some of the high-end hotels in Bangkok.

Level Of The Excursion

The Impact Of This Excursion

Social/cultural Impact

Economic Impact

Additional Information

Positive impacts

This activity offers a learning experience to travelers while also supporting a business that promotes sustainable tea.

Negative impacts

No negatives.

Time And Transportation

Duration

3 to 4 hours, including lunch on the spot

Min pax

1

Max pax

30

How to sell it

• As an interactive, lesser-known stopover on the way between Chiang Mai and Pai.
• As a local experience that allows learning about tea.
• Great for families as it will enable interaction and learning.
• Includes a lunch, which is convenient as the transfer day between Chiang Mai and Pai requires a lunch anyway.

Why this activity

• A product that is not widely available on the market.
• A different, engaging and interesting stop on the way between Chiang Mai and Pai.
• Includes a lunch, which is needed anyway on the transfer between the 2 cities.

Good to combine with

• A visit to Mok Fah waterfall (before).
• A visit to Pai Canyon (after).

Do not combine with

• Araksa tea Garden visit (too similar).
• Doi Phu Muen activities (too similar).

Market suggestion

Competitor comparison

• The tea shop does not currently work with any of our competitors, the only groups they have received so far are student groups in the context of international exchange programs.

Pros

• The factory produces high-quality tea used in some of Bangkok’s high-end hotels.
• Easy to include, as lunch is needed anyway on a transfer day between Chaing Mai and Pai.
• An interactive stop along the way between Chiang Mai and Pai, which usually only has classic finishes (like Mok Fah Waterfall and Pai Canyon).
• Upon launch (March 2023), it is a product that competitors do not yet offer.

Cons

• Not an Easia Signature, we don’t have exclusivity.
• Others may copy the product.
• During the hot season the tea garden and surroundings will be dry and air quality may be very bad.

Information

• Ideally, the activity should start at, or just before, lunchtime, with the activities being done after lunch.
• In theory, it is possible to sell the activity as a standalone, but it is not advisable due to the long transfer time.
• The ideal way to propose this activity is as below (approximate timing):
  • 09:00: Leave Chiang Mai 
  • 10:30: visit Mok Fah Watervall
  • 11:30: Continue to Dara Tea
  • Noon: Arrive at Dara Tea, short intro and lunch
  • 13:00: start program (see the factory, tea picking, roasting, and bruising)
  • 16:00:Departure from Dara Tea
  • 16:45: Arrive at Pai Canyon
  • 17:30: Leave for hotel

The menu options are limited but should be able to cater to most people. Note that the tea shop and restaurant are Muslim:

• A choice of the main dish:
  • Chicken or beef Khao Soi: traditional northern-style curry noodle soup.
  • Khao Mok Gai: Biryani-style rice with chicken.
  • Khao Man Gai: Boiled chicken with rice.
• A side dish of Kyoza: chicken dumplings.

Alerts

• Activity is possible all year-round, but the program may be adapted throughout the year. For example, during some periods there may be very few tea leaves to pick.
• In theory, it is possible to sell the activity as a standalone, but it is not advisable due to the long transfer time.

Important information

• Activity is possible all year-round, but the program may be adapted yearly. For example, there may be very few tea leaves to pick up during some periods.
• The restaurant and factory owners are Muslim; the food is halal.

Price range

500-900THB/pax

Quotation guideline

Chiang Mai →  Activity → Dara Tea House → Tea workshop with lunch, per pax.

Inclusion

• Staff to explain the history of the place and the processing procedure during the workshop.
• Lunch (choice of 1 dish + gyoza).
• Hot tea.
• Local snacks and lemon tea after the workshop.

Exclusion

• Transportation.
• Easia Guide.
• Any purchases on spot.

Important notes

• It is important to reconfirm the service a couple of days before.

Special Guide notes

• As the activities can change according to the seasons, it is important to check in advance what activities will be possible on the day of the visit.
• The hosts speak very limited English, so it is important that the guide helps to translate and brings interaction and liveliness to the experience.
• It is important to ask for a tax receipt from the supplier.

Different Choice

• Araksa Tea Garden visit with lunch: the concept is quite similar, but much more commercial and more well-known. However, if going on the Mae Hong Son loop, this activity at Dara Tea is a much better option.

Contact

Dara Tea House 

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/ZzhcR3ytAF5upfzP7

Contract person: K. Moei
Phone & Line: +66 615932415

English

Tea Workshop at an Old Factory with Lunch

Make a well-deserved stop along the mountainous road that links Chiang Mai with Pai at a seemingly ordinary local restaurant. Upon closer inspection, you will find an old tea factory hiding behind the seating area that used to be the place where the owners processed “wild” tea they found in the area. While the factory is no longer in use, it is the perfect setting for a tea workshop. After a short intro about the tea business and a delicious local lunch (with some tea on the side, of course), it is time to roll up your sleeves and get some hands-on experience. You will learn all the different steps of the tea-making process, as you get to pick, bruise and roast tea leaves. You will surely leave this place with a new appreciation for the world’s second-most-consumed beverage.

Check the factsheet for more information

French

Workshop sur le thé dans une ancienne usine avec déjeuner

Faites un arrêt bien mérité le long de la route montagneuse qui relie Chiang Mai à Pai dans un restaurant local apparemment ordinaire. En y regardant de plus près, vous découvrirez une ancienne fabrique de thé qui se cache derrière la salle à manger. C’était autrefois le lieu de travail où les propriétaires préparaient le thé “sauvage” qu’ils trouvaient dans la région. Bien que l’usine ne soit plus utilisée, elle constitue le cadre idéal pour un workshop sur le thé. Après une brève présentation sur la production de thé et un délicieux déjeuner local (accompagné de thé, bien sûr), il est temps de retrousser vos manches et de vivre une expérience interactive. Vous apprendrez toutes les étapes du processus de fabrication du thé, en cueillant, meurtrissant et torréfiant les feuilles de thé. Vous quitterez certainement cet endroit avec une nouvelle appréciation de la deuxième boisson la plus consommée au monde.

Spanish

Taller de té en una antigua fábrica con almuerzo

Haga una merecida parada a lo largo de la carretera montañosa que une Chiang Mai con Pai en un restaurante local aparentemente corriente. Si se fija bien, descubrirá que detrás de la zona de asientos se esconde una antigua fábrica de té. Solía ser el lugar de trabajo donde los propietarios procesaban el té “salvaje” que encontraban en la zona. Aunque la fábrica ya no se utiliza, es el lugar perfecto para un taller de té. Tras una breve introducción sobre el negocio del té y un delicioso almuerzo local (acompañado de té, por supuesto), es hora de arremangarse y adquirir experiencia práctica. Aprenderá todos los pasos del proceso de elaboración del té, mientras recoge, machaca y tuesta las hojas. Seguro que saldrá de este lugar con un nuevo aprecio por la segunda bebida más consumida del mundo.

Italian

Workshop sul tè in un’antica fabbrica con pranzo

Fate una meritata sosta lungo la strada montuosa che collega Chiang Mai a Pai in un ristorante locale apparentemente ordinario. Ad un’analisi più attenta, troverete una vecchia fabbrica di tè che si nasconde dietro l’area dei posti a sedere. Un tempo era il luogo di lavoro dove i proprietari lavoravano il tè “selvatico” che trovavano nella zona. Anche se la fabbrica non è più in uso, è l’ambiente perfetto per un workshop sul tè. Dopo una breve introduzione sull’attività del tè e un delizioso pranzo locale (con un po’ di tè a parte, ovviamente), è il momento di rimboccarsi le maniche e fare un po’ di esperienza pratica. Imparerete tutte le fasi del processo di produzione del tè, raccogliendo, ammaccando e tostando le foglie di tè. Sicuramente lascerete questo posto con un nuovo apprezzamento per la seconda bevanda più consumata al mondo.

German

Tee-Workshop in einer alten Fabrik mit Mittagessen

Machen Sie einen wohlverdienten Halt an der Bergstraße, die Chiang Mai mit Pai verbindet, in einem scheinbar gewöhnlichen lokalen Restaurant. Bei näherem Hinsehen entdecken Sie eine alte Teefabrik, die sich hinter dem Sitzbereich versteckt. Früher verarbeiteten die Besitzer hier den “wilden” Tee, den sie in der Gegend fanden. Auch wenn die Fabrik nicht mehr in Betrieb ist, bietet sie doch den perfekten Rahmen für einen Tee-Workshop. Nach einer kurzen Einführung in das Teegeschäft und einem köstlichen Mittagessen (natürlich mit Tee) ist es an der Zeit, die Ärmel hochzukrempeln und praktische Erfahrungen zu sammeln. Sie lernen die verschiedenen Schritte der Teezubereitung kennen, indem Sie Teeblätter pflücken, zerdrücken und rösten. Sie werden diesen Ort mit Sicherheit mit einer neuen Wertschätzung für das am zweithäufigsten konsumierte Getränk der Welt verlassen.

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