Ilya M.
Farmerleaf's tea tour is an absolutely phenomenal experience, it exceeded all my expectations and I just can't say enough good things about it!!! For anyone who is interested in getting a better understanding of Puer tea, or tea in general, or getting a glimpse into the lives of ethnic minorities in China and learning about their culture, I heartily recommend this tour.
Felix, who was my assigned tour guide, is a born native of Xishuangbanna, with over a decade of professional experience as a tour guide. His knowledge of tea processing techniques, local flora, fauna, climate, food, customs, traditions, cultural practices, politics, economics, is staggering. He knows the mountain roads almost by heart, knows an endless supply of great food spots, and is an extremely attentive and caring companion on this journey. Unlike other packaged tours that bind you to a strict schedule or constantly prod you to make purchases along the route, you are in control here and get to decide if you want more or less of something.
Full disclosure: I don't have any food allergies and speak a little bit of Mandarin. Whatever your particular case may be, I strongly believe that if you have any special requirements, Felix (or any guide that William works with) will find a way to accommodate them. With that said, I encourage you to surrender to the experience as much as possible, and get as close as you can to local Yunnan life.
In my opinion, the curation here was done extremely well. I got to see the ancient tea gardens, meet the farmers who make their living from them, drink exquisite tea, eat delicious food, see the local architectural styles, etc. which ticked all my boxes and then some. This was a very enlightening and enriching experience, and I hope to visit Xishuangbanna again someday. Thanks William and Felix for the incredible memories!
Daniela O.
"An inspiring journey through the tea mountains of Yunnan, beautifully organised and guided by Ai Ni Pa. It gave us an entirely new perspective and a firsthand experience of ancient Yunnan big leaf tea trees and the rich culture that surrounds them."
Henri B.
These five days in Yunnan will remain one of my most treasured memories. With our amazing guide, we travelled from village to village, taking in the sights, sounds, smells and tastes along the way. We walked through ancient tea forests, tasted amazing tea and got to press our own tea cake of white tea we bought from a local farmer. Ai Ni Pa is a wonderful and thoughtful guide with great taste, both in food and in tea. A trip I would repeat every year if possible.
Kasia L.
Trip was amazing , we can’t stop talking about it and sharing our experience .
It was magical to be few days on the different mountains with people who love their tea forests and have skills passed from grand parents how to take care of the leaves to make delicious tea.
We were able to make tea ( this was my dream ) did a lot of tea tastings and had great food with famillies .
I ve heard about smell of fresh withering leaves but now experience it and sweet aroma will stay with me forever .
I think we fell in love in puerh tea , yunnan mountains , minorities , food and simple life .
Thank you so much William for organizing this adventure for us and thank you Felix who was excellent guide , driver and companion .
Kasia
Andrea
The tea tour was without a doubt the highlight of my trip to China and one of the most unforgettable experiences I've ever had—it exceeded all my expectations!
I was guided by Felix, who was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about the tea mountains. Being welcomed into the homes of local tea farmers, spending time with them drinking a lot of tea, enjoying delicious local food, and learning about their culture was an absolute joy.
Not only did I get to visit ancient tea gardens, but I also had the chance to pick tea leaves and take part in the processing by frying and rolling the leaves by hand.
If you're curious about tea, the land it comes from, and the people who have been cultivating it for generations, I wholeheartedly recommend this tea tour. I’ll definitely be back to the tea mountains!
Toby
Setting off from Jinghong, we visited a beautiful selection of villages and the forests around them — drinking many superb teas along the way.
Ai Ni Pa is a very thoughtful guide with a deep appreciation of tea and made the tour very enjoyable. Amongst the highlights of the trip was being shown the ancient trees by the farmers before drinking tea from those very trees.
It was wonderful to see how much care and effort goes into producing the tea, and I even got the chance to help roll and fry some leaves.
Perhaps the best testimony to the quality of the tour was the amount of tea I bought from the farmers along the way — so much in fact that it had to be posted home before I continued my travels!
Not only did the tour greatly enhance my knowledge — and enjoyment — of everything from white tea to ripe puer, but it gave me a chance to explore the great variety of cultures and landscapes in Yunnan, and to truly understand how important tea is to them.
Dom W.
Best trip of my life. Our tour guide+translator, Felix, went above and beyond. We saw so much in a 5 day span. Tea mountains, a few tea hospitable tea farmers, a tea pressing factory and more! Can't recommend it enough.
