Tea & books amidst the sea and sand of Hikkaduwa
Veteran tea planter Herman Gunaratne turns 80 next week and to mark this milestone, he will launch the Tea Library in Hikkaduwa. His most exciting enterprise to date - the new venue with music, tea tastings and talks – is also a great place to enjoy his Virgin White Tea, along with a selection of books and a place for foodies on the top floor.
Passionate about growing tea, spices and the stewardship of the land, Herman is a genuine, warm personality, full of ancient wisdom and always looking for new angles on promoting the world’s most popular drink, tea. At the Tea Library, visitors can also meet the tea pluckers from his plantation in Handunugoda, enjoy exploring over forty varieties of tea, whilst also learning about the benefits of spice infusions.
Thoughout the three floors of the library, there is also a photographic exhibition covering the human story of tea, and as you explore this building overlooking the sea you will discover the world of Herman Gunaratne and his extraordinary collection of books on the island.
Herman has used the work of artist and creator of the Bokka Almeida Arts Resort, John Vincent. The artist’s exhibition titled ‘The Last Elephant’ was featured at last week’s Galle Literary Festival Art Trail. Two charcoal drawings of elephants with poems written by Vincent are going to Clarence House, the residence of Charles III and Queen Camilla in London.
Herman envisions the Hikkaduwa Tea Library to also be a launch point to take a trip to see his plantation, encouraging not only tea tasting, but also to explore the life of a tea planter. Hence he has commissioned a series of photographs about life on a tea plantation, and his staff who he feels are the island’s real treasure. His dedicated staff, in fact, do wonderful daily tea and cinnamon tours with a slice of chocolate cake.
So why build a Tea Library with accommodation overlooking the ocean in the party town of Hikkaduwa? Herman explains, “I run a plantation that a lot of visitors come to daily and love. A great proportion of those visitors come from Hikkaduwa, the most tourist centric spot in the country.”
When a good friend of his offered him a derelict building just after the pandemic, Herman realising the building had a lot of character, consulted his architect. Over the last 18 months the building was transformed with vibrant colours, and each area has been clearly designated - from the shop and tea tasting area, to the start of a photographic exhibition, film on the plantations into other spaces, and a wonderful open plan kitchen, bedrooms and balconies. A must visit spot on a trip to Hikkaduwa.
Herman’s Tea Library opens on Friday, February 9.