botanical gardens | toothpicnations

In Munnar, there are many botanical gardens, and KFDC Floriculture Centre/Munnar rose garden is one of them. Run by Kerala Forest Developerment Centre, KFDC Floriculture Centre is built on a hill slope, and has a nice view of the nearby tea planation. I think the term ‘floriculture centre’ is appropriate because it is not really garden. There is, however, a lovely rose garden within the centre. It is rare to see rose gardens in Asia but here you can see a variety of species in shades of red and pink covering the hill. Besides roses, there are many beautiful dahlias and other native flowers, as well as herbs, medicinal plants, cacti and bonsai.

My advice is to come early as it can get quite crowded. Luckily, I arrived soon after it opened, so I was able to avoid the crowds.

Tea factory visits are on the itineraries of most day tours, and Kannan Devan Tea Factory is one of the most popular in Munnar. There are English guided tours throughout the day, but it does get very busy. Since I missed the tour and couldn’t be bothered to wait, I decided to visit the KDHP Tea Museum instead. Both tthe museum and factory are owned by the Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company (KDHP), a plantation estate that dates back to the 1880s. It is under the Tata group, which seems to own everything related to tea in Munnar.

KDHP/Tata Tea Museum is a small museum that traces the history of tea-making in Munnar. It exhibits many old photographs, curiosities and machinery; visitors can also watch a short documentary on the Munnar’s tea history. In a larger room, visitors can learn about the various stages of the tea processing – Crush, tear, curl – and the production of Kerala black tea variants.

A mandatory tea shop awaits you at the end of your visit, so you can shop til you drop. There are many varieties of tea, including black, white and green; meanshile prices are very resaonable too. It is a good place to buy your souvenir here.

To be continued…

As much as I love living in London, the grey winter months are just too depressing, perhaps it’s due to lack of sun, but I was determined to find a way out this year… When I told my UK friends that I was going to travel and work in Asia for over two months, everyone was extremely envious of me… Sorry guys, but I really need the sun and warmth!

After spending a few freezing days in Tokyo, I was glad to be in Hong Kong where temperature ranges from the late teens to mid twenties celsius. Although temperature here varies a lot throughout the day, overall, it is quite mild most of the time.

Since I am only here for a short period of time, I want to make the most of it, aside from hiking, I would look for outdoor activities just to be in the sun ( I have been sun-deprived for too long)!

I visited the Hong Kong Zoological & botanical gardens years ago, and I thought it would interesting to return again and at the same time, enjoy a bit of nature in this hectic city.

The 5.6 hectares of garden situated opposite the former governor’s house was founded in 1871 and it is one of the oldest in the world. Previously named ‘Bing Tau Fa Yuen’ ( the head of the soldiers’ garden), it used to be the governor’s private garden, and there are still traces of the colonial past that can be spotted here like the bronze statue of King George VI and a memorial gate for British Chinese soldiers who died during the two World Wars.

The garden was once a popular dating destination for young lovers, but now it attracts mainly tourists, local families and older people. There not many facilities here, but there is a refreshment kiosk selling drinks and snacks and free wi-fi available.

Cute animal benches can be seen throughout the garden

I can’t say that I like zoos especially when I see wild animals being locked up in small cages, but I also understand that the zoo has its educational value particularly for young children in Hong Kong who rarely get the opportunities to see wild animals apart from the domestic ones…

In the botanical garden, more than 1,000 species can be found, with a green house and sub-gardens like herb, camellia, magnolia and bamboo. I love seeing different varieties of flowers and orchid trees, wandering around, I almost forgot that it’s not even spring yet!

The zoo/ garden is probably not a “must-see” tourist attraction, but it is like an oasis in the city especially for those who can’t deal with the stress and pollution in the nearby Central, this place would give them the breathing space they desperately need.