Ivomo Tea Cooperative

Famously dubbed the “land of a thousand hills,” Rwanda’s lush, emerald landscape is best experienced up close, and, gorilla trekking aside, there’s no better way to do this than dipping your hands into the tea plants at Ivomo Tea Cooperative. Visitors learn about Rwanda’s tea, considered among the best in the world for high-quality, single-origin, whole-leaf green and black brews, by picking the small leaves, pounding them with a mortar and pestle, and finally tasting the drink in the collective’s tea room. Ivomo opened last year and already has 600 workers, making it the largest employer in the area; it also provides a nursery and library for the children of its employees, and electricity for the surrounding community, which 70% of the area’s houses now use. Beyond the tea factory, the collective has expanded its eco-tours to include birdwatching, nature hikes, canoeing, fishing, and a local food excursion. The opportunity to connect with expert tea makers on a personal level is the biggest draw. If travelers are lucky, they’ll meet Consol’ee, a radiant tea picker who demonstrates harvesting techniques and “baptizes” good students with sprinkles of tea leaves on their heads.

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