For its size, Sri Lanka is an incredibly diverse island. One of the most interesting and beautiful areas is the hill country in the heartland.

Here, the verdant landscape has been shaped by tightly trimmed tea bushes.

The premium grade Ceylon tea is picked by Tamil ladies brought in by the former British colonials from the north of the island and southern India.

They are a lovely bunch, all smiles and laughter as they deftly pick the tender leaves.

They were also kind enough to invite me to their homes for tea and biscuits…I’ll post a couple more portraits a little later today.