Gita mattutina di raccolta e degustazione del tè Puer

This day was simply an unforgettable experience and I cannot recommend it enough to anyone curious about discovering the extremely rich culture of tea (and pu-erh tea in particular) from this region known worldwide for its teas. Maxime came to pick us up at our hotel and dropped us off at the end of the day. He was a wonderful guide, patient, attentive to our needs and desires, and was enthusiastic and happy to share his experience and knowledge throughout the day. The meeting with the people whose tea plantation we visited was a rich experience that would not have been possible without his knowledge of Mandarin and the area. We saw beautiful old tea trees, learned how they live and how they are treated and maintained in different seasons. We learned to collect tea, collected a good amount, and then went to prepare it: roasting, kneading, drying, etc.: an interesting process that highlights everything involved in obtaining good pu-erh tea. We had two tea ceremonies during which we tasted delicious white, red, and pu-erh teas (raw and fermented). Throughout the day, Maxime took great photos and videos, which he sent us as a keepsake. What a place, what a day, and what an experience... I recommend it without reservation! Once again, a huge thank you to Maxime for everything!

It was a really awesome experience! Maxime picked me up from my hotel and dropped me off at my train station, all in perfect timing and organised in great detail. Maxime speaks French, English and Chinese, so he was able to translate in great accuracy and detail everything that the owners of the tea plantation were communicating. He is also very knowledgeable on puer tea, so I really learned a lot. I had so much tea!! Which may be obvious.. and it was all so tasty (which might also be obvious). A little plus: as I am vegan, Maxime made sure I had a vegan lunch that was really plentiful (see pictures) and as expected super tasteful. I had the opportunity to try some of the coffee they produce at the land as well. But anyway, I digress, I couldn't recommend this experience enough. :)

The process of making Pu’er tea is far more complex than I had imagined, and somehow more meaningful than every cup I’ve ever tasted. Pu’er, located in southern Yunnan, has ideal geography and climate for tea cultivation, giving its tea a naturally high quality. Walking into the tea plantations, rows of tea trees stretch out before you, lush and green, with a fresh tea fragrance lingering in the air. I visited a traditional Pu’er tea workshop where the craft is still carried out by hand. The moment I stepped inside, I noticed a deep, earthy aroma—very different from the tea I was used to drinking. Here, tea leaves go through multiple stages: picking, sun-drying, fermentation, pan-firing, and pressing, before finally becoming the Pu’er tea we know. During the process, I also had the chance to try shaping a tea cake myself. At first, my movements were clumsy, and the tea cake I made was far from perfect. But with the teacher’s patient guidance—showing me how to apply pressure and compact the leaves properly—I gradually got the hang of it. Holding the tea cake I had made with my own hands, I felt a real sense of satisfaction. It wasn’t just a piece of tea, but an experience shaped by time, effort, and care.

it was a real immersion in the heart of the plantations. Our guide was exceptional, his mastery of the tea and coffee cycles is impressive, he knew how to answer all our questions. A day in total immersion in rural and agricultural areas, a perfect discovery of tea and coffee culture, from the simplest flavor to that of exceptional taste. Landscapes as far as the eye can see on nature and cultures, a parenthesis to this urban environment! Each visit, finalized with a tasting of different flavors and aromas. A fine gourmet meal from the Dai... Thank you to our guide for a wonderful day of good humor and generosity.

Maxime provided a very rewarding and educational experience. I highly recommend it. We started with a relaxing drive to a tea estate for tastings and a tour of the processing facility. The host was gracious and answered all of my questions, which were many. Maxime's personal relationship with the host of the estate was evident throughout. We tasted many teas from the estate through multiple pulls and I was able to purchase much of what I tasted. In fact, I'm having some of it now in my hotel room in Dali. We ended the day with a delicious meal and tasting at a small but vibrant coffee estate south of Pu'er. They produce coffee harvested directly from their fields. All the processing is done on site. The tastings were many and the variety was exceptional. As a capstone to the day, Maxine drove me through the heart of "coffee valley". We were able to see some of the large processing facilities and experience the heart of the vibrant coffee culture in Yunnan. Thank you for a wonderful day Maxime.