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Respect for nature
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Direct trade
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Unmatched quality
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Community support
Araksa Tea Garden
"Everything begins with people. We believe people are the bedrock of a sustainable community and by employing local people and empowering them with new skills, together we can do meaningful work."
At the edge of the Banchang forest in Mae Tang, Chiang Mai, lies Araksa Tea Garden, surrounded by tropical vegetation and rolling hills. Araksa is more than a plantation. It is a carefully built ecosystem shaped by the belief that healthy soil is the foundation for healthy people. Across 45 hectares of green slopes, tea production here takes on a deeper meaning.
A garden with history
Araksa is one of Thailand’s oldest tea gardens. The first fields were planted decades ago, then left untouched for fifteen years, without fertilisers, pesticides, or chemicals. What seemed like neglect turned out to be a blessing. The plants grew in peace and the ecosystem restored itself naturally.
In 2014 a new chapter began. The estate was revived with a fresh vision, not through intensive farming but through biodiversity, soil health, and respect for natural cycles. Old tea bushes and forward-looking sustainability now grow side by side.
Certification and recognition
This dedication to organic farming did not go unnoticed. Araksa was the first tea garden in Thailand to receive both USDA Organic and EU Organic certification, covering both fields and factory. Since 2018, every stage of production, from leaf to packaging, has been certified by CERES GmbH.
For Tea Kulture, this commitment matters deeply. We seek partners who produce tea with a broader vision for land, people, and environment. Araksa embodies that vision, pairing quality with responsibility.
Diversity of plants
Araksa’s foundation rests on three types of tea plants: Camellia assamica, Camellia taliensis, and Camellia sinensis. This variety brings complexity in flavour and aroma. Unlike estates that rely on a single cultivar, Araksa embraces diversity as a strength.
Around and between the bushes grow herbs and plants that add to the garden’s richness, such as lemongrass, ginger, mint, butterfly pea, magnolia champaca, osmanthus, bamboo, avocado, and banana. This biodiversity not only nourishes the soil but also inspires unique infusions and blends.
Soil health as foundation
“Healthy soil is healthy mankind.” With those words, garden manager Raju Subba captures Araksa’s philosophy. Trees provide shade, protect the ground from heat, and help retain moisture. Organic matter enriches the soil, while balanced pH and smart drainage allow the plants to grow strong.
These are not quick fixes but long-term investments. By protecting the soil, the garden stays resilient against disease, climate shifts, and future challenges.
Buffer zones and natural protection
Araksa also relies on buffer zones. Strips of trees and plants surround the fields, filtering air and water, and shielding against pollution from neighbouring farms.
Pesticides are absent here. Instead, natural pest control keeps balance. Fruit trees and flowers attract birds, which in turn manage insects. Herbs and plants with repelling properties strengthen this system. The result is a self-regulating environment in harmony with nature.
Tea with character
From this approach comes a collection of teas, white, green, oolong, and black, each carrying the mark of its origin: fresh, layered, and infused with the influence of the microclimate.
Infusions with magnolia champaca, butterfly pea, and other local ingredients further highlight the diversity of the garden. The quality has earned international acclaim, with multiple awards at the AVPA Teas of the World Contest.
Our selection from Araksa Tea Garden
At Tea Kulture we offer several teas from Araksa Tea Garden, including Silk Black, Bluefly and Thida Green.
Silk Black is made from handpicked leaves that give an amber coloured infusion with soft floral and honey like notes. Bluefly combines lemongrass and butterfly pea flower in a distinctive herbal infusion that turns deep blue and tastes fresh with a light citrus touch. Thida Green is a green tea that is hand rolled after pan roasting. The infusion is light green with a balanced taste and gentle floral and herbal accents.
A place of experience
Araksa is open to visitors who want to see, learn, and taste. Guided tours reveal the journey from plucking to heating, rolling, and drying. In the Tea House, local dishes are paired with teas from the garden, offering a meeting point of Thai cuisine and Araksa’s flavours.
Workshops and tastings allow guests to blend teas themselves or deepen their senses through guided flavour sessions.
The meaning for Tea Kulture
For Tea Kulture, collaboration is never just a trade relationship. It is a choice for stories that show where tea comes from, who makes it, and which values guide it. Araksa reflects that vision perfectly. It is a garden where tradition and innovation work hand in hand, where biodiversity and soil health underpin quality, and where the community benefits from sustainable practices.
Araksa shows that the future of tea does not lie in expansion and intensive agriculture but in nurturing diversity and natural processes. What began in 2014 as the revival of an abandoned estate has grown into a model of organic farming in Thailand. For us, sharing this journey is a source of inspiration.
