Travel to India: tea plantations in Darjeeling

I took the opportunity to discover the area known throughout the world for its excellent tea. The journey takes its time but it's worth it. Take a flight to Bagdogra, and after about 3 hours drive on mountain roads, you reach the small town of Darjeeling, whose name is the combination of the Tibetan word Dorje, lightning, and ling (place). Here there are accommodations close to the town (Elgin Hotel heritage, Windermare Hotel heritage, modern Ramada but a little anonymous) or you can opt for accommodation in the plantations of the famous Darjeeling tea.

I stayed at the Glemburn Tea Estate heritage, 8 different rooms / suites, 4 in the central building and 4 in the separate bungalow. Super serene area, about 1 hour and a half from Drjeeling, 40 minutes of unpaved road to get to the property that is belonging  to the same Indian family for several generations. This family also owns the Calcutta Penthouse, so there are special packages that include 3 nights in Calcutta and 4 in Darjeeling.

The atmosphere at the Glemburn Tea Estate is very British, guests and general managers dine together, settings at table  are assigned to make guests know each others and create a family atmosphere. But if you want a separate table, don't worry about asking for it.

A magical moment is breakfast on the outdoor terrace, possibly after a wake up  in the early morning at 6am to watch the sunrise over the Himalayas. For tea lovers this plantation is the ideal place to learn all the secrets about this mythical drink and to taste many different types of tea whose taste changes according to the season. In addition to enjoying this relaxing atmosphere, hiking inside the plantation, you can also explore the attractions of the region, visiting Darjeeleeng and Ghum, Kalimpong and Gangtok. Do not miss the fun experience with the toy train: you travel on a 7 km route between Darjeeling and Ghum (duration: 45 minutes) with an old steam train.

Having many days available to visit India, apart from the combinations of routes already mentioned, this trip could be combined with a stay in the Andaman sea or a tour of the golden triangle, or the North East, Ganges cruises or visiting the Delta area of ​​this sacred river where there are some national parks like Sundarbans the largest mangrove forest in the world, tigers and other fauna. But we'll talk about this on the occasion of another trip ... To be continued….