Tea Tourism is a relatively new concept in the world. Darjeeling is after all the Mecca of tea and sprawling estates producing what we know as the "Champagne of Teas" to the delight of the world. There are 80 odd operational tea gardens in Darjeeling that span across thousands of acres of land area on open hill slopes.
High on the hills with cool breeze and misty weather, planters and workers come together to form a wonderland where tea grows in the finest form like no where else in the world.
So what does tea tourism mean?
Imagine you are spending a few days in a sprawling tea garden. You will stay in a Bungalow that was typically the residence of a British tea planter built during the old colonial time. The bungalow retains the antique furnishing & aura of the colonial days, and setup amidst lush garden setting within the estate. Food served is made of fresh organic produce from the backyard garden.
You wake up and sip a cup of finest aromatic tea that was plucked fresh from the gardens, a tea brand that the world knows. You take a stroll through the garden, talk to the garden workers and see how they deftly pluck the two leaves with a bud, and learn about their lives.
You are also invited to take a look and learn about the tea processing in the factory where some of the best teas in the world are withered, rolled, dried, sorted and packaged.
A jeep takes you to the nearby attractions and places of interest for you to soak in the nature. Later you take a walk through the villages and nature trails, and get deeper insight into the lives of the people living in the mountains. In the evening, you are entertained with local cultural dance and music specially performed for you as you drink a glass of wine. Ultimate, isn't it? That's tea tourism.
And where else will you get best of all the elements of a garden tour other than in Darjeeling? Several tea estates in Darjeeling area offer vacation packages to tourists to experience life in the gardens along with stays in heritage bungalows, plus activities and entertainment that are rarely found anywhere else in the world.
Tea garden stays are meant to bring you closer to the nature and the tea garden life, organic food etc.
Some of the tea Garden – providing tea tour are Makaibari Tea estate, Singtom tea estate, Glenburn tea estate, Happy Valley tea estate, etc.
On arrival meet and greet by our representative and transfer to Kurseong, a small hill station on the way to Darjeeling. Overnight in Kureong.
The tour begins with a brief overview of how tea is grown, manufactured and tasted We then move to the Tea Factory where you will be taken for a guided tour on how the leaf is brought in from the fields, weighed, and then taken through the processes of withering, rolling, fermenting, drying and sorting. The factory tour ends with a tea tasting session with our range of black, green, oolong and white teas, where one can discover the differences in aroma, flavour and appearance of tea manufactured in different ways and at during different times of the year. Walk or drive through the tea fields with one of our guides, who will give you an insight into how the tea bush is grown and looked after. Interact with the Glenburn tea picker ladies and learn how to pluck the "two leaves and a bud" that is later manufactured into the tea that ends up in your teacup. During the winter season, learn about the different types of pruning that is undertaken to increase the yield of the coming season. Interact with the estate workers as you move from one part of the estate to another. Enjoy the variety of bird life, butterflies and flora that add to the diverse landscape that makes up a tea estate. Catch a crab, or pick some watercress from the numerous springs that filter through the fields. Refreshments will be provided at a suitable mid-way point. The Tea Factory and tasting tour is normally done in the morning when the factory processes are taking place.
