Glenburn Tea Estate is a unique geographical location that brings you a collection of teas that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world.
Glenburn is a heavenly little plantation retreat that lies on a hillock above the banks of the River Rungeet, high in the Himalayas, overlooked by the mighty Kanchenjunga mountain range.
Started by a Scottish tea company in 1859, Glenburn then passed into the hands of one of India’s pioneering tea planting families – The Prakashes, One of India's pioneering tea-planting families, over the years, come to be known as the “Chaiwala family“ - which literally means “tea planters“.
The story of the Chaiwala family began over a hundred years ago, and is closely entwined with that of tea plantations in India. Today, the third and fourth generation Prakash family carry almost a century of tea knowledge in their inheritance, and the estate invites you to experience this legacy at Glenburn.
The “tea estate” experience was inspired by the vineyards of Europe and other parts of the world, where visitors observe the wine-making process, taste the wine and shop for wine, local crafts and produce.
The family found the whole experience educational and very interesting, and were inspired to open the own tea estate for tourists who may be interested in knowing about how a tea leaf makes it to their tea cup.
The Glenburn staff are available round the clock, to help make your stay a comfortable one. You will meet most of them at some time during your stay.
Stunning scenery, old fashioned elegance and the opportunity to see the rituals of tea production make Glenburn Tea Estate a compelling blend.
Guests are accommodated in one of the two bungalows, each comprising four suites and common areas, gardens, verandahs and terraces accessible to all the guests.
The Glenburn staff are available round the clock, to help make your stay a comfortable one.
All meals, snacks and refreshments are included in the tariff, and the staff plans all the menus according to the select preferences of each guest.
The menus comprise a range of cuisine - from interesting local fare and traditional Indian dishes, to exotic South-East Asian delicacies, and a variety of European dishes making full use of the fresh Italian herbs, and salad leaves that grows in the own well-stocked kitchen garden.
The staff try to source as much fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices that grows in own garden, so feel free to plan your own menu based on what's in season!
Family recipes including Tea-Leaf Pakoras, Chocolate Brownies, Tibetan Momos and Burmese Khow Suey - all served to you with a discrete but attentive Glenburn touch. Please ask if you would like to eat anything in particular and the staff will plan the menus accordingly.
If the fresh herbs in the garden inspire you to conjure up a favorite recipe, do leave it behind and the staff will name it after you and serve it to future guests!
The staff bakes the own bread, make the own marmalade, and a whole collection of signature cakes and cookies.
Glenburn tea, iced tea, South Indian filter coffee, a range of herbal teas (using fresh herbs from the garden), nimboo pani (fresh homemade lemonade), freshly-squeezed juice, and cold drinks are available at any time.
There are also freshly baked cakes and cookies available whenever you feel like a snack.
With a bit of notice, the staffcan also make you some ice cream. In the summer months a few different ice cream varieties made from whatever fruit is in season, are available at any time.
Sit down to Breakfast and Lunch either in the bright and sunny Morning Room at one end of The Front Verandah, under the Pomello Tree outside the Water Lily Bungalow or on a terrace overlooking the mountains.
Breakfast will be served at your convenience, anytime between 07.00h and 11.00h.
Please let the staff know what time you would like to be served "Bed Tea" in your room, and what time you would like to sit down for breakfast.
Dinner is usually served as a sit-down meal in the candle-lit intimacy of The Dining Room, along with your hosts and any other guests in residence.
Dinners at Glenburn are famous for the camaraderie and congeniality around the table, as well as the stimulating, amusing and often unusual conversations that take place among the guests.
You are likely to meet people from all around the world, and strike up life-long friendships; the estate often has a group of guests planning a reunion at Glenburn in future years.
In the warmer months, dinner can also be served outdoors on the patio or in one of the gardens.
Dinner is normally served anytime between 19.30h and 21.30h. Kindly let the staff know if you would like to dine separately and this can be organized too.
Please let the staff know if you have any specific dietary preferences before you visit us. The staff can modify the dishes, and menus, to cope with any allergies or dislikes.
07.00h - 11.00h
19.30h - 21.30h
Depending on your plans for the day, the can also organise a picnic-style meal. Picnics can either be served as a "sit down" meal, at certain pre-planned venues such as The Glenburn Campsite, at No. 10 Bamboo Grove by the River Rung Dung, Coffee Bari, Ramitay Daara or at any of the "weighment sheds" scattered around the tea fields - some of which offer spectacular views.
Equally, sandwiches and fruit can be packed into boxes to be carried by your guide, for you to eat at any time during a hike.
Barbeques can also be organised down by the river or at The Simbong Garden Terrace of the Burra Bungalow.
The hiking guides and drivers are experts at whipping out a tray to serve a glass of freshly-squeezed lemonade (nimboo pani) garnished with a fresh mint leaf, or a cup of Darjeeling tea served in a porcelain tea cup, in the middle of a field surrounded by tea bushes, along a forest trail or on the edge of the river - all part of The Glenburn Experience.
This can be adjusted to suit each guest. Most of the walking is down hill, and the duration of the walk can range from 1.5 hours to 3 hours, with the level of difficulty from moderate to tough, depending on the route one takes.
Guests may also drive the entire route, stopping along the way for short walks at various points of interest.
The tour begins with an audio-visual presentation on the history of Glenburn, and a brief overview of how tea is grown, manufactured and tasted
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.
Break for lunch at No.10 Bamboo Grove, on the sandy banks of the River Rung Dung, which is accessed through a thick bamboo forest. Relax on the riverfront and paddle in the rock pools, while you enjoy your meal.
An alternative picnic venue is the Coffee Bari, half way down the hillside, which has great views of the two Glenburn valleys on all sides. Or return to the bungalow for lunch.
The tour of the tea fields can also be incorporated into other walks, for example the walk to The Glenburn Campsite, which goes through the Simbong Tea Division.
The Tea Factory and tasting tour is normally done in the morning when the factory processes are taking place, but the tea fields can be visited at any time on the same day or another day depending on each guest's itinerary.
The estate's special "mini spa" room is situated on the lower floor of The Water Lily Bungalow where you can enjoy your full body massage in a calm ambience of candles and soft Tibetan chanting.
Foot massages and head or shoulder massages, as well as manicures & pedicures can be had on any of the terraces or gardens so you can soak in the atmosphere of a mountain view or sunset.
The estate offers a range of facial treatments using natural Forest Essential Products, as well as Manicure and Pedicure treatments.
The Glenburn Masseurs and Masseuses offer a gentle full body massage, using Darjeeling Green Tea Oil. This can be followed by a Green Tea bath soak or a steam treatment.
The estate also offers Reflexology treatments, with an invigorating fresh mint and chamomile foot soak, the perfect end to a long day of hiking.
RELAXATION
Relaxing at The Burra Bungalow, and enjoying the breathtaking scenery and serenity that Glenburn is so famous for, has given inspiration to artists, writers and photographers. The diverse landscape, birds, butterflies and local populace provide many a subject to capture in words or paint.
Glenburn is also an ideal getaway for anyone seeking refuge from their busy city lives; the stillness provides the perfect ambiance for yoga and meditation. It is also one of the few places in India where you can hike all day and return to relaxing comfort and night.
Although the estate has many activities on offer, don't forget to just sit back on the verandah with a book in hand and a cup of tea, and enjoy some peace and solitude.
THE GLENBURN LODGE AND CAMPSITE
Ideal for day or overnight visits, The Glenburn Lodge and Campsite offers a truly rustic yet comfortable experience in the middle of the wilderness at Glenburn.
The Lodge offers accommodation for two families, with its two spacious rooms each with an attached bathroom. Both rooms offer spectacular views of the forest, river and Sikkim on the opposite bank. A large verandah is a lovely place to sit and relax on at any time of the day.
Towels are provided if you wish to have a dip in the river, and it is advisable to carry appropriate shoes for walking in the river as it can be rocky.
There is running cold water in the bathrooms of the Lodge, and buckets of hot water can be provided on request.
Kerosene lanterns are used to light up the Lodge at night and dinner is served according to each guest's preference - either as a candle-lit meal down by the river, or on the Lodge verandah, which is enclosed with wire netting to keep the bugs out.
Barbeques can also be organized, and a bonfire is always a popular option.
After dinner, retire to your bed in the Lodge, complete with a hot-water bottle, and drift off to sleep, accompanied by the soothing sounds of the nearby river.
Awake the next morning with a cup of tea or coffee served to you in bed, to watch the sunrise, and then wander along the river to catch a glimpse of some of the birds that inhabit the area. Cormorants, wild geese and hornbills are just a few of the birds you are likely to see.
Return to the campsite for a hot breakfast and perhaps another refreshing dip in the river, before setting off on the day's activities.
Wander along the river to catch a glimpse of some of the birds that inhabit the area. Cormorants, wild geese and hornbills are just a few of the birds you are likely to see.
Enjoy supervising of a great variety of butterflies that inhabit in the area.
Inspired by great tea traditions of Asia, at Glenburn Fine Tea, they believe in tea which is simply delicious and uplifts the spirit and the senses.
The estate has an "open" kitchen policy where guests are invited to watch the staff cook and prepare dishes. Guests often leave the staff their own family recipes which end up on the menus, named after the guest of course!
Take a ride on the famous Darjeeling Hill Railway (now a World Heritage Site) from Darjeeling Town, through the picturesque Batasia Loop and then to the neighboring towns of Ghoom and Kurseong.
Wander through the Mall, shop for local crafts and antiques, drop in to the famous Das Studios for a peek at their collection of old black and white photographs, stop for a cup of tea or coffee at Keventers or Glenary's, two famous old cafeterias on the Mall.
A typical day of fishing at Glenburn will include a hike, picnic and transport. If you are a keen fisherman, tye staff would recommend that you carry your own equipment, especially flies, plugs and spinners.
Situated on a ridge between two hills, Deolo and Durpin, towering over the River Teesta, this picturesque hill town is quiet and peaceful compared to Darjeeling and caters to more local residents than tourists.
The river meanders along the northern boundary of the Estate, and the landscape varies from bamboo groves and tea fields, to thickly forested areas. You will find a huge variety of birds, animals and plant life along the way.
From hens and baby chicks to billy goats, cows and pigs and all their babies, there is plenty to see and play with. Interact with the villagers and the local children for as long as you like.
The Manjitar Suspension Footbridge, leading the way across the River Rungeet into the old royal kingdom of Sikkim. This spectacular structure was built by the British in 1902, after the original cane bridge was washed away by the floods of 1899.
Paddling in rock pools; fishing; bird watching; beach activities (croquet, beach cricket, e.t.c.); relaxing on the sandy beaches and rocks by the river; short walks along the river.
GLENBURN TEA ESTATE
Near SingritanDarjeelingWest Bengal 734101India