Glenburn Tea Estate

Glenburn is a heavenly 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. 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. Finding the whole experience educational and very interesting, the owners were inspired to open their own tea estate for tourists who may be interested in knowing about how a tea leaf makes it to their tea cup.

At this heavenly place, in addition to the "tea experience", they also offer the guests a "walking" experience, and Glenburn remains perhaps the only destination in India where you can walk all day and return to luxury at night.

Guests are accommodated in one of the bungalows, each comprising four suites and common areas, gardens, verandahs and terraces accessible to all the guests.

The Burra Bungalow
Home to generations of planters, remains the focal point of Glenburn hospitality, with its sweeping Main Verandah, cozy Living Room (with fireplace and library) and grand Dining Room where the candle-lit sit-down dinners are held. Each of the suites, as their names suggest, offer a unique experience to the guests. The four Suites have been charmingly decorated, each following a different theme, and are comfortable and spacious, yet cosy.

The Planters' Suite: With its regal, turn of the century four-poster bed, made of Spanish mahogany, The Planters' Suite takes you back in time to the days of the East India Company and other voyages of discovery. The annexed sit-out also has an extra bed, and separate access to the bathroom of the main bedroom, ensuring privacy for a third person sharing this suite.

The Rose Suite: The Rose Suite was created as an ode to the purity and timeless beauty of the rose. The suite also has a connecting sit-out, with splendid views of the garden on three sides and direct access to the main verandah of the house. Soft mountain breezes ensure the fragrance of the rose creepers adorning this side of the house, waft in through the windows that run along an entire side of the suite.

The Kanchenjunga Suite: Located in the northern wing of the house, The Kanchenjunga Suite overlooks the magnificent mountain range it is named after. With its cool blue and white Toile de Jouy furnishings, and canopied king-size bed, this is the perfect place to enjoy the peace and tranquil beauty that Glenburn is famous for. A Victorian, teak, queen-size bed provides for a third person in the room, and an adjoining room, with windows covering the length of two entire walls, adds a further bed to this natural family suite.

The Simbong Butterfly Suite: A soft muslin trail of butterflies dresses the canopied four poster bed in The Simbong Butterfly Room, overlooking the Simbong Tea Division of Glenburn. Facing the eastern hills of Sikkim, one can wake up to a spectacular sunrise, and step into a private sit-out and garden.

The Water Lily Bungalow
Water Lily Bungalow, with four more suites and a stunning location on the edge of the Glenburn spur comprises a Living Room, smaller Dining Room, two verandahs and garden areas laid out on two levels and connected to The Burra Bungalow by stone staircase. It also houses a large recreation and meeting room, as well as the Massage and Steam Room.

The Rung Dung Suite: The Rung Dung Suite has direct views of the Kanchenjunga Mountain Range, with colourful floral prints on the furnishings and walls bring out the warmth of this Suite. The majestic four poster bed and antique furniture take you on a journey back into a colonial era. A spacious sit-out provides a day bed and a desk to relax and admire the views from, as well as comfortable accommodation for a third person sharing the suite.

The Rangeet Suite: Towering over the Rangeet river valley, from the comfort of The Rangeet Suite you can look up to the snow capped mountains or down to the green fields of tea and snow-fed waters. This twin suite also has a sit out area with a day bed and the calm and tranquil presence of lots of green foliage. The Camelia thea botanical plant and the "two and a bud" motif introduces the tea theme to your stay at Glenburn.

The Camelia Suite: Inspired by the Camelia thea botanical print, and the "two and a bud" motif that you will soon be familiar with, Glenburn cannot be complete without its Camelia Suite. Step onto a private balcony to gaze up at Mount Kanchenjuga, the hills of Sikkim and the river valleys below. The bay window sit out is tranquil and calm with a canopy of trees just beyond. This suite has a pair of antique single beds, with room for a third if required.

The Singalila Suite: The Singalila Suite is dominated by the majestic views of the entire Singalila range, with Mount Kanchenjunga towering above it. From your antique four poster bed, you can watch the sun rise on to the mountains. Water lilies float across the furnishings, and two private balconies allow you to step out and look up to the town of Darjeeling.

Room facilities

• Hand-embroidered bed linen
• Baskets of fresh fruit and vases of fresh flowers from the garden
• Hot water bottles and/or electric blankets
• Private bathrooms with old-fashioned bath tubs (fitted with hand showers)
• Walk-in rain showers (in 5 rooms only)
• Hot and cold water
• Darjeeling Green Tea toiletries
• Overhead fans
• Hair driers

Dining
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 grown in the well-stocked kitchen garden. 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.

Glenburn tea, iced tea, South Indian filter coffee, a range of herbal teas (both fresh and from teabags), 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, they can also make you some ice cream.

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.

Corporate Events
Glenburn is a great place to organize a corporate event like a board meeting or team building program. The number of participants can be 16 persons (on a Double Occupancy basis) or 8 people (on a Single Occupancy basis). They have a spacious room where you can hold your meetings and where they can install a projector screen for your presentations. They would be happy to handle any special requests and offer you a tailor made program.

Massage 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. They also offer Reflexology treatments, with an invigorating fresh mint and chamomile foot soak, the perfect end to a long day of hiking.

Beauty Treatments
They offer a range of facial treatments using natural Forest Essential Products, as well as Manicure and Pedicure treatments.

Glenburn is also an ideal getaway for anyone seeking refuge from their busy city lives, the stillness and quiet providing the perfect ambiance. It is also one of the few places in India where you can hike all day and return to relaxing comfort and night. Although they have 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.

Hiking
The Glenburn Campsite: All the walking is down hill. The duration of the walk can range from 1.5 hours to 4 hours, and the level of difficulty can range 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.

Once down at The Glenburn Campsite, on the banks of the River Rungeet, guests have a choice of the following activities:

• Paddling in rock pools
• Fishing
• Bird watching
• Beach activities (croquet, beach cricket and other games)
• Relaxing on the sandy beaches and rocks by the river
• Short walks along the river (including to the suspension bridge to Manjitar Village)

There is also a barbeque/bonfire option in the evening, and then guests have the option to spend the night at The Glenburn Lodge, the log cabin at the Campsite.

Suspension Bridge to Manjitar, Sikkim: Manjitar Suspension Footbridge, leads 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. Cross the bridge into Sikkim and wander around Manjitar Village, stop for a cup of tea in one of the village "dhaabas" (tea shops), and visit the local Shiv Temple. There is a volleyball match that takes place every day at 4.30 pm between the local police force and the villagers. Spectators are welcomed with hot cups of tea and biscuits from the local tea shop!

River Hung Dung Hike: This hike can only be completed between mid-November and May, when the water level in the river is low enough to allow the hike. Guests are driven down to the head of the river at Section Number 10, and then picked up again in the evening from The Glenburn Campsite. You will find a huge variety of birds, butterflies and plant life along the way, as well as pug marks (if not sightings!) of animals which visit the river for a drink!

Shikari Sura Village: This hike is best done in the afternoon, when the Shikari Sura Village comes alive after the day's work in the field. Stop to browse in the village shop and taste some of the locally made pickles and preserves. Watch a game of carom, or whatever else the villagers are doing for their evening entertainment. Interact with the villagers, and then walk back up to the bungalow, through yet more tea fields!

Tooti Dhara, Cluny Convent & Lamha Haata Orange Orchard: Drive 10 minutes to neighboring Tukdah Tea Estate, to the start of the track leading up to the top of the hill above Glenburn. A breathtaking view awaits you at the summit on a picnic site where once stood a bungalow that burned down and was never re-built. The walk back down takes you through a series of little hamlets, with friendly villagers eager to interact with you and show you their pretty cottages. You will eventually descend into the Glenburn Lamha Haata Orange Orchard, and the local church and convent school

Hiking between Darjeeling town & Glenburn: Guests have an option of 2 routes - One is Via Tukdah and Mineral Springs (Dawai Pani) Tea Estates. This route, though slightly shorter than the other, is probably the tougher of the two, since for much of the way you will be following tiny village tracks and forest paths, and travelling off the beaten track. Second is Via Badamtam Tea Estate, The Buddha of Badamtam and The Manjitar Suspension Footbridge. This second route between Darjeeling Town and Glenburn is completely accessible by a four-wheel drive jeep, so you can either hike the whole way or divide the journey into a hike cum drive.

Day Trips
Darjeeling Town: Steeped in British colonial history, the hill station of Darjeeling stands at a height of 6,000 feet, with the magnificent Mount Kanchenjunga as a backdrop. Take a ride on the famous Darjeeling Hill Railway (a World Heritage Site) from Darjeeling Town. Visit the grand old Planters' Club, once the Palace of a local Maharaja, and enjoy the views of the surrounding hillside from Chowrasta, where the bandstand still conjures up old colonial memories of days gone by. Visit the Zoo - famous for its snow leopards and red pandas, the renowned Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, the Tibetan Self-Help Center, the Lloyds Botanical Gardens, and the Ghoom Monastery, and then drive (or walk) back to Glenburn in time for dinner.

Kalimpong: Kalimpong Town is a 2-hour drive away from Glenburn, and has some interesting blends of Buddhist, Christian and Hindu influences with its monasteries, gompas, temples and missionary activities. The local bazaar (Wednesdays and Saturdays) is a delightful place to shop and interact with the local ethnic mix of Lepcha, Bhutia and Nepali communities. The snow-capped mountains provide panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, and at an altitude of 6,000 feet, the air is crisp and cool. A visit to the nearby Samthar Plateau can also be arranged, but is best done as an overnight stay.

Fishing
A typical day of fishing at Glenburn will include a hike, picnic and transport as per the usual package. However, there is a supplement of Rs 1000 per person to cover fishing equipment and Ghillie. The fishing season at Glenburn starts in early October and runs through until about March. If you are a keen fisherman, we would recommend that you carry your own equipment, especially flies, plugs and spinners.

River Rafting
This is definitely a popular excursion, and rafting trips of varying difficulty can be organized to suit everyone. When the water level is high enough, rafting trips start at The Glenburn Campsite, from the River Rungeet, and join up with the River Teesta further downstream. The trip can also be combined with a hike across the Manjitar Suspension Bridge, a short drive to Malli and then a raft trip down the River Teesta. You can also start the rafting from the picturesque Triveni (the confluence of the Rangeet and the Teesta) which you would have looked down upon from the Viewpoint picnic spot on your way from the airport. This is about an hour's drive from Glenburn.

Cookery classes
They would be delighted to offer you cookery classes when you are at Glenburn. They have an "open" kitchen policy where guests are invited to watch the staff cook and prepare dishes. Guests often leave their own family recipes which end up on our menus, named after the guest of course!

The Tea Experience 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 starts with an audio-visual presentation on the history of Glenburn, and a brief overview of how tea is grown, manufactured and tasted

Walk or drive through the tea fields with one of the guides, who will give you an insight into how the tea bush is grown and looked after. Learn how to pluck the "two leaves and a bud" - that is later manufactured into the tea-leaf 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.

Drive back up the hill to the Tea Factory where the Estate Manager will take you 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 finally Sorting.

The day ends with a Tea Tasting Session, where one can discover the differences in aroma, flavour and appearance of tea manufactured in different ways, and during different times of the year. The session also includes tasting teas from other parts of India and the world, together with examples of flavoured and blended teas.

By Air
There are daily Jet Airways, Kingfisher and Spice Jet flights from Kolkata (45 mins), Guwahati (30 mins) and New Delhi (2 hours) to Bagdogra. Glenburn is a three hour drive from the airport. The flight from Delhi stops at Guwahati on alternate days and guests are advised to take the direct connection (Delhi-Bagdogra-Delhi) which considerably shortens the flying time.

By Rail
From Kolkata there are daily overnight trains to New Jalpaiguri station (The Darjeeling Mail operates daily and The Kanchenkanya and Uttar Banga Express operate on alternate days). Both trains take approximately 12 hours. From Delhi there is a daily Rajdhani service that takes about 22 hours. Glenburn is a three hour drive from the station.

By Road

• Bagdogra Airport: 3 hours
• New Jalpaiguri Station: 3 hours
• Darjeeling: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Kalimpong: 2 hours
• Gangtok: 3 hours
• Pelling: 4 hours
• Phuntsholing(Bhutan): 5 hours
• Bhadrapur(Nepal): 4 hours

Complimentary transfers in Air-Conditioned Scorpio 4 wheel drive vehicles are provided, along with a picnic hamper. Helicopter charters are available on request.

Most of the journey follows the course of the River Teesta, and just before you reach the bridge that takes you across the river to Sikkim, you begin the climb up towards Darjeeling, and then drive down into the Glenburn valley.