Glenburn Tea Estate Tour

Day 01 � Arrival Delhi
Reach Delhi and get greeted by the tour representative on day 01 of the Glenburn Tea Estate Tour.

Capital of India, Delhi is a beautiful city located on the banks of Yamuna River. Perfect blend of the rich traditional and modern cosmopolitan culture, this global city of India is visited by large number of tourists every year.

Transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 02 - Delhi
Enjoy city tour of Delhi the next day and cover places like Laxmi Narayan Temple, India Gate - The memorial of martyrs, Parliament House, Jama Masjid - The largest mosque in Asia, Red Fort, Gandhi memorial � The memoir of father of the nation etc. Besides these some other places to visit are - Qutab Minar Complex and Humayun�s Tomb.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 03 - Delhi / Bagdogara : By Flight
Bagdogara / Glenburn Tea Estate (Darjeeling) � 02 � Hours Take breakfast and transfer to the airport to board a flight for Bagdogara. On reaching transfer to the Glenburn tea Estate.

Overnight stay at Bagdogara.

Day 04: Glenburn Tea Estate
Take a tour of Glenburn tea estate after breakfast and walk through the tea fields. Enjoy lunch by River Rung Dung. Take a tour of tea factory and get the privilege of tea tasting.

You will get a presentation on the history of Glenburn, and a brief overview of how tea is grown, manufactured and tasted.

After which you will drive through the tea fields with Estate Manager. You will be given a comprehensive guided tour of how the tea bush is grown and looked after. You will also get to know the most important technique of how to pluck the �two leaves and a bud� � that is later manufactured into a tealeaf. You will also visit the tea nursery where you will learn how to cultivate young tea plants. Learn about the different varieties of tea plants and how they are transplanted into the fields when ready. If visiting during winter season, learn about the different types of pruning that is undertaken to increase the yield of the coming season. You will also get the opportunity to interact with the Glenburn workers as you move from one part of the estate to another.

Enjoy the interesting variety of flora and fauna that add to the beauty of the diverse landscape that makes up a tea estate. Enjoy refreshments provided at a suitable mid-way point.

Take lunch, on the banks of the River Rung Dung. Relax on the riverfront and paddle in the rock pools while enjoying your meal.

Drive back to the tea factory for a guided tour. You will be told about the whole process of as to how the leaf is brought in from the fields, weighed, and then taken through the processes of Withering, Rolling, Fermenting, Drying and finally Sorting.

End your day with an interesting tea tasting session. Discover the differences in aroma, flavor and appearance of tea manufactured in different ways, and during different times of the year. The session will also include tasting teas from other parts of India and the world with different flavors.

Overnight stay.

Day 05: Glenburn Tea Estate
Hike along the River Rungjeet and Manjitar Village in Sikkim the next day.

Walk is done along a flat, well-defined path. It will take about 2 hrs to walk the path. Drive down through the Simbong Forest to the River Rung Dung on a jeep. Cross the river over a small suspension bridge that takes you into the Badamtam Forest.

Follow river Rungeet while walking along the forest path. The naturalist accompanying you will help you identify the birds, butterflies, occasional animals, and the rich plant life found in the forest. Also walk through a forest village and have the option to walk down to the sandy banks of the river.

Reach the Manjitar Suspension Footbridge after an hour�s walk leading you to the old royal kingdom of Sikkim. The bridge was built by the British in 1902, after the original cane bridge was washed away by the floods of 1899. The bridge is about 200 feet wide and about 100 feet above the river and crossing it is an adventure in itself. The original photo of the cane bridge can be seen on the Glenburn front verandah.

Cross the bridge into Sikkim and wander around Manjitar Village. Halt for a cup of tea in one of the village �dhaabas� (tea shops) and also visit the local Shiv Temple. Enjoy the volleyball that takes place between the local police force and the villagers. Lunch served in picnic-style on the way. Follow the same route on return journey. You also have the option to take the alternative �river beach� route, which is slightly tougher. Refreshments served back at the Glenburn-Badamtam Bridge. You also have a choice of walking to the Glenburn Campsite for the evening/night or driving back up to The Burra Bunglaow. The Campsite is just 20-minutes walk from here.

Overnight stay.

Day 06: Glenburn Tea Estate
Start your day with an excursion of Darjeeling Town.

Darjeeling is a beautiful hill station located at a height of 6,000 feet, with the magnificent Mount Kanchenjunga as a backdrop. Enjoy ride on the famous Toy Train Railway from Darjeeling Town, through the picturesque Batasia Loop and then to the neighboring towns of Ghoom and Kurseong. Take a stroll on the Mall or shop for local crafts and antiques along the way. Also visit the famous Das Studios for a peek at their collection of old black and white photographs from the area. Relish a cup of tea of coffee at Keventers or Glenary�s, two famous old cafeterias on the Mall.

Enjoy your lunch at any of the places like Glenary�s, which has a nice cafeteria as well as a multi-cuisine restaurant. Or you can also try restaurants, for a traditional �momo and thugpa� meal.

Drive to the Lebong Contonment area in the afternoon. Visit the Zoo, famous for its snow leopards and pandas, the renowned Himalyan Mountaineering Institute and the Gymkhana Club.

Drive back to Glenburn for overnight stay.

Day 07: Glenburn Tea Estate
Drive cum hike up to Lamha Haata Orchard, and the Clooney Sisters' Church and School on seventh day of the Glenburn Tea Estate Tour.

Climb being fairly steep cannot be accessed by jeep. Drive to the start of the track, which is just 10 minutes away from The Burra Bungalow. The climb up to the church takes about 20 minutes, and then the orchard is another 10 minutes climb from there. The church and the school are run by The Irish Cluny Sisters. Meet the children there and play with the baby animals.

Glenburn�s Fine Cut Orange Marmalade comes from the oranges of the Lamha Haata Orange Orchard. Climb up another 10 minutes to the orchard enjoying the spectacular views of the surrounding hillside and Darjeeling Town, across on the opposite hilltop. Notice other fruit and vegetables are being grown at the time, and pick a bundle of fresh flowers to take back to your room. Take a cup of tea with our resident caretaker and start your descent back down to the main track where your jeep awaits to take you back to The Burra Bungalow.
Stop on the way back at the Glenburn Hospital and see what welfare activities take place on a tea estate. Visits to Buddhist and Sai Baba centers within the Estate can also be arranged.

Overnight stay.

Day 08: Glenburn Tea Estate
Excursion to Nature towards Glenburn Campsite on eight day of the Glenburg Tea Estate Tour.

All walking is down hill, and the duration of walking can range from 1.5 hours to 4 hours, and 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.

Guide-cum-naturalist will lead you through the Bora Gaon Village and into the Simbong Tea Division, past the Sim Jhora (stream and waterfall), and finally into the Simbong Forest area. Follow the main forest track, or break off at various points to take short cuts through the forest. Enjoy beautiful Sikkim (including Naamchi Baazar and Manjitar Village), the hill station of Kalimpong, and the River Rungeet, which flows through the valley below. Gradually descend from a height of around 3000 feet, down to the river, lying at around 800 feet. Forests contain a rich diversity of flora and fauna. Refreshments provided along the way, and a jeep not too far away if a guest feels tired and chooses to drive down the rest of the way.

Arrive at the Glenburn Campsite on the banks of the River Rungeet where guests have a choice of activities like Paddling in rock pools, Fishing, and Bird watching etc.

Relax on the sandy beach and rocks by the river. Take a short walk along the river. Enjoy lunch served according to the guest preference, either as a sit-down meal up near the cabin, or picnic style on the river beaches and rocks.

Drive back up to the bungalow in the afternoon.

Day 09: Glenburn Tea Estate/ Bagdogara/ Delhi:
Transfer to Bagdogara airport to board flight to Delhi. On reaching transfer to the local restaurant for dinner

Day 10 - Delhi departure
Head for the International airport to board a flight for the onward destination.

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