Arya Tea Estate in Darjeeling- How to Reach

Earlier named as Sidrabong, Arya tea estate in the outskirts of Darjeeling is globally renowned for producing a huge variety of good quality tea. It was back in the early 19^th century, when a group of Buddhist monks, completely smitten by the beauty of the valley decided to plant tea seeds at this location. This laymen attempt culminated in harvesting acres of tea plantations all over the valley and shaped the structure of Darjeeling as a major tea producing region in India.

Arya tea estate resides at an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level and is spread over a region of 125 hectares. Its organic produce includes tea blends like Pearl (White tea), Diamond (Chunky tips), Ruby (Black tea), Emerald (Green tea) and Topaz (Oolong). Not just for the huge variety of tea the estate grows, but Arya is also known for its cultivation techniques and tea processing methods.

How to reach

By Air: The hill station of Darjeeling in West Bengal has Bagdogra as its nearest airport (95 km away). Bagdogra operates regular flights from some of the major Indian cities like New Delhi, Kolkata and Darjeeling. Once at the airport, once can hire taxis or cabs to make it to the hill station.

By Rail: New Jalpaiguri railway station connects the hill station of Darjeeling to the various cities of India. Trains from Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Guwahati and Bengaluru runs to the rail head on a regular basis. The railway station is 87 km away from Darjeeling, which one can cover by hiring private cabs.

By Road: Darjeeling can also be reached via road from the nearby cities of Gangtok and Kalimpong. The former is at a distance of 100 km, while the latter is at 51 km respectively. Buses and cabs to the hill station are readily available from these two cities.

Best time to visit

If you are going to explore lush green tea plantations in Darjeeling, you have the option to schedule your trip in any of the major seasons; summer and winter. Topography of Darjeeling is such, weather stays absolutely pleasant in both of the seasons.

However, the prime winter months (December and January) are bound to be freezing cold. Thus, it is better to avoid these months. Similarly, monsoon months (July and August) are to be clearly knocked off from the trip calendar as the region is prone to heavy rainfall during this time of the year.