Adding one more feather to the crown of one of the best tea producing regions in India; Darjeeling, is the Avongrove tea estate. Avongrovewhich in the local language of Darjeeling means bird’s nest, is settled exactly like one at the foothills of the Himalayas, 2200 ft. above the sea level. This certified organic tea estate of Darjeelinghas to its credit a sprawling 185 acre of plantation areathat is known to produce very good quality spring and summer tea. Being settled on the banks of BalsanRiver, the tea estate has a perennial source of water; something which is rare in the case of other estates in the vicinity.
In order to maintain the desired quality, the tea estate strictly adheres to traditional methods of tea production which involves handpicking of the tea leaves from skilled workers and constant nurturing through various processes till the time of packaging. Some of the best known tea varieties grown at Avongrove estate are White tea, fragranced Pearl tea, Deorali and Olympic flame.
How to Reach
The beautiful Avongrove tea estate has its address in the Rungbong valley of Darjeeling. One can make use of the route that goes through the small town of Sonanda, which is located on the outskirts of Darjeeling (15-20 km away from the main town).
In order to make it to Darjeeling, one can make use of the followingmeans of transport.
By Air: Nearest airport to Darjeeling is Badgogra(95 km away), which operates direct flights from Indian cities like Delhi, Guwahati and Kolkata. After reaching the airport, it is an almost 3 hour journey to reach Darjeeling. This can be covered by the readily available taxis from the airport.
By Rail: If you wish to cover the maximum journey to Darjeeling via rail, then your De-boarding destination must be New Jalpaiguri. The railway station is nearest to the hill station (87 km away) and is well connected to various cities of India like Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Bhubaneswar.
By Road: Tourists looking for breathtaking road journeys to the hill station of Darjeeling can start from Gangtok(100 km away) andKalimpong (51 km away).
Best Time To Visit
Darjeeling is one of the few hill stations in India that are suitable for trips throughout the year. However, slightly unpleasant times can come during the time of monsoons, when the hill station receives a large amount of rainfall. Thus, it is better to avoid this season, if you are going to visit the tea plantations.
Winter season is certainly the best time to visit Avongrove tea estate. During this time, the hill station blooms in a cool and serene ambience.
