One of the oldest and the very first to establish a factory in the region, Makaibari tea estateis located in the beautiful Kurseong valley of Darjeeling. It is a family owned tea estate that has its ownership transferredover the past four generations.
At present, the estate is owned and run by Rajah Banerjee. Ever since he got his hands on the tea estate, various developments have been seen in the status of Makaibari. Due to his efforts, the concept of organic farming came into the limelight, which later on became the major trait of tea processing at Makaibari. Close to 700 workers indulge in local practices in producing one of the finest tea varieties in the world.
Plantations at the Makaibari tea estateare divided into a multi-tier set up of plants and trees, all nestled coyly just like a sub-tropical rain forest.
How to Reach
Makaibari tea estate is around 1 and a half hour from the main town of Darjeeling, which can be covered by on a jeep ride. In order to reach the hill station of Darjeeling, one can make use of various alternatives, which are mentioned as below:
By Air: Nearest airport to Darjeeling town and to the tea estate is Bagdogra airport in West Bengal.Bagdogra connects the important cities of India like Kolkata, Guwahati and Delhi. From the airport, one can easily hire a taxi or cab to make it to the hill station.
By Rail: If you are planning to travel by rail, then make it to point totravel till New Jalpaiguri as it is the nearest to the hill station. The station very well connects the important cities of India like Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Kochi.
By Road: The region of Darjeeling is accessible by road journeys as well. Cities like Kalimpong (51 km away) and Gangtok (100 km away) are well connected to Darjeeling via roads.
When to Go?
Darjeeling in the Himalayan setting of northeast India faces blissful weather conditions mostly all the months of the year. Except the monsoons, the hill station remains open forsome of the best sightseeing opportunities. However, if you are in for a visit to the tea estates, schedule your plans in the months of summer (April to June). During this time, Darjeeling and its surroundings bloom within a comfortable temperature range. Thereby, making the plantation visit a blissful affair for the tourists.
