The Makaibari Tea estate trail can be your next weekend rejuvenator

If you have a knack for brewing that perfect cup of tea and want to know it deeper, then tea tourism in the sleepy hills of Darjeeling – the birthplace of the finest flavour teas – can be worth your while. When we got invited to explore how the finest Darjeeling tea is grown organically in the sprawling estate of the renowned Makaibari Tea, it was too hard to resist the temptation. The late Queen Elizabeth II's love for Silver Tips Imperial tea catapulted Makaibari to the zenith of fame.

Why Makaibari is a must-visit for tea lovers

Nestled in Kurseong, the Makaibari Tea Estate was established in 1859 and is one of the oldest tea gardens in the world, with 248 hectares of land under cultivation and 240 hectares under forest cover. The Makaibari Bungalow was built shortly after, and the estate remained under Rajah Banerjee’s family’s stewardship for four generations, making it one of the handful of Indian-owned tea estates even during British rule. Taken over by Luxmi Tea Group in 2014, it is the world’s first biodynamic tea estate.

As we arrived at the Makaibari bungalow after a short flight from Kolkata and an hour’s drive up the rain-washed hill slopes, the place felt right out of any 20th-century British novels with all the tropes of the colonial flavours intact. Surrounded by lush gardens, forests, and the stunning Eastern Himalayas, it exudes an old-world charm and has hosted writers, filmmakers and dignitaries from across the globe. Managed by Ama Stays and Trails, the bungalow offers a relaxed homestay with five cosy rooms overlooking the mountains, an expansive living room and a dining hall, all done up in old British style. The wooden floors, stone verandahs, vintage fireplaces, period furniture and antique décor will take you back to the colonial era. The photographs on the walls chronicle the estate’s rich legacy and history.

You can choose from a range of activities throughout the day, including tea tastings, guided plucking sessions, forest walks, and tasting local cuisine. The slow and soulful itinerary highlights the beauty of life in a tea estate, making this spot an ideal getaway for a couple of days.

After a wholesome continental spread for lunch and a little rest in the afternoon, we gathered in the living area for an interaction with the estate’s representatives to know our tea better. The conversation provided us with a wealth of information about the types of teas and the essential differences between black, silver tips, and champagne teas. It was exciting to know how Makaibari executes moonlight plucking for their exotic Silver Tips Imperial Tea, which is manufactured in five full moon cycles during the Summer Solstice in limited proportions. According to local lore, the air's high oxygen content and cosmic confluence during a full moon produce a delicate, smoother taste. It was this very tea, from Makaibari, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took as a gift for the late Queen during his visit to the UK. This handmade, semi-fermented, light liquoring Oolong tea is best sipped at bedtime and is the most expensive among its peers due to the highly labour-intensive process involved. The youngest unopened buds are hand-plucked delicately, and since machines, chemicals, or artificial enhancers are not used at any stage of growth or production, the tea supposedly has higher energetic vitality.

We also tasted the light, aromatic and pale first flush black tea, which indeed carries the delicate scent of spring flowers. The second flush is full-bodied with muscatel notes, while the monsoon flush is usually used to create various blended teas. We also loved the Autumnal flush, which mimics the first flush except that it has slightly fruity notes. There are also the equally popular green and Oolong tea, but after the Silver Tips Imperial, it was the White tea that took our hearts. It’s the rarest and most delicate tea made from the youngest buds and is rich in antioxidants.

So, what’s CTC or the regular chai that we have at tea stalls or at home with milk and sugar, accompanied by pakodas? CTC tea, which is literally made by crushing, tearing and curling low-grade or broken tea leaves in a machine, is best suited for those who love their daily dose of milk chai. Those who want high-quality leaf grades can have Orthodox tea made with whole leaves rolled and shaped by hand or machine.

With so much knowledge at hand, we couldn’t wait to visit the vast tea estate and the adjoining factory the day after to witness the tedious steps between the plucking and packaging of the tea. We saw how painstakingly the women pluck each variant before they are sent for withering on trays and bamboo racks. After 8 to 20 hours of drying, soft and pliable leaves are ready for rolling in machines. Rolling breaks the cell walls, allowing the release of essential oils and enzymes. The rolled leaves are then spread in a cool, humid room to oxidise. This turns the leaves brown and lends aroma and flavour. Black tea is fully oxidised, Oolong is partially oxidised, and Green and white teas are minimally or not oxidised at all. This is followed by drying or firing to lock in the flavour. The dried tea is then sorted by size, shape, and quality before being packed to preserve aroma and freshness.

⁠If you are a tea lover and an eco-conscious traveller looking for a quick breather amidst nature, then head straight to experience Makaibari’s unique approach to sustainable luxury.

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