Our trip to the Hills

Just in time to escape Kolkata’s thermometer-busting heat and record-smashing humidity, we discovered Glenburn, a refreshing retreat outside Darjeeling, where West Bengal’s plains rise to meet the Himalayas.

Glenburn is truly world class. A stay at Glenburn offers many layers of enjoyment: the beauty of Darjeeling’s scenery and the fascinating Hill culture; the elegance of restored and new tea bungalows with heritage furnishings and tasteful decoration; the delight of delectable cuisine, much of it made with ingredients grown on-site; and the luxury of a well-trained and responsive staff, who embody the highest standards of hospitality.

The experience began before I reached Glenburn: My journey on the overnight Darjeeling Express from Kolkata to Siliguri was a great part of the adventure.  In the Air-Conditioned Second Tier, I had a pleasant bunk with clean sheets and towels.  I was traveling by myself (my family flew ahead of me), but I was not alone: the atmosphere felt like an extended family picnic, surrounded by the comforting chatter of all my Indian aunties and uncles settling in for the night.  I woke up the next morning and propped open a door to watch the beautiful Bengal countryside scroll by the train as it sliced through the chicken-neck between Nepal and Bangladesh and into New Jalpaiguri station.  I was met at the train by Prakash, who sported the teal Glenburn poloshirt that I came to associated with helpful service.  He offered me a refreshing glass of nimbu pani (lemonade) and a cool towel, and we started off on our journey.

The drive through the Teesta River Valley to Glenburn is as beautiful as it is harrowing.  It is breathtaking, in every meaning of the word.  We passed groups of colorfully-dressed women, who seemed to chatter away gaily as they picked tea and flung the small sprigs expertly over their shoulders and into wicker baskets they strapped to their foreheads.  We stopped at the top of one mountain ridge where a phalanx of colorful prayer flags flapped in the wind, solemn sentries before a majestic stand of tall evergreens.

And then, just when it seemed we were on top of the world, we broke off the main road and began a descent that crossed back-and-forth, like the laces on a shoe, dropping down the valley through thick forests, occasional towns, incongruous boulders, and hillsides carpeted with tea bushes.

With their single-height bushes and intermittent tree cover, tea estates have a distinctive look, but it is the smell that always signals to me I’ve arrived.  The smell of Glenburn’s tea gardens—evoking unspoiled air, cool breezes, and unhurried evenings—sets the mood for experience.

For us, refugees from Kolkata’s hustling, bustling, horn-honking heat, Glenburn was an abode of exercise, relaxation and healthy eating.  The food is absolutely superb, especially remarkable given the remote location.  We munched on greens fresh from the garden, colored with edible flower blossoms.  The menu boasts surprising diversity: European dishes, Thai and Burmese and grilled fish and chicken with Indian spices.  Breakfasts we enjoyed out-of-doors, in the shade of a pomelo tree.  Lunches and dinners were taken family style, in the main lodge, or as quiet, in-room affairs, depending on the mood.  I should correct myself: this would be healthy eating, if we didn’t leave each meal so overstuffed.  But what to do, when presented with fresh profiteroles, drizzled in chocolate or warm apple cobbler, drowning in cream?  Yes, I do think I’ll have another, thank you.

Fortunately, the opportunities to eat well at Glenburn are well-matched by the opportunities to work off those calories in pleasant fashion.  We went for short walks around the grounds, stopping to watch the process of drying, sorting and packaging the world famous Glenburn teas.

We went for medium walks, exploring nearby villages and stopping to watch local games of cricket, played at impossible angles on the steep hillsides.

And we went for daylong treks, including a memorable walk down the valley to soak in the cool water of the Rung Dung River that rushed through the channel on the valley floor.

Our stay was too short to enjoy everything Glenburn has to offer, including daytrips to Darjeeling and hikes further afield.  More than anything, I would have loved more time to sit and enjoy the peaceful ambiance, wonderful staff and, of course, the delicious food.

Kavi and Max hold on as a storm blows in.

A game of cricket (so a "fixture" I guess) by the riverside.

Buffalo pj's

All together on Aunt Shona's bunk for the return journey.