Darjeeling (un)Limited

My apologies in advance for the erratic layout of this post - I am in Dubai and so blogspot has auto-set to an Arabic language version, including setting all my lines and some of the punctuation as if I were writing right to left!

 If you saw Wes Anderson’s film The Darjeeling Ltd. and thought you might like to recreate the adventure, start well before the plot begins and take a pilgrimage to Glenburn. It was whilst staying on this, the most magical of tea estates, that Anderson conceived the idea for the film. Quite frankly, he could hardly have been anything but inspired.

Some 600km from Kolkata and an hour or so from Darjeeling town, the Glenburn Tea Estate clings to the foothills of the Himalayas, bordering the kingdom of Sikkim. Kanchenjunga, the world’s 3^rd highest mountain, dominates the horizon and two rivers, the Rungeet and the Rung Dung, entwine themselves as they run through valleys not out of place in a Tolkien novel. Overlooking it all is the Burra Bungalow, Glenburn’s boutique hotel and former home of the estate manager, your host Sanjay Sharma.

Other than the spectacular natural environment, there are two things that set Glenburn apart from other places to stay in Darjeeling or, indeed, elsewhere in the world. Firstly, you will never be crowded by other people. There are just four rooms in the Burra Bungalow and another four are due to open later this year. The result of this is that it simply doesn’t feel like a hotel; you are a guest in a home, welcome to roam around the estate all day and then return for drinks, dinner and lively conversation around the giant dining table once darkness falls. Next, the attention to detail of Glenburn’s staff (who outnumber guests five to one) is second to none. Freshly prepared picnics, afternoon tea and fresh juice appear from nowhere across the estate whether you are trekking the 2 hours down to the river or merely mooching in the garden. The food, ingredients for which are grown organically on the estate wherever possible, is exquisite and guests are treated to both Nepali and Naga dishes as well as international cuisine. The homemade breads and chocolate brownies slip down a treat.

Lest you think that Glenburn exists to provide a tourist paradise, you need to think again. Huge energy is undoubtedly put in to making the Glenburn experience perfect for visitors but the fact remains that the estate’s principal business is tea. The estate comprises 1600 acres of tea and jungle and employs around 900 people in tea production. A population of 4700 people is supported by the estate, which clothes and feeds them as well as providing health care and education. The estate’s management take responsibility for local development and if you’re interested will share every aspect of their work with you, from factory tours and tea tastings to school and hospital visits. Glenburn offers you an unrivalled opportunity to retreat from the rest of the world but also the chance to understand and engage with the community that works and lives on the estate.