Happy Valley Tea Estate Darjeeling

Happy Valley Tea Estate is a tea garden in Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Established in 1854, it is Darjeeling's oldest tea estate. Spread over 437-acre, it is situated at a height of 6,800 ft. The estate was established by David Wilson, an Englishman, who had named the garden Wilson Tea Estate and by 1860 had started cultivation of tea. In 1903, Happy Valley Tea Estate was taken over by an Indian, Tarapada Banerjee, an aristocrat from Hooghly. In 1929, Tarapada Banerjee bought the Windsor tea estate and merged another nearby estate and gave the name Happy Valley tea estate. Happy Valley Tea Estate is the closest estate to Darjeeling town and tourists often visit the garden to enjoy the scenic beauty and scene of tea cultivation. This tea estate in Darjeeling lies 3 km away from Darjeeling town and is situated below the Hill Cart Road in the Darjeeling East Valley. The garden can be reached on foot or by simply taking a jeep. The tea estate is spread over 437 acre. The bushes in the garden are very old — the minimum age is 80 years, and some are 150 years old. Walking through a tea garden on the gentle hill slopes of Darjeeling and seeing the tea processing is always a special experience. There are guides who offer to take you inside the tea production factory and show you the entire tea production process. They are usually employees of the factory acting as guides during their off time and charge small fees. After you enter this picturesque tea garden, you will able be able to see some beautiful sights of lush green hill slopes. The tea production factory of Happy valley Tea Estate has a slanted tin roof and is painted with white color. The older factory which has been turned into a working museum, displays items like a single piston slow-speed engines, shaft machines and souvenirs related to tea.

The estate is open form Tuesday to Saturday from 8am to 4 pm. There is no entry fee required but the hiring of a guide will cost you a small amount. There are different plucking season for different types of tea. From March to May is used to pluck the Green and little bit of White Tea. June to August is the best time to pluck for Black tea. Again Green and White Tea are plucked from September to November. During the monsoons tea is not plucked. Stop by the gardens during the process of plucking, processing and packaging and you'll be privy to one of the most fascinating tea garden experiences. Tea lovers can pick up a handful of fresh tea from here or sip a cup of their favourite aromatic tea at the nearby Happy Gold Cafe. A few routes around the estate offer great trekking paths, along with spectacular views of the sprawling landscape. The employees at the estate help guide you around the aromatic factory and explain the withering, rolling, fermenting and drying processes. A visit to Happy Valley Tea Estate will give you a greater insight into the various cultures and traditions of Darjeeling. Happy Valley Tea Estate is located 3km from Chowk Bazaar which is the main market area of Darjeeling town. It may take up to 45 minutes to reach the estate due to the usual traffic jams in the market area.