Exploring the Tea Gardens

Working tea estates, including Bhatpara, Chuapara, Kalchini, Gangutia, and Mechpara, border Raimatang on its southern and eastern sides. A stroll through the tea gardens in the early morning, when workers are beginning their rounds and the low, flat canopy of tea bushes is still silver with dew, is one of the quieter pleasures of the Dooars.

Arrange for a guided walk with your homestay host to learn about the cultivation and processing of Dooars tea. Though less famous than Darjeeling, this robust, full-bodied variety is gaining appreciation among tea connoisseurs. The views back toward the forest from the middle of a tea estate, with the hill-line of Bhutan visible to the north, are among the most photogenic in the district.