The orchards are, first and foremost, a sensory experience. From November through January, hillsides that are ordinarily a complex layering of green suddenly blaze with the amber-gold of ripe mandarins (locally called kinnu or narangi). The fruit is sweeter and more fragrant at altitude than its counterpart in the plains, and most homestays will encourage you to simply walk out and pick what you like. Orange harvest time also means the pressing of fresh juice and, in many households, the preparation of orange pickle — a tart, oil-based preserve that will accompany every meal. Even outside season, the orchards are lovely: gnarled trunks, pollinating bees and a canopy dense enough to walk under like a green tunnel.
Orange Picking
Between November and January, most homestays will cheerfully invite you to walk into their orchards and fill a bag with fresh mandarins. This is not a curated tourist activity so much as a natural extension of hospitality; simply ask, and you will likely be handed a basket and pointed uphill. Some families also press fresh orange juice on request. If you visit during harvest (typically mid-November to late December), you may be invited to participate in the picking itself, which is meditative, physically satisfying work.
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