North Point, West Bengal (at near St. Joseph's School), Darjeeling, India, 734104
A vegetarian resort in Singtom Tea Estate, situated 20 minutes by car from Darjeeling town. Offering dining service to its guests with vegans catered for. The tea estate produces tea in an ethical, environment-friendly and pure manner, per its motto. 4 luxury suites and other rooms also available nearby. Offers day visits & tea tastings with advance reservation. 4 trekking paths that are part of the resort area. Each of these paths lies between 1000 and 1800 meters in altitude covering a 1600 acre of land with 22 kms of walking distance. Breathtaking views of the great Himalayan peaks, including Kanchenjunga.
2 Reviews
First Review by JohnnySensible
Contributions +1210
Snobs - Edit
I emailed them via the email address as recommended on their website while i was staying in Darjeeling, politely asking if i could visit for a vegan lunch, and they did not even bother to reply :-(
Cons: uncommunicative
Contributions +7639
Absolute Paradise - perfect teas & great walks - Edit
Singtom, Darjeeling - or "Dorje-ling", meaning the land of the thunderbolt.
A treat - an incredible treat – a place which you will want to revisit very regularly.
Singtom-Steinthal tea estate is a breathtakingly beautiful place.
The estate’s bungalow has been ‘home’ to generations of tea planters. All of its rooms have high wooden ceilings and teakwood flooring.
The resort offers vegan organic food.
I stayed for 4 days - enjoying home cooked style vegan dishes & some of the very best teas in the world – walking among the tea bushes – sometimes looking down on cotton-wool clouds.
The owners have been vegetarians for countless generations. In 1999 they acquired Singtom & Steinthal tea gardens in Darjeeling – 2 of the oldest gardens in the area.
The tea estate is spread over 1,662 acres.
Superb teas have been grown here since 1852.
One of the top tea experts in the world writing about –
….one of the teas from Steinthal garden - ~……this 2012 production is a testament to the art of handcrafted tea. Select clonal plants were chosen for a fine plucking, performed at sunrise to ensure optimal flavor. The bold leaves and plump white buds were then hand-rolled to produce the beautiful leaf. The medium golden-amber liquid has a sparkling quality, with a lively mouth feel, eminently smooth character, notes of dark grapes and light hints of citrus. ~
….one of the teas - from Singtom garden - ~ This is a very smooth tea, harvested between the first and second flush seasons. The medium bodied cup has a fine aroma with hints of pome and citrus fruits. The lingering finish has a touch of sweetness and a gentle crispness. ~
From here - http://www.uptontea.com
Much of the tea is grown on very steep slopes.
A long winding road goes right from the top of the tea gardens down to the Rangeet river at the lowest point of the gardens.
There are 4 trekking paths that are part of the resort area – totaling 13+ miles (or 22 km) in length. Each of these paths lies between approx. 3300’ and 6000’ (1000 and 1800 m) in altitude.
In many spots you have scenic views of Kanchenjunga - the third highest mountain in the world - 28,169' (8,586 m).
How to get there?
Siliguri is 77 km (48 mi) from Darjeeling. Bagdogra Airport is located 90 km (56 mi) from Darjeeling.
Nearest regular Railway Station - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jalpaiguri - in Siliguri.
Nearest Airport - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagdogra_Airport - near Siliguri.
Out of ....
1 Response
JohnnySensible 10 Oct 2013 - ...space.
A car or taxi will take you to Darjeeling & then to the Singtom-Steinthal tea estate via Highway 55 - ……but the drive can take 3 hours!
I lived in Kolkata for many years. My personal preferred travel method is an overnight train from Kolkata & then to jump on the ‘Toy Train’ up to Darjeeling – ……as soon as it fully re-opens - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darjeeling_Himalayan_Railway
Let's have a little bit of Jack as I drink some - ~ Steinthal Est. FTGFOP1 Cl. Musc Sunrise 2nd Fl. Organic tea from 2012 ~ - I have about 300g of the leaves left......
~ 'Yeah man, you know to me a mountain is a Buddha. Think of the patience, hundreds of thousands of years just sitting there bein perfectly perfectly silent and like praying for all living creatures in that silence and just waiting for us to stop all our frettin and foolin.' Japhy got out the tea, Chinese tea, and sprinkled some in a tin pot, and had the fire going meanwhile, a small one to begin with, the sun was still on us, and stuck a long stick tight down under a few big rocks and made himself something to hang the teapot on and pretty soon the water was boiling and he poured it out steaming into the tin pot and we had cups of tea with our tin cups. I myself'd gotten the water from the stream, which was cold and pure like snow and the crystal-lidded eyes of heaven. Therefore, the tea was by far the most pure and thirst quenching tea I ever drank in all my life, it made you want to drink more and more, it actually quenched your thirst and of course it swam around hot in your belly. ~
Dharma Bum's excerpt - (From Chapter 9: Japhy Ryder and Ray Smith are camping out after a day of mountain climbing)
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