If you are a tea person and love hill stations, stay at a heritage tea plantation bungalow on your next holiday. And Nya Sylee Tea Estate will transport you to the middle of the scenic Dooars region.
Located 90km from Bagdogra Airport, you will take around two hours to reach Nya Sylee Tea Estate. The estate covers an area of 775 hectares out of which 460 is under plantation. Sitting at the heart of this estate is the original Director's Heritage Bungalow of the British era. Home to a generation of planters, this bungalow is a century-old colonial structure.
Go just for the gorgeous sweeping verandah that has a beautiful view of the tea gardens, and a cosy living room with pool table, TV and a small library. Enjoy a peaceful meal in the classic lawn-facing dining room which also has a fireplace to keep you warm. The bungalow has three spacious, lawn-facing bedrooms and the main suite.
You will get to tour the estate and indulge in tea tasting, which can be an involved business, much like tasting wine. The tea estate visit involves a long process, starting with the tea nursery and the development activities of planting a new tea. It is then followed by a visit to the gardens where you can see the plucking (as well as pluck yourselves!). It finished with a trip to the factory to see and comprehend the manufacturing process. Also, experience solace in the lovely nature walks, bird watching, cycling and trekking.
If you are the adventurous type, opt for river rafting on Teesta. Or you can go for a jungle safari since Dooars has a rich density of forests. The best one to choose would be the Gorumara National Park for its variety of flora & fauna, the rhinos, Indian elephants, Indian bisons, leopards, etc. You can experience a quieter time with the cultural evening, wherein the locals present their ethnic cultural performance. But these programmes are organised at the request of the guests at an extra cost.