Tea Estates around Dharmshala town of Himachal Pradesh - Lush green landscapes surrounded by snow covered Dhauladhar Mountain Ranges in Himalayan State of India
Dharamshala is a beautiful city with many places to see, even if you do not visit the much more popular Mcleodganj. You can simply roam around in the city, have delicious parathas at the small restaurants near the chowk, sip on a rejuvenating cup of tea and wonder where such potent tea comes from. And you do not have to wander too far to find the answer.
Related Blogpost - World's Highest Altitude Cricket Stadium in Dharmshala - Unimaginable location surrounded by snow covered Himalayan peaks & stunning tea-estates of Himachal Pradesh
Although the tea gardens here in Dharamshala aren't as vast as the ones in Assam or down south in Kerala, they still spread across acres with Dhauladhar ranges looming in the backdrop. You can explore them on foot during the day. In fact this is one of the smallest tea growing areas in India and the only one in North India. While you are exploring the tea estates, do stay watchful as there are chances that you may come across some wildlife here. One of our friends once spotted a leopard in one tea garden.
Related Blogpost - 'Dhauladhar Rangers' is re-defining camping experience around Himalayas
Looking at this area, it is hard to believe that some of these bushes are over 100 years old and still producing high quality tea. We visited the area in Winter and that is not the right season to visit a tea estate because you cannot see tea being plucked or processed. However, despite that, tea estates always manage to mesmerize me with their symmetry and lush green carpet like appearance.
Related Blogpost - Beautiful Church in Mcleodganj, Himachal Pradesh || St. John Church near Dharmshala Town
Kangra black tea, particularly the first flush, is known for its unique aroma and a tinge of fruity flavour. It is milder than Darjeeling tea and has a sweet lingering after taste. The green tea, in contrast, has a slightly woody flavour. Though the area of cultivation is very small, the demand for Kangra tea has been increasing steadily in the recent years.
If you do plan to visit the tea gardens in the right season, you may also get an opportunity to buy tea right from the source and also go for tea tasting. All of this sounds very exciting, and we will definitely plan to visit again, soon.
Related Blogpost - Ellora of Himachal Pradesh maintained by Archaeological Survey of India - Masroor Rockcut Temple || A Monolithic Temple in Kangra Region of Himalayan State, India
If you liked this post and found it helpful, I would request you to follow these things when traveling -
1. Manage your waste well and don’t litter Use dustbins.
2. Tell us if you went to a place and found it hard to locate a dustbin.
3. Avoid bottle waters in hills. Usually you get clean water in hills and water bottles create lot of mess in our ecosystem.
4. Say big no to plastic and avoid those unhealthy snacks packed in plastic bags. Rather buy fruits.
5. Don't play loud blaring music in forests of jungle camps. You are a guest in that ecosystem and disturbing the locals (humans and animals) is not polite.
.jpg)