Let me just begin by asking, who wouldn’t mind a piece of history and heritage being combined right in the middle of tea estates on the hills in Darjeeling where you literally float with the clouds, right? I mean for someone like us living a busy, hectic and a fast paced life in a metro like Mumbai, a place like Darjeeling is nothing but HEAVEN!! In every form and shape, this place will make you fall in love even further with what makes you travel in the first place. Add to this the breathtakingly gorgeous property of Singtom Tea Estate And Resort in Darjeeling and you are up for some unforgettable days ahead.
We planned this trip for many reasons and to list a few of them, tea loving individuals and nature lovers would top the list for sure. Other than that, mid-September is an ideal time to visit Darjeeling for anyone who wants that perfect foggy weather, sprinkles of rain every now and then with cool breeze flowing right by your side. Ideal for wanderers like my BAE and me. Our travel route was simple – Mumbai – Delhi – Bagdogra by flight (1 hour layover in Delhi) and from Bagdogra one can hire a prepaid car (Around Rs. 1,800) from the airport itself for Darjeeling. It took us around 3.5 hours to reach the main tea plantation area in Darjeeling.
Travel Tip : Try to take a flight that will land in Bagdogra by 12:20pm so you can reach the hotel by 5:00pm and not be super tired. There are plenty of flights.
One can reach the Singtom Tea & Resort easily within 35 minutes once when you are at the main Darjeeling town. The road leading upto Singtom Tea Estate & Resort can be a bit bumpy and rough but there is a new road being built which will make the trip quicker and more comfortable. Singtom Tea Estate & Resort is one of the oldest tea estates in entire Darjeeling and their roots go all the way upto the year 1862. Yes you heard that right! The entire structure of their resort is made during the British Era and I love the fact that they have maintained the old charm in the best way possible. Tea plantations on both sides will greet you right from Bagdogra to the main Resort.
Travel Trip : Like most hotels in Darjeeling Singtom Tea Estate & Resort doesn’t have a TV in their rooms so make sure to carry a Laptop or Tablet if you like watching shows on your vacation like we do :). P.S. They do have Wifi though :D.
A cute little garden welcomes you right at the entrance and a small pathway, surrounded by lush green trees and shrubs lead you to their own private and open ground sports center (badminton, football, cricket, etc). This is the first thing I noticed, and I love outdoor sports. Goes without saying that we have played badminton there like there’s no tomorrow. Sujeet, their General Manager was right outside their main entrance to welcome us and their entire team is so warm, courteous and ever smiling. They made sure our entire stay was comfortable and full of warmth. It took me 10 whole minutes to stop staring at the BEAUTIFUL outdoors, before I stepped inside their property.
My favourite breakfast spot was the one laid out right in their front lawn, with clouds playing hide and seek amidst some clean and pure air (trust me no dust or pollution can touch you here).
Once you step inside this heritage and royal property, each and every nook and corner and the vintage furniture will make you ponder over the British Era and the people who stayed there during the 18th century with so much rich history and culture in its stride. They have humongous Suites to select from (Suites with Mountain Views and Queen Suites).
Travel Tip : If you like taking a bath in a Bath Tub I highly recommend you try to book the “Steinthal Suite” as it is the room with the best mountain view & a bath tub.
Check out our lavish Suite with the mountain views. The ceiling is so tall with wooden panels on the floor along with a private fireplace present in each Suite. They have these super cute vintage seating area for a family or small groups with a division in their main living area.
There are fireplaces on each side in the waiting area too and on our last day in Singtom Tea Estate & Resort, we decided to dine there. My SHY… VERY SHY photographer is in the frame today (all thanks to a Sujeet for clicking such a cute one with us).
Another favourite place of ours was the dining area, which led towards the other end of the resort to yet another breathtaking view of the mountains covered in clouds overlooking Darjeeling.
We loved their authentic Darjeeling food which mainly consisted of breakfasts and dinners, since lunch used to be out during our sight seeing. They have separate cooks who come for different meals of the day, which brings in a different flavour and breaks the monotony. Even though the food served at Singtom is pure Vegetarian, it is some of the best Veg we have ever had. Normally my hubby stays away from the greens but he was in love with the Paneer delicacies.
We are already missing their freshly made momos that were made from scratch by their cook (a cute lady who stayed in the neighbouring village and walked everyday 2 hours to get here). All the staff members are close knitted like a big happy helpful family and when I interacted with a few they told me how they appreciate the bond they share with Singtom Tea Estate & Resort.
Another highlight of our trip was our breakfast at 360 degree view point from where you could see entire Darjeeling town and some 60+ Himalayan peaks. Other than the spell bounding beauty surrounding our breakfast table, we could also see the hills of Nepal, some beautiful waterfalls and vast tea estates of Singtom. All you have to do is, inform at the reception 24 hours prior to the day you want to plan your breakfast at 360 degree view point.
Travel Tip : DON’T MISS OUT ON THE 360 Degree View Point Breakfast option!! Also try to go as early as possible for the best experience.
The Resort car will drop you till the base of the tea plantation, from where you can hike for 8-10 minutes to reach at the 360 degree view point. The sunrise at this point, makes you want to wake up early every morning and keep coming back right at this spot again and again.
This slice of heaven nestled in the lap of Mother Earth, was too pretty for me to miss out on shooting my look posts here. I am going to post the look posts we shot here at Singtom Tea Estate & Resort for you all. A heads up –It’s gonna be hard not to stare at the serene backgrounds. Take me back already!!
I will be posting a separate article on the Singtom Tea Factory we visited which is just 5 minutes walking distance from their resort in Darjeeling. I am going to talk about all the different teas we tasted from their estate which are freshly brewed for all their guests. The tea tasting session is another must-do activity for all the tea lovers out there just like me.
All in all, DARJEELING, their people, the entire staff at Singtom Tea Estate & Resort and the entire landscape along with their cuisines have made our stay such a loving one that we wanna go back there again soon!!! To heavenly travels like these!!!
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Ruchi
OMG.. Wow. This trip looks soooooo amazing… Planning to gift my parents with this trip on their anniversary… Thnx a lot for this wonderful post…
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Shifa Merchant
Glad you enjoyed reading. It is beautiful property with a very homely feel.
Durga Prasad Dash
Thanks for the virtual tour
Shifa Merchant
Trust me the photos don’t do it justice, it’s something else only to experience the place.