Happy Valley Tea Estate

Happy Valley Tea Estate is a historic tea garden on the hillsides of Darjeeling, founded in 1854 during the colonial growth of the region's tea industry. It lies at about 2,100 m (6,900 ft) and covers 177 hectares, or around 440 acres. The first bushes came from China, and many plants are very old: none is younger than 80 years and some are about 150.

Visitors can walk the paths between the rows and watch workers plucking leaves by hand, a skill handed down over generations. In the factory, the leaf goes through withering, rolling, oxidation and drying, and staff explain how each stage shapes the character of Darjeeling tea.

A tasting room set among the gardens lets visitors compare the estate's teas, from light first-flush leaf to stronger second-flush grades. The estate's output is sold to tea drinkers around the world.