We normally carry sandwiches and coffee, and breakfast out in the open under the shade trees. In winter, when the air is clear, we get magnificent views of the Kanchendzonga range, which stands out against the azure blue skies.
Nuxalbari Tea Estate probably has the largest number or shade trees for a garden of its size, probably ranging into tens of thousands, with many different species, both local and non-endemic. We have the greatest number of Sal trees on our estate. A few are over a hundred years old and the largest measures 18 feet in circumference!
I have myself planted over 2,500 Teak and Mahogany saplings in the early ‘90s and watch with pride and pleasure as they grow taller every year. Besides the trees at our Darjeeling estate has some wild orchids, as well as a beautiful garden attached to the Planter’s Bungalow. This is my mother’s pride, and between January and March is a sight to see as it is bursting with the colour of a thousand blooms.
The
estate is home to a number of birds and animals as well. On many occasions,
Nuxalbari Tea Estate had played host to herds of wild Elephants!