Nestled amidst a lush tea plantation in the Kangra region of Himachal Pradesh, the Tea Lovers Abode is a perfect hideaway for travellers who wish to experience the beauty of Kangra without the maddening crowds of Dharamsala and Mcleodganj.

It's a sweet, charming stay where you wake up to the chirping of birds and sleep to the sounds of whistling trees. Home to a lovely family of Tea Estate owners from Calcutta, you're in for a warm stay with some excellent hospitality!

ABOUT THE STAY

The owners Upasana and Surya are a young vivacious couple from Calcutta who live on the estate six months of the year. For the remaining six months, their folks from Calcutta come over, making sure there is always a warm family to care for you. From the moment you enter the place, the hosts with their team of staff, greet you and the smiles and warmth lasts all through your stay.

The most wonderful thing was being able to experience the warmth of a home and family with the service, culinary delights and privacy of a luxury hotel. The main house, where the hosts live, has a common lounge and dining area where guests can feast on all the delicious meals prepared by the hosts and their team!

Two of the cottages and a sweet sit-out.

The lounge for guests to relax, read, hang-out.

Some Burmese Khow Suey for dinner with guests and the hosts.

Breakfast Menu served with love and art!

THE ROOMS

The house has four rooms, two rooms per cottage. Each cottage is built using local materials like mud and stone. While rustic in its aesthetic, the rooms have all the comforts and luxuries you will need during your stay, from excellent beds and pillows for great sleep, to beautiful views for relaxing.

Three of the rooms are on the ground level with a shared sit-out, and one is on the first level with a private balcony. The balcony, as I learnt from the hosts used to be the witness box of the Palampur Court. The hosts collected all the wood when the Court House was demolished and painstakingly restored it to use in the house.

THE CREW

The entire team, under the supervision of Upasana ensures that guests are comfortable and all their needs are taken care of. I loved their colour coordinated uniforms with specific colours assigned to each day of the week. All the staff were very friendly and cheerful and their smiles really added joy to the experience.

A special note of appreciation goes out to the chef who made sure that each meal we had was unique and delicious - from an authentic Kangra Dham, a local favourite for celebrations with lentils and various vegetables, to Burmese Khow Suey and Mongolian BBQ, each meal was excellent! What makes it even more special is that most ingredients come from their very own organic vegetable garden on the property.

Upasana and her team of ladies in orange de-weeding their organic vegetable garden.

MORE PHOTOS

THINGS TO KNOW

LOCATION
The Tea Lovers Abode is located near Palampur, Himachal.

GET THERE
By Road:
10 hours from Delhi or 5 hrs from Chandigarh.
By Train:
Nearest station is Pathankot, 3 hrs away.
By Air:
Nearest airport is Kangra airport, 1 hr away.

BEST TIME TO VISIT
Summer, spring and monsoon.

BEST SUITED FOR
Solo lady travellers, couples and small groups of friends/families looking for a beautiful getaway.

PRICE
Rs. 12,000 + taxes per day inclusive of breakfast, dinner and tea on double occ.

ACTIVITES

The Tea Lovers Abode is an ideal place for slow travellers as well as adventure junkies and activity seekers.

For those looking for more activities, the popular towns of Bir, Dharamsala, Palampur and McLeodganj are just 30 minutes to an hour away, making them easily accessible from the property.

For the quiet traveller, sit back and relax at the property with a book or your journal. Do yoga in the garden or take long walks through the lush tea estate around the property. The paths are beautiful, giving you a chance to interact with some tea pickers along the way while chancing upon stunning views of the surrounding mountain peaks.

Adventure junkies also have lots of interesting activities such as para-gliding in Bir, jeep safaris through the mountains and some challenging but fulfilling treks and hikes.

INSPIRED TO WANDER?

As a result of my travels to The Tea Lovers Abode, I have been able to build a great relationship with the owner and work out a special deal for you! The property will offer a surprise present to all Wanderbugs who wish to experience its beauty.