Ilam Tea Gardens

Nepal'S Best Known Tea Growing Hills, In The Far East Near The Darjeeling Border · Ilam, Koshi

Ilam is a hill district in the far east of Nepal, on the other side of the border ridge from Darjeeling, and its steep slopes are covered in tea gardens that produce Nepal's best-known tea. The first estate here was planted in the nineteenth century, and today the neat green rows of bushes cover hillsides around Ilam town and at Kanyam and Fikkal, where pickers work through the gardens from spring into autumn. Nepali orthodox tea from these hills is exported widely and often compared with Darjeeling's. The main draw for visitors is simply walking in the gardens, visiting factories to see tea withered, rolled and dried, and tasting it at source. Antu Danda, a ridge near the border, is known for sunrise views over Kanchenjunga and the plains, and Mai Pokhari is a sacred lake in the forest. Ilam is popular with domestic tourists, especially from the eastern cities, and much less visited by foreigners. It is green and cool, with mist rolling over the tea in the afternoons, and it combines well with a trip to Kanchenjunga.

Ilam town and tea estates, Ilam District, Ilam, Koshi, Nepal

The gardens can be walked freely along public paths in daylight; factory visits depend on the estate and season, and are usually possible in working hours when leaf is being processed. Plucking seasons run from spring to autumn, and winter is quiet. Ilam is reached from Birtamod on the East-West Highway, with flights to Bhadrapur. Sunrise at Antu Danda means leaving before dawn. Roads can be closed by landslides in the monsoon - confirm locally.

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