70 | AUTUMN/WINTER <strong>2018</strong>
patchwork quilt to bake in the sun. And on the river, traders in flower-adorned boats row by, ready to sell you armfuls of trinkets and treasures. Would I come here in the serious heat rather than coincide my trip with winter? No, I would find it far too full-on. Would I come here again? Resoundingly yes. It is one of the most compelling places I have ever seen. But now I am more than ready to come up for air in Darjeeling, so we leave Varanasi, flying in to Bagdogra airport to be collected by our driver for the four-hour drive to the Glenburn Tea Estate. Aah, Glenburn. You have me at hello, despite enduring a 30-minute drive from the turn-off on the main road to the door on such rocky terrain it’s like riding a camel (bear this in mind if you have any conditions that might make the trip prohibitive). The main British colonial bungalow, with its verandas, chequerboard floors, white walls, and racing green roofs, offers a view that is truly breathtaking. From on high, a verdant tea garden speaks before you. Beyond is the majestic Kanchenjunga mountain (the third highest in the world), dusted with snow. The sky (lucky us) is bluer than blue. The terraced gardens are bursting with marigolds, poinsettia, and bougainvillea. Tea trays are laden with welcome refreshments. This chill-out zone beguiles from minute one. Glenburn, sensibly, has eschewed the contemporary, could-beanywhere boutique style. It’s all original four-poster beds, electric blankets, muslin curtains, and chintz-patterned china. Here you can take breakfast and lunch under the dappled shade of fruit trees, read books, play board games, cook in the kitchen, fish by the river, and sip G&Ts before heading to dinner, a shared event where you get to sample excellent Indian, Tibetan, and Nepalese fare. Dress up. Dress down. Do what you fancy. This is your home in the Himalayas. Bounded on its north border by the state of Sikkim, to the east by Bhutan, and the west by Nepal, Darjeeling is about an hour away. A tourist must-do is taking the Toy Train (actually pretty much full-size and part of the Himalayan Mountain Railway) to Ghum and back (don’t miss the amazing Yiga Choeling at Ghum, the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery built in the area), then sweep along the tracks into Darjeeling, where you will find shops crammed with potential keepsakes. All too soon it’s time to head towards urban reality and the cacophony of Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal and India’s second largest city. We drop off our bags at the Taj Bengal, an airy hotel with an 1,000-square-metre atrium lobby and a vertical garden. The rooms are comfortable but what makes it special is the service. Always attentive, smiley, and genuine. As a former capital of British India, developed by the British East India Company, the city has lots of colonial architecture, such as the Victoria Memorial and St John’s Church with its Black Hole of Calcutta Monument. Often linked in visitors’ minds with deprivation – and sadly, very real poverty exists – it is, however, a surprising and often uplifting cultural and artistic hub. We love wandering through the potters’ quarter, Kumortuli, where they create thousands of clay idols, and the huge book markets, stopping at The Indian Coffee House, where poets and thinkers hang out under lazily revolving ceiling fans, attended previous: The holy Ganges at Varanasi clockwise from left: Petals in the market at Kolkata; Dali Monastery in Darjeeling; a serene garden in Kolkata; the view of the tea fields at Glenburn photographer: Jan Masters by waiters in immaculate green and white uniforms. There’s so much to Kolkata, we simply wander, taking in South Park Street Cemetery with its Gothic and Indo-Saracenic tombs and looking up at once-grand buildings in a state of elegiac decay, with tree roots growing down walls like dripping candle wax, reminiscent of the Ta Prohm temple at Angkor. And then there is the Mother House, where Mother Teresa lived and is buried. Her room remains untouched, humbling in its simplicity. This has been a trip so full of discovery, so full of contrast, it rivals the Golden Triangle in a very real way. Jan Masters is a contributing editor at Harrods magazine Delhi is India’s main point of arrival for overseas visitors and the major transport hub for various destinations throughout the country. One of the finest hotels to stay in is, without doubt, The Imperial, an iconic five-star property in the heart of the capital. A step away from Connaught Place, the renowned shopping district, it has the air of a bygone era with all the most up-to-date conveniences. Relax in its elegant bars whenever you need to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. CONTACT ABERCROMBIE & KENT This A&K 11-night, tailor-made holiday starts at £3,400 per person (based on two sharing, includes flights, private transfers, B&B accommodation, and selected excursions). For more information, call our India travel specialists on 01242 547 755. abercrombiekent.co.uk | 71
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