Kurseong, Mirik & the tea valleys · tea garden

Makaibari

The cornfield that became one of Darjeeling's oldest tea gardens

Altitude1,200m Nights1–2 BestMar – May · Oct – Nov

In brief

Makaibari is a tea estate just below Kurseong, spread from about 600 to 1,500 m, whose factory first ran in 1859. It was run by the Banerjee family for four generations, went organic in 1988, and has a village homestay programme where workers' families host guests for about ₹1,500–2,000 per person with meals.

The local story

From Captain Samler's cornfield to the Banerjees

Makaibari means 'cornfield' in Nepali: makai is maize and bari a field. When the British began planting tea in the Darjeeling hills in the 1850s, a Captain Samler cleared land on these slopes below Kurseong. He soon sold it to Girish Chandra Banerjee, a Bengali who had come into the hills, and in 1859 a tea factory was commissioned on the estate, among the very first in the district. For the next century and a half the garden stayed with one Bengali family, which was unusual in a business dominated by British companies.

The best known of them was Swaraj Kumar Banerjee, called Rajah, the fourth generation, who turned the estate organic and made Makaibari in 1988 the first garden certified as fully organic. He kept large parts of the estate under forest, believing the garden and the jungle should feed each other. In 2014 the Luxmi Group bought the estate; Banerjee stepped down as chairman in 2017. The village homestay programme he encouraged, in which workers' families host visitors, still runs.

In 2014 a hand-made second-flush tea from Makaibari sold for about US$1,850 a kilogram, one of the highest prices ever paid for a Darjeeling tea.

Makaibari's estate covers about 670 hectares, but only a minority is under tea; much of the rest has been kept as forest.

Makaibari was certified fully organic in 1988, which the estate describes as a first among tea gardens.

About Makaibari

Makaibari starts a few minutes below Kurseong on the Pankhabari road. The bushes fall steeply away from the road towards the Balason and the plains, broken by patches of forest and the workers' villages. The factory sits beside the road, and in the plucking season from March to November you can smell the leaf withering as you walk past.

This is the best place in the Darjeeling hills to sleep inside a working garden on a budget. Instead of a planter's bungalow, you stay with a family in one of the estate villages, eat what they eat, and walk out with the pluckers in the morning. Bring a day for the factory and tastings, and another to walk the slopes. Kurseong is close enough for a day trip, but you will learn more if you stay.

What to see and do

The 1859 factory

The estate's factory beside the Pankhabari road, where leaf is withered, rolled, fermented and dried. Visits depend on the day's work and the season; ask a day ahead and go in the morning when the leaf comes in.

Village homestays

Sleep in a tea worker's family house in one of the estate villages, with dinner and breakfast included. Simple rooms, real hill food and early-morning walks to the plucking sections.

Plucking at dawn

From March to November pluckers start early, taking two leaves and a bud by hand. Walk out with your host family and watch, without stepping between the bushes or slowing anyone down.

Tasting the flushes

Compare first flush (spring, light and green), second flush (early summer, fuller, with the muscatel character Darjeeling is known for) and autumn flush in one sitting.

Forest within the garden

Large parts of Makaibari are kept as forest, a choice the Banerjee family made deliberately. Walk the paths between the tea and the jungle for birds and long views to the plains.

How to get there

Shared jeep: From Kurseong, local jeeps on the Pankhabari road pass Makaibari in 10–15 minutes for ₹20–40. From Siliguri, take a Kurseong jeep (₹150–200) and change, or ask for a Pankhabari-road jeep if one is running.
Reserved car: A taxi from Kurseong costs ₹300–500 one way. A car from NJP or Bagdogra direct to Makaibari costs about ₹2,200–3,000; the Pankhabari road route from the plains is steep but short.
On foot: Walk down from Kurseong bazaar along the Pankhabari road in 45 minutes to 1 hour. The walk back up is steep; take a jeep.

Where to stay

Stay in the Makaibari village homestays, arranged through the estate or the homestay coordinators in the villages, for about ₹1,500–2,000 per person with dinner and breakfast. Rooms are in family houses, some with attached bathrooms. For a single splurge night nearby, Cochrane Place on the same Pankhabari road is a heritage hotel. Otherwise, stay in Kurseong, 3–4 km above, and come down for the day.

tea garden homestayMakaibari Makaibari village homestays ≈ ₹1,500–2,000 pp with dinner and breakfast (indicative)

Local tips

Visit between March and November; the factory is quiet in the winter dormant season.
Ask before photographing pluckers, and never pick leaves or walk through the rows.
Buy tea at the estate and ask for the flush and the date of manufacture on the pack.
Pack light: the paths between homestay villages and the road are steep and stepped.
Tip your host family's children with books or pencils from Kurseong rather than sweets.

02,7005,400

Altitude1,200 m

Hill-station height: cool evenings, a sweater most of the year.

What it costs here

Shared jeep Kurseong to Makaibari₹20–40 a seat

Car from Kurseong, one way₹300–500

Village homestay with dinner and breakfast≈ ₹1,500–2,000 pp

Tea tasting at the estate₹200–500, varies by teas

100 g of estate tea to take home₹300–1,500 depending on flush and grade

Indicative, 2025–26. Check current status before you travel.

Best months: Mar – May · Oct – Nov
Nights we suggest: 1–2
From Siliguri: ≈ 45 km · 1.5–2 h
Altitude: ≈ 600–1,500 m
Known for: 1859 factory, organic tea, village homestays
Network: Jio and Airtel fair near the road; weak in villages

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

BestGoodAvoid or closed

Things to do

Four things to do in Makaibari

Tea · 1–1.5 hoursInside the Makaibari tea factoryMakaibari · Fee varies · ask at the estate Tea · 2 hoursWalk out with the pluckers at dawnMakaibari · Free for homestay guests · tip your gui… Tea · 1 hourTaste first, second and autumn flushMakaibari · ₹200–500 Treks and walks · 3 hoursForest and village paths of MakaibariMakaibari · Free · local guide ₹600–1,000

On the map

Makaibari and its neighbours

Drawn by Darjeeling Himalayas from Natural Earth outlines (public domain). Borders as depicted by India. Not for navigation.

Trips that stop here

Go to Makaibari on a ticket

Shoestring Kurseong & Mirik3 nights · Shared jeeps Three nights inside Makaibari tea estate Makaibari ₹7,500per person
about ₹1,900 a day

Comfort Kurseong & Mirik7 nights · Reserved car Kurseong, Makaibari, Sittong and Mirik Kurseong · Makaibari · Sittong · Mirik ₹38,000per person
about ₹4,750 a day

Value Kurseong & Mirik9 nights · Mixed Nine slow nights in the tea valleys Kurseong · Makaibari · Sittong · Latpanchar ₹31,000per person
about ₹3,100 a day

Close by

Nearby places

hill station1,482 m Kurseongकर्सियाङ The orchid town where the toy train runs through the bazaar

forest village1,900 m Dow Hill Old schools, tall pines and Kurseong's favourite ghost stories

forest village2,200 m Chimney A village named after the last brick of an old dak bungalow

Ways to travel

Tea country Homestays Food trails Honeymoons on a budget

Questions people ask

Questions about Makaibari

Where is Makaibari tea estate?

Makaibari lies just below Kurseong on the Pankhabari road in Darjeeling district, about 3–4 km from Kurseong bazaar and about 45 km from Siliguri. The estate runs down the slopes from about 1,500 m to about 600 m above the plains.

What does Makaibari mean?

It means 'cornfield' in Nepali: makai is maize and bari is a field or garden. The name is thought to come from the maize fields on these slopes before tea was planted in the 1850s.

Who owns Makaibari tea estate?

The Banerjee family ran Makaibari for four generations, from Girish Chandra Banerjee in the nineteenth century to Swaraj Kumar 'Rajah' Banerjee. In 2014 the Luxmi Group bought the estate, and Banerjee stepped down as chairman in 2017.

How much does a Makaibari homestay cost?

About ₹1,500–2,000 per person per night with dinner and breakfast, as an indication for 2025–26. Rates depend on the house and room. Confirm the price, meals and bathroom type before you book, and pay the family directly.

Is Makaibari the oldest tea garden in Darjeeling?

It is one of the oldest. Its land was cleared in the 1850s and its factory commissioned in 1859, among the first in the district. Other gardens also claim early dates, so 'one of the oldest' is the fair description.

What is the best time to visit Makaibari?

March to May for first flush and spring, and October to November for autumn flush and clear weather. The factory is quiet from December to February. The monsoon months are green and productive but wet, with leeches on forest paths.

Can I visit Makaibari as a day trip from Darjeeling?

Yes. Kurseong is 1.5 hours from Darjeeling by shared jeep, and Makaibari is 10–15 minutes below it. Leave Darjeeling by 8 am to reach the factory in the morning. Staying a night is better if you want the dawn plucking walk.

Is Makaibari good for a budget honeymoon?

Yes, if you like simple rooms and real local life. A night or two in a village homestay with meals costs far less than a hotel, and the setting is quiet and green. For one special night, Cochrane Place is nearby on the same road.

Can I buy tea directly at Makaibari?

Yes, the estate sells tea to visitors. Prices range from a few hundred rupees per 100 g for regular grades to much more for special hand-made lots. Ask for the flush and the manufacture date, and taste before buying if you can.