Tea · Temi
An early walk through Temi's tea rows
Walk the estate road through Sikkim's government tea garden in the first light, with mist lifting off long contour rows, pluckers starting work and, on clear mornings, snow peaks above the hills. Free, quiet and the best way to understand what makes Temi different from a roadside photo stop.
Temi's tea runs down the southern slopes of Tendong Hill in long contour rows between about 1,800 m and 1,200 m, set up by the Sikkim government in 1969. The main road loops through the garden, and smaller estate roads and paths branch off it. Start near the top in the early morning and walk downhill slowly, and you see the shape of the estate: shade trees, drainage lines, workers' paths and the factory on the hill. A car can collect you lower down.
From March to November, plucking starts early. Workers, many of them women from the villages around the estate, move along the rows picking the top two leaves and a bud, dropping them into baskets carried on the back or head. First flush in March and April is the most delicate. In the monsoon, growth is fast and the bushes shine. Keep to the road, step aside for anyone carrying leaf, and always ask before you take a photograph of a person.
On clear mornings in October, November and early spring, look north for the snow peaks over the hills, and south-east down to the Teesta valley. By mid-morning cloud and haze often rise from the valleys, so the first two hours matter. There is no fee to walk on the public road through the garden. Carry water and a light jacket, wear shoes with grip for wet paths, and end with a cup of Temi tea at a roadside stall.
Cost: Free
Questions people ask
Good to know
Is there an entry fee for Temi Tea Garden?
There is usually no fee to walk along the public road that runs through Temi Tea Garden. Factory visits, guided walks or tastings, when offered, may carry a small charge and depend on estate rules that change by season. Ask at the estate office or your hotel, and check current status before you travel.
When is the best time to see tea plucking at Temi?
Plucking runs from about March to November. First flush in March and April is the most prized; second flush follows in May and June; the monsoon months bring fast growth; and autumn plucking runs into November. Mornings are the busiest. From December to February the bushes rest and little plucking happens.
Can I walk inside the tea rows at Temi?
Please do not. Walking into the rows damages bushes and gets in the way of workers, and the estate prefers visitors to keep to roads and marked paths. The road through the garden gives plenty of close views and good photographs. Ask at the estate office if you want a guided walk deeper into the garden.
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