Planning a vacation in Assam? Here’s a tip—check yourself into a tea estate. Nestled within the verdant swathes of the state’s innumerable tea plantations are some private bungalows that have been turned into the most picturesque boutique hotels.
Imagine staying bang in the middle of lush green vegetation with no sign of urban habitation for miles on end. Wake up to the sound of chirping birds, and look out to see the sun slowly peep up. Step on to the large jaali-covered verandah for a typical English breakfast laid out in the finest bone china.
Located on the outskirts of Dibrugarh, the Mancotta Tea Estate was established by British planters some 180 years ago. After having changed hands for several decades, it was taken over from the British Indian Tea Company by the present owners, the Jalans, in 1970. Along with the tea garden and tea factory came several bungalows inhabited by the plantation’s managers.
While Mancotta is a functioning estate that produces 100 per cent orthodox tea (leaf tea), owner Manoj Jalan decided to set up a company called Purvi Discovery in 2001 and convert one of the bungalows into a boutique hotel.
Jalan chose the superintendent manager’s bungalow. Built on stilts, the sprawling structure is an ideal representation of colonial architecture. Surrounded by the tea garden, one of the main features of these buildings has given rise to their name—Chang bungalows. Chang in Assamese means “raised on stilts”, and the design served multiple purposes—to keep the house cool by allowing the breeze to blow underneath and to keep water and animals out. Also, many a time, elephants were pressed into service back in the days, and it was easy to mount or dismount from that height.
This beautifully-appointed six-bedroom bungalow is furnished with authentic pieces from the Colonial era—right from the dark wooden floors to the grand Burmah teak beds and cavernous armoires to the chintzy sofas and delicate lace drapes.
With all this, it is any day more value for money (`10,000 per night). As Jalan says, “The bungalow takes guests back in time. And, the personalised service is, naturally, par for the course.”
When here, make sure you avail of the packages on offer. The most popular is the Tea Holiday tour that takes you through the plantation to educate you on the entire process of tea picking and packaging. Then there are horse riding programmes through scenic tracks and trails across the seven states.Get the property’s manager to draw out various tours for you all across the northeast.
Jalan feels the journey has been challenging but extremely satisfying. “Until a few years ago, it was a challenge to promote lesser-known destinations and to introduce the tea growing areas of upper Assam on the international circuit. But all that has changed and we have put tea holidays firmly on the tourism map.”
Purvi Discovery also runs two other heritage properties in the region—the three-room Chowkidingee Chang Bungalow in Dibrugarh and Wathai Bungalow on Limbuguri Tea Estate, Tinsukia, that offers two rooms and a suite.