Staying at the Shree Antu Community Homestay is an exciting way to experience a different side of Nepal. The Ilam area, in far eastern Nepal bordering Darjeeling in India, is an area of rolling hills covered in tea plantations, far from the bustling cities and jagged mountains you’ll find elsewhere.
Awake early (around 5am) and be driven about 20 minutes from Shree Antu, and then hike for a further 20 minutes to a view point. Reach the view point in time to see the sun rise over the beautiful mountainous landscape, including the spectacular Mt. Kanchenjuna (8586 metres). Also admire the rolling green tea fields in one direction, and the plains of the Terai on another, as the light starts to spread from the horizon.
During your stay in Shree Antu you’re sure to admire the beauty of the cultivated tea fields, and on this morning’s excursion you can delve deeper into the world of Nepali tea. Visiting a local factory, the manager will walk you through all steps of production. While you may have never given much thought to how the green leaf in the field turns into the brown liquid in your cup, during the tour you’ll learn about each step in the process: plucking, withering, rolling, fermenting, drying, sorting, and packing.
