Tea plantations, a refugee help centre and meditation – here’s what to expect on our Eastern Himalayas Explorer tour.

Explore the Himalayan hills of West Bengal and Sikkim, areas renowned for their spirituality, beautiful orchid farms and tea plantations. This nine-night escorted tour starts in Calcutta, where you can explore the city and take a cruise on the Hoogly River.

Travel through tea plantations to the hill station of Darjeeling and watch the sun rise over the mountains before visiting the Ghoom Monastery. You’ll also spend time at the Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Centre and enjoy a tasting session at the Goomtee Tea Estate.

In Gangtok, stop at a monastery and experience a meditation lesson and, in Kalimpong, learn about orchid floriculture at the Orchid Retreat. This is a fascinating, unforgettable tour.

Chimay Rinchen from the Tibetan Refugee Self-Help Centre tells us...

“Following the dramatic escape of his holiness the Dalai Lama during that period of mayhem in 1959, thousands of our fellow countrymen, leaving hearth and home, fled into neighbouring countries so they could live as free human beings. The overwhelming majority of refugees brought nothing with them, or little provisions that they could carry on their long and difficult trek over the Himalayas.”

“When the centre started 50 years ago, there were just four workers. Today it is home to 650 refugees. Over the years, the centre has produced handicrafts, trained artisans and craftsmen, and cared for the sick, the old, the orphaned and the needy. The centre depends on the sale of handicrafts and has no other income, so we welcome any contributions or donations towards the centre.”

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Article added 15 January 2010