#326
Glenburn Tea Estate, Darjeeling
From: Harsh Sonawala, co-founder and blogger @www.
indiasomeday.com
Glenburn Tea Estate is a
beautifully restored British
house now converted into
an impressive eight bedroom
boutique hotel. Glenburn is
easily accessible, being just
2.5 hrs from Bagdogra airport
and an hour from the main
town of Darjeeling. Don’t
think of Glenburn as just a
hotel, as a matter of fact, it is
a destination by itself.
The hotel is a small part of
the massive 1600 acre estate
and you can spend your
day in leisure taking short
guided walks to explore the
forests, rivers, tea estates,
and the villages which are an
integral part of Glenburn. The
entry to the hotel is through
a rather bumpy road, but
as you enter the gates you
are transported to another
era indeed. The fresh air,
the stunning views of the
Kanchanjunga peak, while
sipping on some hot tea and
munching on freshly baked
cookies is nearly the perfect
holiday.
Add to that the four-poster
mahogany beds, expansive
verandas and lovely pastel
colored rooms and you can
easily spend 3-4 days at
Glenburn. The best time to
visit would be from January
to March, when the weather
is nice and cool and the
Kanchanjunga range has
unobstructed views.
42 Travel Secrets November-December 2015
#327
Masada, Israel
From: Ajay Jain, writer, photographer and owner of Kunzum
Travel Cafe, Delhi
Masada, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site near the Dead
Sea, is a palatial Roman
style fortress on a hill. It
was built by Herod, King of
Judea. Masada is famous for
a story that sure gave me
goosebumps. In 66 A.D., the
Great Revolt of the Jews
broke out against the ruling
Romans, and a group of
rebels led by Eleazar Ben
Yair fled to Masada from
Jerusalem when most was
lost. The Romans laid siege
to the fortress to break down
the last remaining resistance
in 73 or 74 A.D.
Figuring they could
not hold out against the
overwhelming Roman Legion,
Eleazar Ben Yair convinced
all 960 men, women and
children to take their own
lives than be subject to the
humiliation and shame of
being Roman slaves. Only
two women and five children
survived and lived to tell this
story; Every Israeli has grown
up listening to it.
I found the fortress
fascinating, especially when
my guide Ron explained
the unfolding of history in
the sections that remain. If
we didn’t have to move on,
I could have spent hours
looking at the scenery
around: the Dead Sea on one
side, and cliffs and the desert
all around.