Tea gardens of Jhapa

Most people picture Nepali tea on the misty hills of Ilam. But a large share of the country's tea is grown down in Jhapa, on land as flat as a table, where the estates look like trimmed green carpets broken by lines of shade trees.

Why tea here?

Jhapa sits just across the border from the tea districts of Darjeeling and the Dooars in India, with the same warm, wet climate. Estates spread here in the late twentieth century, and today tea is one of the district's signature crops alongside rice, betel nut and pineapple.

What you see

In the plucking season, workers — mostly women — move along the rows with baskets on their backs, picking the top two leaves and a bud. Some estates have small factories where the leaf is withered, rolled and dried; the smell of fresh tea drifts across the road.

Visiting respectfully

Tea gardens are private working farms. Ask at the office or gate before walking in, avoid photographing workers without permission, and do not pick leaves. Early morning and late afternoon light is the most beautiful for photos.