Tea is an integral part of the Indian identity, India being the largest tea producer and consumer in the world. Although commercially introduced in India by the British colonialists Tea has assimilated with the Indian culture and is the favorite beverage of the country. The most popular ways to drink it being spice mixed milk tea or 'Masala Chai', 'Lemon black tea' and simple black tea or milk tea. 

The story of Chai in India started with British army officer Robert Bruce discovering tea growing naturally in a remote village in Upper Assam of the Singpho tribal community who were making tea and drinking it in their own traditional methods.

Many of these gardens are more than 100 years old and some of them still have the old wooden bungalows where the Tea planters used to stay. Some of these bungalows have been converted to boutique hotels and heritage stays where guests can relive the tea garden experience of the colonial era. Many of these houses are known as ‘Chang Bungalows' as they were built on stilts taking inspiration from houses of local tribes built on raised platforms. Most of the Tea Bungalows come with fire places, vintage wooden furniture like four poster beds and other colonial era charms.

​