Agro Technology Park MARDI Cameron Highlands is not a typical farm or garden in Cameron Highlands.
Just 1km from Tanah Rata town, the huge agro technology park serves as both a research and information center. It welcomes visitors to explore the various zones (including an English garden) in the park!
Want to know more about this place? Keep on reading.
Table of contents:
- History
- What To Expect
- Location
- Entrance Fee
- What To Do & Facilities
- Summary
- Getting There From Ipoh
History Of Agro Technology Park MARDI
Agro Technology Park MARDI was originally a research station for the British back in 1926 under the name, Federal Experimental Station. They first started growing tea right here!
When it was passed on to the Malaysian Research and Development Institute (MARDI):
An agro technology park was introduced within the property, and it was open to the public in June, 2003.
Today, the park sees thousands of visitors every year!
What To Expect
All sorts of plants are grown in the park including many different species of roses and fruit. There are apple trees too.
The big park is divided into several zones:
- Research Centre
- English Garden
- Information Centre
- Orchid Garden
- Rose Garden
- Herb Garden
There’s much more listed on their signboards throughout the park.
Location
Agro Technology Park Mardi lies on the east side of Tanah Rata, past the schools and before the hospital.
Getting to the park involves use of a slip road behind the Tanah Rata bus station. You just follow the road until you reach a signboard for MARDI on your left.
- Opening Hours: 8am to 5pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
- Contact: +605-491 1255
Entrance Fee
You don’t really have an excuse not to bring your family here as far as costs are concerned! The entrance fees are pretty low!
From the last time we came though, the fees are now RM10 per adult (April 2024) instead of RM6.50 per adult.
What To Do
1. Visit Their Flower Gardens
There are several and both local and exotic flowers and plants can be seen in the well-maintained gardens.
- English Garden
- Pitcher Plant Garden
- Herb Garden
- Rose Garden
- Orchid Garden
There are places to sit and just take in all the sights if you need a break from the walking.
If you like roses, you might want to check out these places too!
2. Have A Cup Of Locally Produced Tea At The Cafe
To boost your energy levels, there are refreshing beverages and snacks for sale at the park. There are 3 eateries at the park, but they don’t always open on the same day!
You can get tea, juice, and a range of snacks.
3. Buy MARDI And Other Local Products From Their Sales Centre And Nursery
The sales center and nursery on the property sell:
- Potted plants
- Vegetables and other local produce
- Gardening supplies
Browse and admire rows of attractive colorful flowers. And other plants like seedlings of fruit and other edible plants. Some of which are up for sale!
The landscaping at this section of the park is a good photo spot too.
4. See How They Grow Fruit And Vegetables
This is a good place to see many different types of fruit and vegetables growing all in one place!
There are grapes (not doing so great), apple trees, corn, big gourds and cabbages, tomatoes, and strawberries (also not looking too good during our last visit).
Between these vegetable plots is a seedling nursery (not for entering) and a compost area.
5. Admire The Mini Tea Plantation
Unless you climb the stairs up to the Viewing Platform (Wakaf Tinjau):
The small tea plantation does not need much climbing to get closer to the tea bushes compared to the bigger tea plantations.
Note: The view from the viewing platform is not impressive. It is only good if you want a little exercise during your visit!
6. Pet Rabbits At The Mini Zoo
It costs ~RM2 to enter the rabbit enclosure and pet the rabbits. There are ducks, deer and goats (plus one sheep) in this mini zoo as well.
Honestly, we’d skip the whole section as the animals look miserable in their small and dirty enclosures.
7. Make A Stop At The Butterfly Garden
Although tiny, the butterfly enclosure at MARDI is very nice. There is even a thriving manuka honey flower bush so be sure to check that out!
Summary
To summarize, this place has a bit of everything that Cameron Highlands has to offer! For the price, you can save a lot on admission fees from visiting different individual attractions.
What You’ll Like:
- Some pretty corners for photo opportunities
- British cream tea set is available at their garden cafe
- A good variety of plants and flowers
- You can buy potted plants for good prices
- Many vegetables and fruit trees to see
- Botanical garden and herb gardens are well-maintained
- Inexpensive entry fees
- Strawberry ice cream is not bad
- You can try locally produced tea here
- Ample parking slots
- Nice outdoor playground for kids close to the tea plantation
What You Won’t Like:
- More expensive for international visitors (RM25 per adult)
- No guided tours available
- Mismatched and faded signage
- Tired facilities and landscaping is not maintained in many parts of the park
- Not OKU-friendly (e.g., no wheelchair accessibility)
- Lack of information displays
- Vegetables don’t seem to have any purpose here other than being display crops
Good To Know:
- Usually full of people on weekends and public holidays
- Takes around an hour to explore
- Shop and on-site cafés aren’t always open
- Possible to walk here from Tanah Rata
Getting Here From Ipoh
Agro Technology Park MARDI can be part of your custom-made itinerary for a private tour from Ipoh with RayTheTour!
Tours include:
- Local experienced guides
- Comfortable transport
- Flexible itinerary
- Pick up service anywhere in Ipoh
- Drop off service is free (on the same day of your tour)
Book via WhatsApp or inquire more!
Conclusion
Agro Technology Park MARDI has a nursery, tea plantation and factory, multiple gardens, a small petting zoo and an information center. With so many different attractions in one place, it is like a mini Cameron Highlands.
Unfortunately, many parts are rundown. But it’s still worth stopping for if you really don’t want to spend too much during your trip. Plus, you can see a lot of different plants here.
Personally, we think it could be much better if they completely shut down the mini zoo and put up more information signage. Plus make on-site guided tours and a farm-to-table experience available for visitors.
If you’re not short on time or money, we think it is better to visit the individual attractions of Cameron Highlands – like a full-sized strawberry farm where you can pick your own strawberries. Or the famous Sungai Palas BOH tea plantation.
