No trip to Cameron Highlands is complete without a visit to a tea plantation! Especially if it is your first time coming here.
And the most famous of these is the Sungai Palas plantation of BOH Tea Cameron Highlands. This is why the one-way road into the plantation is usually full of tourists.
In this guide, we’ll run through this popular tea plantation and its highlights. Along with other tea plantations that you can visit as an alternative.
Table of contents:
- Kuala Terla Tea Plantation
- BOH Sungai Palas Tea Plantation
- Bharat Tea Plantations
- Fairlie Tea Plantation
- Tea Factory Tour
- Getting To Cameron Highlands
Notes On Tea Plantations In Cameron Highlands
Large tea estates up in Cameron Highlands are primarily owned by BOH Plantations or Bharat.
The best tea plantation in Cameron Highlands is arguably the Sungei Palas estate owned by BOH as the drive into the valley is as lovely as the rolling plantations themselves.
Still, it’s good to have some alternatives to go to. This is in case you would rather not compete with other tourists cramming to get into the Sungai Palas estate!
The infamous jam along the one-way road can take 1-2 hours from the main road on public holidays and weekends during peak hours (10am to 1pm).
1. Kuala Terla Tea Plantation
At this plantation, you can have a go at riding an ATV with Cameron Adventurous ATV & Safari through the tea plantation!
It’s especially interesting (but tiring) if you’ve never tried riding an ATV before! And you get a rewarding view all the way to the top of the hill as this plantation is no less beautiful than other tea plantations, albeit smaller.
However, the ATVs are not in perfect shape. Nor are safety precautions very convincing. So, if that is not agreeable with you, you can opt for the jeep ride instead!
Or you can just take a leisurely walk through the plantation.
Prices:
- 4×4 safari RM20 per pax
- ATV safari RM80 (Single), RM90 (Double)
- Air Swing RM10 per pax
Notes:
- The plantation is roughly 22km from Tanah Rata. Foreigners pay ~RM10-20 more than locals!
- For inquiries, call +6013-534 2002
Plus, there is an on-site café on this plantation:
Cameron Valley Tea House KT (Kuala Terla)
Cameron Valley Tea House KT is one of 3 tea houses owned by Bharat. Not a bad place to stop enroute to Tanah Rata as the tea house overlooks the plantation.
It’s also known as the 3rd teahouse under Bharat. Or Cameron Valley Tea House 3.
The tea shop here sells an assortment of locally produced tea. Their masala tea and scones are good!
There are usually not that many people here, so parking is a breeze too. Just prepare yourself for the questionable number of flies.
PS: Flies are a common sight in Cameron Highlands, especially if the weather has been hot with regular rain (which is most of the year).
- Location: 49th Mile Kuala Terla, Cameron Highlands, 39000 Tanah Rata, Pahang, Malaysia
- Opening Hours: 9 am–6 pm
- Contact: +605-498 8180
- Entrance Fees: RM4 to enter the garden
2. BOH Sungai Palas Tea Centre, Brinchang, Pahang
True that it’s not easy to get to:
But that doesn’t stop everyone from wanting to visit the impressive plantation in Brinchang (and the BOH Sungei Palas Tea Centre).
Some squeezing is necessary as the narrow road that winds into the estate does eventually reach a width that can only accommodate 1 car at a time!
There may be staff to manage the traffic which eases the stressful situation a lot.
Once you get to the estate, you can leave your car at the free and large visitor car park.
There are stairs leading up to the visitor center that hangs over the plantation. The building also houses two seating lounges with a shared kitchen, a small gallery and of course, a shop for BOH tea products!
Note: If you have elderly in your group, you may want to drive straight up to the visitor center instead.
Quick tours of the tea factory by a staff member are available at regular intervals. Read more about BOH Sungai Palas Tea Plantation in this post.
The café (like the plantation) is open to visitors from 9am to 4:30pm every day except on Monday.
Expect lots of people regardless of whether it’s a weekend or a weekday!
Items on the menu are suitable for brunch, breakfast, or high tea.
Cake flavors to try are their banana cheesecake, strawberry cheesecake or their unconventional nasi lemak cheesecake!
They also have scones as well.
- Location: BOH Sungai Palas Tea Centre, Brinchang, 39000 Brinchang, Pahang
- Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 8:30am – 4:30pm; Monday: Closed (the exception is school and public holidays)
- Contact: +605-496 2096
- Entrance Fees: Free
3. Bharat Tea Plantations Sdn. Bhd. At Tanah Rata
Maybe you’ve come across a local tea brand called “Cameron Valley Tea”. This is in fact, the signature tea of Bharat Tea Plantations!
Their main estate by the main road from Ringlet to Tanah Rata has not one but two tea houses!
Have a cup of their signature tea. Or try their other Indian-inspired tea blends like their Masala Chai or Cardamom Tea.
Both tea houses have decks that look out over the valley and a shop where you can buy their various tea blends.
Different tea flavors you can get:
- Earl Grey
- Herbal
- Strawberry
- Black
- Lemon
- Cinnamon
- Flower
Food they serve:
- Croissants and other pastries
- Brownies
- Mango cheesecake
- Scones
- Carrot cake
- Nasi lemak
Cameron Valley Tea House 1
From Cameron Valley Tea House 1, visitors can take a stroll down to a small park and waterfall in the valley.
There are not as many seats to go around at this open-air cafe as with Cameron Valley Tea House 2. But because of this, the dining atmosphere is quieter.
- Location: 34, Mile Cameron Highlands, Tanah Rata, 39000 Cameron Highlands, Pahang
- Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday: 9am to 6pm; Friday to Sunday: 8am to 7pm
- Contact: +605-4851454
- Entrance Fees: If you want to explore the estate, it costs RM4/ person to walk while the buggy costs RM12/ person.
Cameron Valley Tea House 2
There’s no doubt that the second tea house is bigger to comfortably fit more visitors! It can be noisy here with a lack of staff to clean the tables.
But visitors will appreciate the larger parking lot.
- Location: 34.5, Mile Cameron Highlands, Tanah Rata, 39000 Cameron Highlands, Pahang
- Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday: 8:30am to 6pm; Friday to Sunday: 8am to 7pm
- Contact: +605-4915100
Read more:
- Cameron Highlands Night Market: Brinchang Night Market One-stop Guide
- Kea Farm Market At Cameron Highlands: All Covered Including Food & What To Buy
4. BOH Tea Plantation (Fairlie Tea Plantation)
The Fairlie Tea Plantation (or BOH Habu Tea Estate) is the other lesser-known estate owned by BOH Plantations.
This plantation in Habu has scenic views too. Not exactly like the Sungai Palas estate, but still very green and with fewer crowds. The latter is a big plus point for us.
Plus, there are short hikes (~10 minutes) to viewpoints if you don’t mind the lack of maintenance for the trails.
Simple refreshments and tea are available at their small on-site café. You can also get tours of the tea factory at this plantation.
Note: Inexperienced drivers will be more comfortable with the road going into this estate than the one for Sungai Palas!
- Location: BOH Road Habu, 39200 Ringlet, Pahang
- Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 9am – 4:30pm; Monday: Closed (except for school and public holidays).
- Contact: +605-493 1324
- Entrance Fees: Free
Read more: Mossy Forest of Cameron Highlands – Don’t Miss This Scenic Hiking Spot in Malaysia!
Cameron Highlands Tea Factory Tour
Fancy getting a tour of a tea factory? There are only two tea plantations in Cameron Highlands that currently offer such tours.
And these are both managed by BOH.
1. BOH Sungai Palas Tea Centre Tour
Free educational tours for the factory begin at 8:45am and occur every 30 minutes after. You don’t need to make any reservations beforehand to join the tours.
The only thing to note is that the tours may not be available on the day you go depending on factory operation.
We joined this tour recently and didn’t find it very interesting. The factory is dimly lit so you cannot see much of the process close. And the explanations are only surface level.
2. BOH Tea Plantation Tour (Fairlie Tea Plantation)
Factory tours are available here too. They occur every 15 minutes and only take about 10 minutes to complete!
The tour gives a brief introduction into how tea is collected and processed at the plantation and factory. The tours at Fairlie and Sungai Palas are not that much different.
Both are very short tours. And neither tour gives you the opportunity to view the full process from beginning to end.
After the short tour or while waiting for your tour to start, you can try a quick hike to a viewpoint at the plantation for beautiful scenery in a cool environment.
Note: If you have any breathing difficulties or weak stamina, you might want to skip the hike!
Getting To Cameron Highlands From Ipoh
Prepare yourself for the windy road and possible traffic jam up to Cameron Highlands.
Locals will take any excuse (e.g. public holiday, hot weather, school holiday, etc) to come here for the weekends!
With moderate traffic, it can take 2 hours from Ipoh to Cameron Highlands.
Which means it’s possible to make a day trip to Cameron Highlands from Ipoh. Hotels in Cameron Highlands do tend to be pricier anyways!
Private Tours To Cameron Highlands From Ipoh
If you don’t plan to drive up there yourself, you can always take a private tour service (RayTheTour) from Ipoh up to Cameron Highlands!
Tours include:
- Transport up to Cameron Highlands
- Comfortable vehicle with ample seating and luggage space depending on your group size
- Local tour guides who know the best spots
- Transport around Cameron Highlands
- Transport back down to Ipoh (on the same day)
- Pick up service from anywhere in Ipoh
Leave RayTheTour a message on WhatsApp to book or inquire about their customizable private tours!
Further reading:
Conclusion
Anyone who goes up to Cameron Highlands for the first time will be sure to include at least one tea plantation into their plans!
And since everyone has the same tea plantation on their mind (Sungai Palas BOH Tea Estate), it’s not a bad idea to plan a back-up.
Or you can wake up really early or reschedule your dates to avoid the crowds!
Other posts you might like:
- Time Tunnel Museum In Cameron Highlands: Notalgic Place To Check Out
- 29 Interesting Places In Cameron Highlands
- Cameron Highlands Itinerary: Cameron Highlands One Day Trip, 2D1N & 3D2N Itinerary
- 4 Best Rose Gardens In Cameron Highlands
- Lavender Farm In Cameron Highlands – Just a tourist trap or more?
