Cameron Highlands Tea Plantations

History Of Cameron Highlands Tea Plantations 

Tea was first planted here in 1929 by a British named J.A. Russell. He was an entrepreneur and was involved in trading, mining, rubber and construction industries before embarking into the planting, processing and marketing of tea.

He first arrived in Malaya (the name of Malaysia before independence) with his father in 1890 when he was only 7 years old. After completing his studies in England, he came here to work in a trading company.

He then invested in the tin mines industry after which he diversified his business into the rubber industry in 1908. The opportunity in the construction industry caused him to further venture into this business and together with his business partner was instrumental in the construction of the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station.

The railway station still stand today and is used as one of the train stations for KTMB.

In 1929, he managed to get the approval to start planting tea plants. His business partner was A.B. Milne who was an experienced tea planter from Sri Lanka (known as Ceylon then). They managed to change the landscape of this highlands and today, this brand is still ahead of the rest in Malaysia.

BOH and Cameron Valley Tea Plantations

The two main Cameron Highlands tea plantations owners are BOH Plantations Sdn. Bhd. and Cameron Bharat Plantations Sdn. Bhd. The former sold their products under the brand BOH and the latter under Cameron Valley.

Each has two tea estates that you could visit. BOH estates are located further away from the main road.

This article will cover BOH tea plantaions. If you are looking for information on Bharat tea plantations, check out here.

BOH Tea Garden

Here are some of the information on BOH plantations.

Boh Tea Garden is located nearer to Tanah Rata and Sungei Palas Boh Tea Garden near Kea Farm. If you are using the Tapah way to come to this highlands, stop by the Boh Tea Garden which is about 8km away from the junction after Habu town.

Sungei Palas Tea Garden is nearer if you are using the Simpang Pulai way to come here. 

Nevertheless, going to both will be enjoyable too as you will be able to compare the facilities at the factories as well as tasting the tea that can be purchased at the cafeteria.

BOH Tea Garden

The BOH Tea Garden near Tanah Rata. The cafeteria is not as big as the one in Sungai Palas.

Get some tea products at the shop just beside the factory.

What are the different kinds of tea for consumption that are available today? Basically there are 3 types and they are the Black Tea, Green Tea and Oolong Tea.

They are all processed from the tea leaves known as Camellia Sinensis. The aroma and taste of the tea vary depending on the temperature, soil and rain that the plants received.

• Black Tea is usually taken together with milk or sugar. They are popular with the British and hence is also known as English tea. This is the main tea that is marketed by BOH. The tea is black in colour because the leaves are processed until fully fermented before they are dried.

• Oolong Tea is usually consumed by the Chinese and is taken without sugar or milk. Simply placed the leaves on a jug and soak with boiling water for a few minutes before serving. The factory will process the leaves until semi-fermented and then dried using fire from the wood. This tea is brown in colour and is usually taken during dinner together with rice or other dishes.

• Green Tea is famous in Japan and the tea leaves are not fermented at all. Since there is no fermentation, the colour of the tea when mixed with water is green in colour.

Boh Tea Garden Factory that you can visit at the schedule time

The factory processing the tea leaves.

Sungei Palas BOH Tea Garden

The Sungei Palas Tea Garden has a bigger cafeteria, an exhibition centre, souvenir shop and a factory. There are bigger and better facilities here and you can allocate about 2 hours here.

Sungai Palas tea centre is a must if you are visiting this highlands.

Take a pleasant walk for about 5 minutes to reach the centre from the parking bays

This is the scenery that you will see at Sungai Palas Cameron Highlands Tea Plantation.

More products at the shop

Some tea products produced here

Visit the Sungei Palas factory and remember to get a guide who will explain further the tea processes with you.

This machine requires only 2 persons to handle and is 10 times more efficient compared to manual plucking.

Things to Do At Cameron Highlands Tea Plantations 

• View the video and get to know more about the history of the tea plantation and the processes that were done before the final product reaches the consumers.

• Go through the informative boards that were set up before going for the tour.

• Take a free tour of the factory that processes the tea leaves. Sign up for the tour once you reach the factory.

• Enjoy a cup of tea with sandwiches and other snacks after your tour. Prices are reasonable and are not as high as you would pay in a typical hotel.

• Browse and purchase some tea produce as souvenir at the shop here. Enquire from the sales person on the different types of tea that you can buy.

• Take many photos as a memento. The hilly mountain range will definitely make your trip to these estates worth it.

Food at the cafeteria

Operation Hours and Contacts

BOH Tea Garden

39000 Ringlet

Cameron Highlands

Tel: +605 493 1153

Admission is FREE

Tuesdays to Sundays: 8:30am to 4:30pm
Closed on Mondays except selected public and school holidays

Sungei Palas Tea Garden

39100 Brinchang
Cameron Highlands

Tel: +605 491 3788

Admission is FREE

Tuesdays to Sundays: 8:30am to 4:30pm
Closed on Mondays except selected public and school holidays