Tea or Me? (at the BOH Tea farm, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia)

To visit the BOH (a.k.a. Best of Highlands) Tea farm was one of the reasons why I wanted to go to Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. I’m simply fascinated by sprawling and lush terrain - it's not only relaxing and refreshing but also liberating to cast one’s sight on such vast greenery.

But why BOH Tea specifically?
 

Well, it’s the one with reputation, a tale to tell and a more magnificent vista than any other tea plantation. It was founded by a Scott decades ago and is now being run and operated by 3rd generation descendants. I find the place no less than breathtaking and awe-inspiring. Such is my love for it that I went there not only once but twice. BOH Tea Farm is in Tanah Rata township, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia, a 4-hour vertigo-inducing bus ride from Kuala Lumpur.

 

the view from a distance

Left: on my 1st day at the tea farm; Right: went even closer on my 2nd day 

The tea trees undergo periodic pruning (i.e. once in three years) to prevent them from growing into full-blown trees taller than humans which will render them useless. Photo below shows the essential differences among the various areas of the tea farm.

patch of brown on top of photo is the part of the farm

with tea trees that have been recently pruned; yellowish

patch in the middle shows the leaves that are ready for

harvest which is done once in three weeks; the green area

is the part of the farm that has recently been harvested

the tea tree (or plant if you will) stands at about a meter

high from the ground due to constant pruning; the pruning

process allows shoots or new leaves to sprout; by the way, 

these tea trees are 80 or so years old and can last for about

150 years

BOH Tea has a dedicated area for a deli/cafe which allows one to shop for various kinds of tea and to take a sip while enjoying its breathtaking view. It only produces black tea though, not green tea. If I remember the way it was explained to us, black tea has undergone a fermentation process while green tea has not.

my favorite travel buddies getting ready to shop for

some tea; the cafe is right behind them

holding on to their loot of various

kinds of tea enough to supply us

for a year or over