Day 44: Tea After Breakfast: A Visit to the Bharat Tea Plantation

Today’s destination is a tea plantation—an essential stop, as tea was the very crop that laid the foundation for the growth of the Cameron Highlands. While the Boh Tea Plantation might be the most famous and the first established here, we decided to visit the Bharat Tea Plantation instead. Unlike a strawberry field in Germany, a tea plantation is more than just rows of plants; it often combines elements of a nature retreat, a children’s playground, shopping centers, and restaurants. After passing a few plantations yesterday, Bharat caught our eye. It’s one of the earliest plantations in the area but less crowded than Boh.  

To avoid the tourist rush, we left our hotel at 8:30 a.m. and arrived after a short 15-minute drive. Fortunately, we secured the last available parking spot.

View at Bharat Tea Plantation 

As we entered the plantation, we were greeted by a stunning view of rolling hills blanketed in lush, light-green tea bushes—a refreshing contrast to the gray, plastic-roofed greenhouses we saw yesterday. Walking down the hill, we got up close to the tea plants. Interestingly, the plants resemble my neighbor’s cherry laurel hedge but are pruned to waist height, making it easier to pluck the leaves.  

Looks like my neighbour's garden hedge

Freshly planted tea bushes (Camellia sinensis) require about four years to establish their root systems and bushy structure before harvesting can begin. Pickers pluck only the tender buds and the top 2–5 cm of fresh leaves (known as “flushes”) from mature plants. New flushes appear every 7–14 days, ready for the next harvest. While plucking is still predominantly done by hand to ensure quality, machines are increasingly used for lower-grade teas.  

Thick, short branches after many years of pruning

A wild tea plant can grow up to 16 meters if left alone, but cultivated plants are pruned to waist height for convenience. This pruning gives the plants a bonsai-like appearance, with thick trunks supporting short, thin branches of fresh leaves. A tea plant can be harvested for about 50 years before its productivity starts to decline. However, even older plants can yield high-quality leaves, and in traditional tea regions, some plants have been harvested for over a century.  

Tea plants are sensitive to their environment. They thrive in temperatures between 10°C and 30°C, require consistent rainfall, a humid atmosphere, and well-drained soil, while also needing protection from excessive direct sunlight. This explains why many plantations are located on hilly terrain.  

ferns are growing in the shade of tea plants competing for nutrition.

The harvested leaves undergo a meticulous process to become the tea we drink:

  1. Withering: The leaves are dried to reduce moisture.  
  2. Rolling: The cell walls are broken, releasing the plant’s natural juices.  
  3. Oxidation: The leaves are oxidized to varying degrees, depending on the type of tea (e.g., black, green, oolong).  
  4. Drying/Firing: This step stops the oxidation process and seals in the flavor.  

Traditional Malay architecture: houses on stilts
provided as housing for the plantation workers.

***

After exploring the tea fields and learning about the plants, we took time to enjoy the food and drink offerings at the plantation. It provided an intriguing glimpse into the local cost of living:  

  • A cup of tea: 4.50 MYR  
  • A scoop of ice cream: 10 MYR  
  • A bottle of beer: 20 MYR  

For comparison, a shop assistant in a major Malaysian city might earn 2,000 MYR per month. This is similar to the income of a comparable job in Germany, but paid in euros. So, dear German readers, let me pose a question: Would you pay €10 for a scoop of ice cream or €20 for a bottle of beer?  





Location: Bharat Tea Plantation, 39000 Tanah Rata, Pahang, Malaysia

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