Cameron Highlands is the heart of tea in Malaysia and has some of the most beautiful tea plantations in the world.
We spent around 3 weeks in Malaysia exploring the tea shops of KL and Malaysian tea culture.
Needless to say, as a tea blogger, I was very excited to visit Cameron Highlands on our Malaysia trip.
However, our Cameron Highlands trip did not exactly go according to plan.
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We went with a long list of places I wanted to visit, especially tea spots, and somehow managed to fit only a fraction of them into two days.
The weather was rainy and cloudy for most of our stay; we started our first day later than planned, and by the time we were heading home, I was beginning to wonder whether Cameron Highlands was trying to kill us.
Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic.
But that mountain road was something.
Still, there were some really lovely moments, especially for me as someone who was mostly interested in the tea.
In this article:
- Getting to Cameron Highlands
- Avant Chocolate
- BOH Tea Centre
- The tea I bought at BOH
- Staying at A’moss Farmstay
- Mossy Forest and Cameron Flora Park
- Which Tea Plantation Should You Visit in Cameron Highlands?
- What I would do differently next time
Getting to Cameron Highlands
We set out from KL a little (lot) later than planned. We had rented a car from SOCAR, and the drive was actually quite pleasant at first. It was a beautiful, scenic ride, and I especially loved spotting the limestone hills around Ipoh.
Then the rain started.
And when I say rain, I mean rain.
My husband was driving, and while he’s an experienced driver, he doesn’t drive in the mountains every day. It was raining so heavily that we could barely see what was in front of us, and the whole ride made us quite anxious.
This was our first mishap, and the weather would end up affecting the rest of our trip.
Apparently, October is monsoon season in Malaysia, and the weather can be quite unpredictable. This was something we hadn’t considered when researching our trip because I’d been under the impression that Malaysia had pretty much the same weather all year round.
So, apparently there are two routes to Cameron Highlands from KL. There’s a shorter, windier one and a longer one.
We took the longer route because we’d read that it was a more comfortable drive. It also gave us the opportunity to make an hour-long detour to visit Hobbitoon Village in Perak.
Hobbitoon Village is a charming Lord of the Rings-themed hobbit village with little hobbit houses. It’s mostly a photo spot, but because I’m a huge Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit fan, I was very excited to visit.
Unfortunately, it was closed when we arrived.
This was our second mishap.
I was pretty disappointed because I’d really been looking forward to taking some pictures in front of a hobbit-hole, but we decided to keep going.
Avant Chocolate
Our first proper stop was Avant Chocolate, where we had lunch, bought some chocolates and, naturally, bought tea.
I really loved this place and would recommend stopping here if you can.
They make their own chocolate and have a wide range of teas, and their food was delicious too. They also make their own ice cream, although I didn’t get to try it. They were selling strawberry jam and fruit concentrates as well, which made sense since strawberries are hugely popular in Cameron Highlands.
There was also a scenic garden to walk around, along with a separate restaurant and sitting area.
I tried their lavender tea with milk, which I really enjoyed. It was soothing and fragrant without being overpowering. We also had some scones with jam, and the rest of the food was really good too.
One thing I learned during this trip is that if you’re ordering tea in Malaysia and you don’t want milk or sugar, you need to say so.
When you simply order “tea”, you’re generally getting tea with milk and sugar, and often quite a lot of both. You can order Teh O if you don’t want milk, but that will still come sweetened unless you specify otherwise.
For someone who likes drinking tea for the tea itself, this is useful to know.
BOH Tea Centre: The Tea Stop I Was Most Excited About
From Avant Chocolate, we headed to the BOH Tea Centre at Sungei Palas, one of the most iconic tea stops for a Cameron Highlands trip.
BOH has been producing tea in Cameron Highlands since 1929, and the Sungei Palas Tea Garden is one of its best-known visitor spots. The tea centre has sweeping views over the rolling tea fields, a café, a tea shop and a factory tour.
After the heavy rains, the sun briefly peeked out from under the clouds. It was perfect weather for enjoying the hills, so we made our way out to the balcony and took in the breathtaking views.
Standing there surrounded by those rolling rows of tea was pretty special.
You can also book a private tea tasting session for RM25/pax or a walk through the tea fields for RM50/pax.
The BOH Tea Centre also has a restaurant and a pretty impressive collection of cakes, some of which I was really looking forward to trying.
Unfortunately, we’d arrived close to closing time, so there wasn’t enough time for both cake and the tea shop.
It was either cake or tea.
You can probably guess which one I chose.
So we headed to the tea shop.
And in my excitement, I may have gone slightly overboard.
But is there really such a thing as buying too much tea?
The Tea I Bought at BOH Tea Centre
If you’re a tea lover, I think the tea shop is one of the best parts of the visit. There are plenty of classic teas as well as flavoured blends, so you can pick according to what you actually like drinking.
BOH’s Cameronian Gold Blend is one of its more distinctive teas. It’s made from tender shoots of two tea plant varieties originally from Assam and is known for its light golden colour and rich aroma.
The Signature collection is another fun option if you’re gifting tea or simply want to try different flavours. The collection includes Cameronian Gold Blend, Sencha Green Tea, and flavoured teas such as Lychee with Rose, Earl Grey with Tangerine, and Lemon with Mandarin.
I also bought a bunch of herbal teas like Twilight Rooibos and Peppermint Balm because I love curling up under the blankets at night with a cup of tea and a good book. It really helps me wind down before bed.
I especially liked their classic blends, which were available in small packets for just RM2–3. These were perfect for trying different teas without committing to a whole box, and they also made easy little souvenirs and gifts.
Naturally, I bought a bunch of them.
I did try a few BOH teas before, like the BOH Sencha and the Mango Seri Songket, which is perfect for a delicious summer iced tea as well! But do stay tuned for more BOH tea reviews.
A’moss Farmstay | The Stay That Elevated Our Cameron Highlands Trip
For our stay, we chose A’moss Farmstay, a glamping-style property tucked into the Sungai Palas hills.
This place was just heavenly, and it really was a highlight of our Cameron Highlands trip.
A’moss describes itself as Cameron Highlands’ first glamping site, with dome-style accommodation set within a working farm. The property has been hosting guests since 2019.
We stayed in one of the domes, and one of my favourite things about the place was simply waking up and looking outside.
The whole point of staying somewhere like this is to slow down and enjoy your surroundings, and despite our packed itinerary, we did get some time to sit around and take in the views. Although I still wish we had planned for at least a 2-night trip so we could’ve enjoyed A’moss Farmstay for longer.
There was a little patio area outside our dome overlooking the hills, with chairs and swings. Again, because it was raining, we didn’t get to sit outside and enjoy the views as much as I’d have liked. However, watching the clouds float by at eye level was just surreally beautiful.
There are different types of accommodation here, including the original domes and larger mirror-glass domes. Some of the rooms have cooking facilities or kitchen boxes, while the property also offers meals through its café.
That evening, we had a steamboat dinner before settling in for the night.
And after the long drive and all the running around we’d done, being able to eat something warm while surrounded by the chilly Cameron Highlands weather was exactly what I needed.
However, I should mention that the Farmstay is a bit remotely located. I would recommend trying to arrive during daylight as you will really struggle to get there once night falls.
And for the same reason, it would be tricky to leave the property and explore the main city area after dusk.
So if you want to experience the livelier, bustling areas, check out the night markets, and try the street food, I would recommend staying around the main town areas in either Brinchang or Tanah Rata.
But if you want to feel like you’re off the grid and become one with the hills and deafening silence does not make you uncomfortable, A’moss Farmstay will not disappoint.
Day 2: Mossy Forest and Cameron Flora Park
We woke up late the next morning, which was probably a sign that we’d underestimated how tiring this trip was going to be.
After taking some time to enjoy the views around A’moss, we headed out towards Mossy Forest. We did the short wooden boardwalk that lasted for about 20-30 minutes. You can also book a jeep or get a guide and do a trek through the forest.
Mossy Forest in the early morning truly felt magical. It’s an ancient forest with tall trees growing on the side of the hills that reminded me a bit of The Old Forest from The Lord of the Rings. The LOTR theme was really quite strong on this trip!
From there, we went to Cameron Flora Park, but first stopped for lunch at a small food court across the road. There were a bunch of stalls, and we picked Thai food.
A Thai auntie was cooking there, and the food was really good. Sometimes these tiny, unplanned food stops end up being some of the best parts of a trip.
We took our time walking around Flora Park, and this was probably one of the best highlights of the trip. The weather was perfect, and all the different coloured flowers made me feel like I’d been transported into a magical fairy-tale land.
I had really wanted to do the high tea there too, but unfortunately, we were running out of time.
Flora Park also has a little Hobbiton Village where you can enjoy afternoon tea, and it was very tempting.
But this was where we had to make a decision.
My husband was driving, the weather was still rainy, and we didn’t particularly fancy heading down a winding mountain road in heavy rain after dark.
So we decided it was time to leave.
Which meant saying goodbye to several places I’d really wanted to visit.
The Tea Stops We Didn’t Make It To
This is probably my biggest regret from the trip.
There were still so many places on my list.
The Lakehouse was one of them. I had wanted to stop there for tea, partly because I loved the idea of having tea at such a classic-looking, Tudor-style Cameron Highlands property.
I also really wanted to visit Cameron Valley Tea House 2.
We actually passed the tea house on our drive back, and the views of the tea fields behind it looked incredible.
Cameron Valley is another major tea-growing operation in the highlands, alongside BOH, and its tea houses are much easier to reach from the main road.
But we were already rushing, so we had to skip it.
At the time, I was pretty bummed out about this. Going all the way to Cameron Highlands and missing out on a classic afternoon tea experience made the whole trip feel almost not worth it.
I wouldn’t be sad for very long.
Because then Cameron Highlands decided to give me a completely different experience.
The Drive Down Cameron Highlands
On the way up, we’d taken the longer route, and the drive had been fairly manageable.
On the way back, we ended up taking the main road.
It was actually much more scenic, and I remember looking around and thinking, Why didn’t we just come this way in the first place?
Then the winding started.
And it just kept going.
Because we were on the highway, my husband had to maintain a decent speed with the other cars around us. Meanwhile, inside the car, we were being thrown from right to left, then right again, around one bend after another.
For what felt like an hour.
Maybe it wasn’t actually an hour. But when you’re sitting in the passenger seat wondering whether your stomach is going to survive the journey, time moves differently.
Eventually, we made it out.
We stopped at a roadside rest stop, grabbed some curry baos and coffee, and finally made our way back to our accommodation in KL.
That was pretty much the end of our Cameron Highlands adventure.
And I was very happy to be back on relatively straight roads.
Which Tea Plantation Should You Visit On A Cameron Highlands Trip?
If you’re coming on a Cameron Highlands trip specifically for tea, I would not try to visit every tea plantation on a short trip.
Pick one or two and give yourself enough time to actually enjoy them.
BOH Sungei Palas
Best for: the classic Cameron Highlands tea experience.
This is the one I’d prioritise if you only have time for one tea plantation. You get the huge tea-growing landscape, the famous balcony, café, tea shop, and the chance to learn about BOH’s tea production.
They close at 4:30 PM, however, and it is very popular, so I’d give yourself plenty of time, especially to beat the crowds.
Another important thing to mention, though, is that you’re not allowed to walk in the tea fields in Sungei Palas. You have to book a tour for RM50/pax in order to do that.
Cameron Valley Tea House 2/ Bharat Plantation
Best for: easier access and tea-house views, free walk through tea fields.
Cameron Valley’s tea plantations are closer to the main road, making them easier to fit into a road trip. There are also tea houses where you can stop for a drink and enjoy the plantation scenery.
From what I’d seen beforehand, Cameron Valley Tea House 2 was the one I was most interested in for the views. Moreover, while walking through the fields at Boh costs money, you are free to roam through the fields at Bharat at no cost.
So, if you had your heart set on some classic photos amidst the tea hills without the extra charge, you should go to Bharat.
Unfortunately, we didn’t make it there.
Which means I suppose I’ll just have to go back.
What I would do differently next time
Would I go back to Cameron Highlands?
Yes.
But I would plan it very differently.
The biggest mistake we made was trying to squeeze too much into too little time.
I underestimated how long it would take to get to Cameron Highlands from KL, how tiring the mountain roads would be, and how much time we’d actually need at each place.
We were constantly looking at the clock.
And because of that, we had to rush through several places and completely skip others.
I’d recommend at least two to three nights if you’re coming from KL and actually want to explore Cameron Highlands rather than simply make a quick overnight trip.
I’d also avoid planning a packed itinerary if the weather forecast is looking particularly wet. Cameron Highlands is beautiful when it’s misty and cloudy, but persistent rain can make getting around much less enjoyable, especially if you’re driving.
And I would definitely recommend not visiting in October. The best time to visit the Cameron Highlands is either from February to April or July to August.
So, next time, I’m giving myself more time and visiting in a better month.
And I’m definitely making it to more tea houses.
