Cameron Highlands is the largest tea-growing region in Malaysia - home to vast plantations of this valuable crop that carpet the valleys in a lush sea of bright green. Tea was also one of the precursors to its development as a hill station, before its transformation into a major tourist destination. Today, the many tea plantations that dominate the valley are instrumental in drawing the multitudes of visitors Cameron Highlands receives each year. The various estates are mostly owned by Boh, the larger group established since 1929 by colonial owners; and Bharat, a slightly more recent local company that only began full-scale operations in the 1950s. The tea plant (Camellia sinensis) is actually a tree rather than a bush as popularly regarded by most people. If left to grow in the wild, tea can grow up to 16m in height. The current method of pruning tea plants leaves them at a manageable size for ground-level harvest, while allowing for higher yield through a more compact arrangement of bushes. The same plant is used to produce different types of tea; each undergo a different oxidation process and blend that result in their unique flavours, aroma and colour. In Cameron Highlands, black tea is the most popular variety of tea produced, followed by Oolong and green tea. The dark tint of tea is the result of its chemical compunds, chiefly being tannin leached into the water by heating.
While tea produced from Cameron Highlands is not particularly exceptional, they make extremely popular products and souvenirs by value of novelty, especially when bought while visiting shops at tea plantations or neighbouring towns. Boh has the largest tea estates, covering a total 3238 hectares, with plantations and factories open to visitors at Habu in Ringlet and Sungai Palas in Brinchang. Bharat has smaller tea fields (total 810 hectares) but more strategic positions along the main road (specifically at Tanah Rata and Kuala Terla) allowing them to capture visitors arriving from the souther (Tapah) and northern (Simpang Pulai) gateway. A large tea plantation also used to exist within Blue Valley, but it was abandoned by its owner and turned into vegetable farms. Rose Center is a flower garden at Kea Farm, located off the main road about 3.5km away from Brinchang town. Visitors can reach this tourist attraction by following the road that leads through Kea Farm Market until Rose Center appears at right side of the road. Walking up the steps, visitors will pass through verdant gardens perched on slopes along the small hill. Near the top, another pathway leads to a peak with views of the surrounding landscapes and vegetable fams. The Rose Center also retails baby plants, cactus and gardening materials at a small shop near the ticket counter. Cameron Highlands is the center of strawberry production in Malaysia - along with tea plantations and vegetable markets, strawberries are an iconic part of the landscape comprising this resort destination. The cold climate makes it suitable for cultivating strawberries all year round throughout the highlands, with most farms concentrated at Tanah Rata, Brinchang and Kea Farm. When in season, many of these farms offer strawberry picking by hand to attract visitors. The popularity of this dainty fruit has also spun a bustling cottage industry that churns out souvenirs, pillows, clothing, keychains, toys and other merchandise in the shape and theme of strawberries. Butterfly Farm is a tourist attraction at Kea Farm in Brinchang - a display of live butterflies, insects and animals similar to Butterfly Garden next door. The name is really a misnomer, as the park does not 'farm' butterflies by breeding and cultivating them. The population is restocked from wild specimens on a regular basis. The park consists of a garden section, where butterflies roam in a landscape of shrubs and flowers, and a larger zoological wing, where other insects, lizards, snakes and mammals are displayed in enclosures or tanks. |