Description: For a well-worth Agritourism tour in Sabah, a visit
to Sabah Tea Garden at Nalapak, Ranau, near another attraction,
Poring Hot Spring. The Plantation is virtually surrounded by the
world’s oldest rainforest (about 130 million years old), and covers
25 square kilometres at 693 metres above sea level. The tea leafs of
the popular Sabah Tea is hand-picked and processed from the
plantation. With about 2,500 hectares of land planted with tea, it
is a great place for a retreat or to get away from the hustle and
bustle of city life.
With its
sprawling tea plantation surrounded by pristine rainforests in the
cool mountain air, the Sabah Tea Garden beckons you to indulge in
its beautiful surroundings, away from the hustle and bustle of the
city life. A mere 2-hour drive from the city of Kota Kinabalu, the
Sabah Tea Garden boasts a beautiful backdrop, Mount Kinabalu.
Sabah Tea is the only organic tea farm in Borneo and one of the few
in the world. A trip to the tea garden is both educational and fun,
one where visitors can enjoy a variety of recreational activities
such as obstacle-crossing in the Sapaon Recreational Area, trekking
along the trails to the peak of Kamunsu Hill or embarking on a night
walk to check out the unique insect life.
Highly recommended is
the 2-day 1-night Sabah Tea Adventure package, which incorporates a tea factory
and plantation tour, a course on basic jungle survival skills, understanding
rivers and how to safely get across them and obstacle training. This package has
been awarded the Best Tour Programme for Educational Tourism at the Malaysia
Tourism Awards in Kuala Lumpur.
Visitors can opt to stay in a range of accommodation, be it a traditional long
house, a cosy bungalow or-those who wish to sleep under the stars, a campsite.
Other facilities include a conference room, restaurant, souvenir shop, a soccer
field and tennis court. A stone's throw away from the garden are various places
of interests, including the historical Kundasang War Memorial , Kinabalu Park
and rejuvenating Poring Hot Spring.
Ask the friendly
staff for directions and they will be more than glad to help you out. Be it for
business or pleasure, the Sabah Tea Garden awaits you with unforgettable
experiences and adventures.
A friendly reminder:
No trip to the Sabah Tea Garden would be complete without a taste of Sabah's
finest tea!
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The
dining area - not too grand to say the least - much improvement
needed
especially the service as well as the dishes
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The garden area, which has some
memorable scenery |
The view of Mount Kinabalu from
the garden area,
with tea plants spiralling below |
Location
KM17, Jalan Ranau/Sandakan, Kg. Nalapak,89309, Ranau
Getting There
If you are not joining a tour group, take a bus from the Terminal Bas Bandaraya-Utara
(City Bus Terminal-North) for around RM15.00 per person (the bus stops at Ranau
town). You can also take a taxi from the station near Merdeka Field for
approximately RM160 per taxi. Fares may range around RM300 if departing from
your hotel. Note that all fares cited are one way.
Opening hours
Daily 7am - 5pm
Closed on selected Public Holidays
*The best time to visit is between 8am to 12noon.
SOURCE: Sabah Tourism
NOTE: Photos Copyright to e-borneo.com
ED NOTE:
The views at Sabah Tea Garden are simply amazing, and there is something
peaceful about the location. Definitely the site with some of the best views of
Mount Kinabalu (on a clear sky). The scenery will be different during various
time of the day. Of course for me, the fresh morning scenery with the lushes
green environment and cool morning air is the most breathtaking. So, it is
recommended that you stay a night or two there if you have the chance.
Unfortunately, the accommodation at Sabah Tea Garden is not really up to
standard even at the point of writing (first reviewed in October 2008 and up to
September 2011, this view still stands). It would be good if the Management of
the Sabah Tea Garden can enhance/upgrade the accommodation as well as ensure
that all the facilities are up to mark considering the rates that they charged.
The landscaping too needs to be further improved.
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One of the accommodations/"chalets",
which is a bit
rundown inside out and not up to tourist's standard |
For the more adventurous, you may want to opt staying at their longhouse, but
not for the faint hearted. The longhouse offers small dorm style rooms with a
shared toilet, shower block, 2-3 matresses as beds and mosquito nets. Its floor
is made of split bamboo, which can give you a glimpse of the exterior ground.
You can even catch sight of local animals roaming about. Be advised that careful
footwork is required when walking on the bamboo flooring. Staying at the
longhouse may not be comfortable, but it can be one of the most unique and
memorable experience in Borneo.
Also note that part of the infamous Sandakan-Ranau Death March trial can be
found inside the area, which is an added attraction. A Mountain Bike Race track
is also within the vicinity.
First Published on
Travel Borneo Blog
on 02 October 2008
