Cameron Highlands has many charms, but few compare to watching the day break over BOH’s Sungei Palas Tea Garden. This is a place where the morning unfolds slowly, painting the hills in colours that make the early wake-up call worth it.
Before dawn, the air carries a highland chill that bites through even a thick jacket. The road to the plantation twists and turns, cloaked in a blanket of mist. The tea bushes are little more than soft outlines, waiting quietly for the day to begin.
Then, somewhere far away, a faint glow brushes the horizon.
It is the first hint of change. The mist seems to lift and thin with every minute. Rows of tea plants, perfectly trimmed, start to take shape like emerald ripples frozen mid-wave. Birdsong joins the silence, tentative at first, then swelling as the light grows stronger.
And then it happens. The sun crests the horizon, spilling gold across the hills.
Suddenly the landscape comes alive. Dewdrops on the leaves catch the sunlight and glitter like tiny stars. The green of the tea bushes shifts from shadowed to vibrant, and the once-muted valley turns into a rolling sea of gold and green. Wisps of mist swirl, break apart, and disappear into the warming air.
It’s the kind of moment that holds people still. Conversations trail off. Cameras click, but most simply watch. There’s a quiet awe in witnessing the land wake up.
A short walk uphill brings the BOH Café into view, now home to Tristan’s Terrace, opened in July, 2019. Perched on the edge of the plantation, the terrace is designed for moments like this — a wide, open-air platform that gives uninterrupted, sweeping views of the tea gardens below. The early morning light spreads across the hills in layers of gold and green, and from here, it feels as if the entire valley lies at your feet.
As the sun climbs higher, the chill fades, replaced by the warmth of the day and the inviting aroma of fresh tea. Inside, pots of Cameronian Gold Blend steam gently on tables, the rich and evocative aroma mingling with the scent of warm scones and creamy butter.
Breakfast at Tristan’s Terrace is unhurried. Visitors linger over fluffy scones with strawberry jam, or dig into heartier local favourites like nasi lemak, pausing every so often just to take in the view. The terrace’s elevated position means the panorama stretches even further, revealing the full sweep of the plantation’s manicured rows and distant valleys.
Time slows here.
Even as the café fills with late-morning visitors, the memory of that sunrise lingers — the moment when the mist lifted, and the world turned gold. And that’s what keeps people coming back.
No two mornings at Sungei Palas are the same. Some arrive wrapped in a soft grey veil of mist, others sharp and clear with light that floods the hills in brilliant gold. Each sunrise feels like discovering the garden anew.
For those who have stood on Tristan’s Terrace and watched the first light roll across the tea hills, one visit is never enough.
For those who have stood on Tristan’s Terrace and watched the first light roll across the tea hills, one visit is never enough.
Find out more about our Sungei Palas Tea Garden here: Sungei Palas Tea Garden
And since you’re here, why not pay a visit to our largest and oldest tea garden at Habu: BOH Tea Garden
See you!
If you are in the mood for some tea check out some of our selection below, or click here to explore our wider selection of teas:
