Sabah Tea Garden

Sabah Tea sits on the eastern side of Mount Kinabalu near Ranau at around seven hundred metres, on a plateau surrounded by protected forest, and it grows and processes tea organically - which is unusual enough that the estate makes it the centre of the tour, along with the fact that the mountain rises directly behind the planted rows when the cloud lifts, which is the photograph everyone takes. Visits cover the fields, plucking, and the factory where withering, rolling, oxidation and drying are done, ending with a tasting. There is accommodation in longhouse-style blocks and camping, a canopy walk in the forest reserve alongside, jungle trails and a river. The Dusun communities around the estate are involved in tours and homestays. It is quiet, cool and rains a great deal.

What you actually see

• Tea rows under Kinabalu - the planted slopes with the mountain behind them.
• An organic estate - grown and processed without chemical inputs.
• The processing factory - withering, rolling, oxidation and drying explained.
• Forest alongside - canopy walk, trails and river in the adjoining reserve.

When to go

March to September; early morning for the mountain. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Cloud hides Kinabalu most of the time from mid-morning. Factory tours run when processing is happening, which is not every day. It rains often and the ground gets muddy.

Nearby

Ranau, Poring hot springs and Kinabalu Park are all close.