D

ieng is known for its relics that are steeped in history. When you are done climbing temple steps and steep hills, the Tambi Tea Plantation is a modern-day excursion.

Spanning 830 hectares, the plantation is a nature-lover’s haven.   

Tours are open to the public and our guide spoke both English and Bahasa Indonesia to his mixed audience.  

The tour lasts for about an hour across 1 kilometer of land. After the tour, settle on the terrace for afternoon tea. Sip freshly brewed tea and nibble on light snacks and drink in the view of the plantation grounds and the mountains.

The plantation is organic. A total of 1,100 workers share the duties of harvesting, weeding and debugging. No chemicals whatsoever are used on the tea bushes.  

The plantation workers work hard to maintain the plants. Tea leaves are harvested biweekly by an all-women group of pickers. They pick at lightening speed; every twenty minutes, their baskets are filled with 7 kilograms of leaves.

All types of tea come from the same bush. White tea comes from young tea leaves, green tea isn’t fermented and black tea goes through the fermentation process.  

About 60 tons of tea are shipped from the plantation every day.

— Diana O’Gilvie