Where are the Tea plantations?
 

My wife and I are travelling to Asia in April, and one thing we would like to do is visit a Tea Plantation. Ideally stay there or nearby, tour it, taste the tea of course...

Our likely countries to visit are Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam (We are flexible to change this, but want to stay in this general vicinity. Probably not visit Sri Lanka or India this time.)

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks!

Thailand: Mae Salong area of north Thailand, hands down. This area was settled by Chinese and you can see the influence. You can stay there or in the general area, which is IMO one of the more interesting parts of Thailand.

Vietnam: I have seen some tea being grown in the Dalat area. Remember that tea needs some hilly coolness--tea is not a "tropical" plant! Vietnam also grows some pretty good coffee bean as well.

Cambodia: My impression is nothing tea-wise in this country.
Indonesia: Ditto, though it's a large country and possibly somewhere has tea--though how accessible it might be is another story.

China of course, has plenty of tea you can see....and in incredible varieties.

Try the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia.

too bad you dont have China on your itinerary. Especially since April is the harvesting season for Spring tea in Zhejiang province, where the famous green tea - longjing is originated

Bandung, West Java. Direct flights from SIN and KUL or 2 hrs drive from CGK.

Thank you all for your suggestions! My wife and I will research over the weekend and see what we can make work. China might be a little too far, but I will take a quick look at the map and see if a destination there is within reach.

Otherwise, Thailand, Vietnam, or West Java.

For China, the tea-growing region in closest proximity to SE Asia would be Yunnan province. Google "Yunnan" and "tea." Some interesting teas like pu'er are grown in this region. Easiest access to/from SE Asia is via Kunming, Yunnan provincial capital, a 1.5 hour direct flight from Bangkok and also reachable from other SE Asia cities. Keep in mind China requires a visa in advance which can be costly ($140) for US passport holders, though it is good for 12 months and multiple entries.

If you decide China is not on your itinerary on this trip, I would definitely recommend the Mae Salong area of Thailand.

While I agree in general, I'm not sure I'd recommend a visit in April, as it will be hot and smoggy (since this is the season to burn fields). On the upside, it is also tea harvest season.

My trip from two years back, in April: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...g-qv-fd-2.html

And Wikitravel: http://wikitravel.org/en/Mae_Salong

From SFO China is too far? But Java isn't? I'm missing something here.

The northern reaches of Laos also has tea areas, but April has the same problems that plague the aforementioned Mae Salong.... and that is indeed a beautiful area.

OP is probably flying into SIN or BKK, and the question is how accessible are the locations of these tea plantations from there.

I have a view of tea plantations in the distance when I stay at the Sheraton Bandung. The OP may also find this resort interesting (disclaimer : I have not stayed there before) http://www.next-age.info/eng.html

I know the OP said no Sri Lanka so I hope they have already experienced Tea Trails. www.teatrails.com. I think this is a great way to learn about the tea production in SE Asia. Food was great, lodging and service good, gardens, views, weather, activities, just amazing!

This is a good point, and I'm embarrassed to have forgotten it. :o

Another point forgotten is the Songkran holiday in mid-April--the OP should read up on it in case their trip dates might be affected. I personally would not wish to be in Thailand (except maybe the beach) during this holiday.
Perhaps if we knew what other focus/interests this trip was supposed to cover (besides tea), it might produce some additional direction for OP's trip planning.

Would Taiwan be any possibility?

Tea is big in Taiwan and it shouldn't be that difficult to coordinate your itinerary between SFO and TPE.

I know you guys said no sri lanka but i had one of most amazing experiences at ceylon tea trails where they have a 'tea experience' which teaches you everything about tea and this insight is just amazing delivered by their planter in residence! you cant top this location for this topic and its year around! being one of the best tea markets in the world with a small footprint SL makes for a great tea and tropics holiday!

In a way, yes
 

You are all being so helpful - I really appreciate it! - I will share more of my itinerary as soon as I get closer to solidifying it.

Generally, we will be in SE Asia for April. First few days in Hong Kong. Then a week in Bali. Then from 4/11 - end of April we are trying to figure out our itinerary. We were thinking head from Bali to Bangkok and then branch out from there. This is not set in stone, is there a better central location to travel to Vietman, Cambodia?

We are still researching! If we can make BKK to China Tea provinces happen we will certainly consider it!

Do the China Tea Plantations have the same smoke / burning issues as other locations in April?

(I have asthma, so breathing smoke or even a semblance of smoke is not a good thing for me. Thank you to those of you who have highlighted smoke as a concern for some locations! This has been very helpful in narrowing down where we should consider visiting!)