A green carpet
Thousands of hectares of tea.
Zhilal Darma — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ardi Ryan Dirza — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Muhamad Izzul Fiqih — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Muhamad Izzul Fiqih — CC BY-SA 4.0
One of Indonesia's oldest and largest tea estates, founded by a Dutch company in the 1920s on the slopes of Mount Kerinci at about 1,400 to 1,600 metres, its green rows of tea stretching over thousands of hectares to the foot of the volcano in one of Sumatra's loveliest scenes. The view is the thing: a rolling green carpet of tea bushes crowned by the towering cone of Mount Kerinci with smoke rising from its crater, and tea pickers among the rows in the morning. The estate has an old factory producing black tea, and shops selling Kayu Aro tea to take home. The roads through the estate are open, and wandering and photography are free, with viewpoints and small cafés. The air is cool and fresh, especially in the morning. Come early, while the summit is clear before cloud covers it. The estate lies on the climbers' route to Mount Kerinci from Kersik Tuo, so it is a natural stop before or after the climb.
Thousands of hectares of tea.
One of Sumatra's finest views.
From an old factory.
Kayu Aro, Kerinci regency, at the foot of Mount Kerinci
Fly to Depati Parbo airport near Sungai Penuh, or drive from Padang in about seven to eight hours through the mountains, or longer from Jambi.