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LIPTON SEAT & TEA FACTORY

Located on top of the Poonagala hill, the Lipton’s Seat lookout is one of Sri Lank

The point of Lipton’s Seat is reached by climbing for around 7km surrounded by peaceful green tea plantations and an occasional colorful tea plucker. There are two routes available; one from the Nayabedda estate in Bandarawela, and the second through the Dambatenna estate in Haputale. Both routes have entrances marked with sign boards and narrow paved roads. Some parts of the road even have some of the original stone constructions from the British era of Ceylon, and hence are worth seeing from a historical point of view. The climb takes about two and a half hours on average, after a visitor reaches the hill top.

 

Tea estates in the hill country are well known for their killer views and tranquility, but if there is only one plantation you will see this year, make sure it’s Lipton’s Seat in Haputale. The view is to die for, and the sheer peace and quiet enough to rejuvenate your senses.

 

Named after the renowned tea planter Thomas Lipton, it is believed that the first ever tea leaves that made its way out of Sri Lanka grew here. For that matter, Thomas Lipton is said to have used the place as a sort of vantage point to survey the acres of tea plantation spread out in all directions. Lipton’s Seat is located on the top of the Poonagala Hill near the Dambetenna tea factory in Haputale.

 

Haputale is a seven hour drive from Colombo. And that’s just one part of the trip. Getting to Lipton’s Seat itself is an adventure of its own. The roads are narrow, with barely enough room for two vehicles to pass. But like we said, the view is amazing, so it doesn’t really matter.

 

It’s an uphill climb to the top. About 7km to be exact. But you’ll be climbing through a lush growth of tea, so it’s not so bad. It’s a bit like going back in time because the worn out roads and pathways haven’t seen a repairman since the days of the British and some of the original stone pavings are still intact, which only adds to the eye candy value. 

 

When you get to the top of Lipton’s Seat, you will have a bird’s eye view of the Uva, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Eastern provinces in the perspective of Thomas Lipton himself. To say the view is spectacular would be an understatement. The climb is worth it just for this.

 

When considering the suitable climates to visit,  On a clear day, you should be able to spot the Handapanagala Lake, the Chandrika Lake and the Udawalawe Lake as well as the Wedihiti Kanda mountain range and, if you’re lucky, the Hambonta port. Yes. The same one located all the way down south. It’s pretty surreal.

 

Thomas Lipton set up shop here in late 19th century. Thanks to concessions made available by the British government at the time, he was able to buy several tea estates in Ceylon, one of which was Lipton’s Seat, where Tamil Indian plantation workers were employed by the thousands.

The point of Lipton’s Seat is reached by climbing for around 7km surrounded by peaceful green tea plantations and an occasional colorful tea plucker. There are two routes available; one from the Nayabedda estate in Bandarawela, and the second through the Dambatenna estate in Haputale. Both routes have entrances marked with sign boards and narrow paved roads. Some parts of the road even have some of the original stone constructions from the British era of Ceylon, and hence are worth seeing from a historical point of view. The climb takes about two and a half hours on average, after a visitor reaches the hill top.

 

Tea estates in the hill country are well known for their killer views and tranquility, but if there is only one plantation you will see this year, make sure it’s Lipton’s Seat in Haputale. The view is to die for, and the sheer peace and quiet enough to rejuvenate your senses.

 

Named after the renowned tea planter Thomas Lipton, it is believed that the first ever tea leaves that made its way out of Sri Lanka grew here. For that matter, Thomas Lipton is said to have used the place as a sort of vantage point to survey the acres of tea plantation spread out in all directions. Lipton’s Seat is located on the top of the Poonagala Hill near the Dambetenna tea factory in Haputale.

 

Haputale is a seven hour drive from Colombo. And that’s just one part of the trip. Getting to Lipton’s Seat itself is an adventure of its own. The roads are narrow, with barely enough room for two vehicles to pass. But like we said, the view is amazing, so it doesn’t really matter.

 

It’s an uphill climb to the top. About 7km to be exact. But you’ll be climbing through a lush growth of tea, so it’s not so bad. It’s a bit like going back in time because the worn out roads and pathways haven’t seen a repairman since the days of the British and some of the original stone pavings are still intact, which only adds to the eye candy value. 

 

When you get to the top of Lipton’s Seat, you will have a bird’s eye view of the Uva, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Eastern provinces in the perspective of Thomas Lipton himself. To say the view is spectacular would be an understatement. The climb is worth it just for this.

 

When considering the suitable climates to visit,  On a clear day, you should be able to spot the Handapanagala Lake, the Chandrika Lake and the Udawalawe Lake as well as the Wedihiti Kanda mountain range and, if you’re lucky, the Hambonta port. Yes. The same one located all the way down south. It’s pretty surreal.

 

Thomas Lipton set up shop here in late 19th century. Thanks to concessions made available by the British government at the time, he was able to buy several tea estates in Ceylon, one of which was Lipton’s Seat, where Tamil Indian plantation workers were employed by the thousands.

 

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