In Sri Lanka, tea is the national drink. Well it has to be! Every day almost every nationality in the world will sip a liquid that was made from leaves grown here in the mysterious hills of Sri Lanka. I made the trip to the valleys and hills at Haputale in Sri Lanka to the impressive Dambatenne Tea Factory, opened by Thomas Lipton over 100 years ago. It is currently a source of tea for Scottish based company Lipton Tea amongst other worldwide tea companies and distributors. All the tea is grown locally here in the gorgeous mountains and valleys of Sri Lanka's inland region.[]
The Haputale valleys and Dambatenne Tea Factory are in the middle of nowhere! It's a hard place to get too but if you love tea then you need to find a way to get here!
How to get to Dambatenne Tea Factory
To be honest it's not easy. There are no trains or direct buses up in this hilly region but what you will need will be to hire a car or a driver. A local driver knows the roads and will ensure you get there without incident. It could be easy to get lost in this part of Sri Lanka. So basically hire a local driver to take you! []
How much does visiting Dambatenne Tea Factory cost?
You will be charged 250 Rupees to enter which is fair enough. You must pay in cash at the main entrance. You might also have a short delay before starting the tour as the workers may be busy and not ready to give you the guided tour yet. However it will be worth the wait.
How long does a tour of the Dambatenne Tea Factory last?
The tour is basically split into 3 parts and takes roughly 25 minutes:
1. Visiting the upstairs rooms where the tea leaves are brought into the building and they are placed into the massive circular machines before going through the refining process.
2. Next you visit a massive downstairs room where the tea is refined in different stages before it is finally heated.
3. The tea is heated and then cooled and put into bags ready for shipment.
Photos are banned inside for parts 2 and 3 of the tour which is fair enough as it's their secret factory and the staff are also busy working. In terms of opening times for the tour, then it's probably 9 - 5 but just make sure you check before you head there!
What else can you do on the tour?
The tour is fast and will be over in a flash but it's still really worth doing. There is no shop to sit and have a tea though which I found incredible - I wanted a cup! There isn't even a souvenir shop but you can buy packets of Dambatenne Tea to take away with you, which I did. The only real souvenir.
You can buy a packet of fresh Dambatenne tea for 300 Rupees, but the better stuff Simondou, which is tea bags costs an enormous 1,100 Rupees! Ouch! You can get it cheaper in the nearby towns by the way, you're just paying for the packet, the freshness of it and the fact that it was bought there.
What else is there to do nearby?
It's a sparse hilly region so activities are not vast, however I pinpoint these four things in the nearby area, it's also easier if you have a driver (car or tuk tuk) as they can stop for you anywhere you want:
1. Savour the mountain views
2. Walk at leisure round the endless tea plantations on the hills
3. Enjoy a cup of tea in a cafe with an impressive view
4. Visit the actual town of Haputale (there are hotels, markets, shops and even an ATM there!)
So that's really all there is to it - it's a short and sweet tour but definitely worth doing!
I'm heading to get a cup of tea...a lifestyle of travel!
The Haputale valleys and Dambatenne Tea Factory are in the middle of nowhere! It's a hard place to get too but if you love tea then you need to find a way to get here!
How to get to Dambatenne Tea Factory
To be honest it's not easy. There are no trains or direct buses up in this hilly region but what you will need will be to hire a car or a driver. A local driver knows the roads and will ensure you get there without incident. It could be easy to get lost in this part of Sri Lanka. So basically hire a local driver to take you! []
How much does visiting Dambatenne Tea Factory cost?
You will be charged 250 Rupees to enter which is fair enough. You must pay in cash at the main entrance. You might also have a short delay before starting the tour as the workers may be busy and not ready to give you the guided tour yet. However it will be worth the wait.
How long does a tour of the Dambatenne Tea Factory last?
The tour is basically split into 3 parts and takes roughly 25 minutes:
1. Visiting the upstairs rooms where the tea leaves are brought into the building and they are placed into the massive circular machines before going through the refining process.
2. Next you visit a massive downstairs room where the tea is refined in different stages before it is finally heated.
3. The tea is heated and then cooled and put into bags ready for shipment.
Photos are banned inside for parts 2 and 3 of the tour which is fair enough as it's their secret factory and the staff are also busy working. In terms of opening times for the tour, then it's probably 9 - 5 but just make sure you check before you head there!
What else can you do on the tour?
The tour is fast and will be over in a flash but it's still really worth doing. There is no shop to sit and have a tea though which I found incredible - I wanted a cup! There isn't even a souvenir shop but you can buy packets of Dambatenne Tea to take away with you, which I did. The only real souvenir.
You can buy a packet of fresh Dambatenne tea for 300 Rupees, but the better stuff Simondou, which is tea bags costs an enormous 1,100 Rupees! Ouch! You can get it cheaper in the nearby towns by the way, you're just paying for the packet, the freshness of it and the fact that it was bought there.
What else is there to do nearby?
It's a sparse hilly region so activities are not vast, however I pinpoint these four things in the nearby area, it's also easier if you have a driver (car or tuk tuk) as they can stop for you anywhere you want:
1. Savour the mountain views
2. Walk at leisure round the endless tea plantations on the hills
3. Enjoy a cup of tea in a cafe with an impressive view
4. Visit the actual town of Haputale (there are hotels, markets, shops and even an ATM there!)
So that's really all there is to it - it's a short and sweet tour but definitely worth doing!
I'm heading to get a cup of tea...a lifestyle of travel!
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