Tea is the national drink of Sri Lanka! They produce tons of the stuff and all over the world everyday people drink tea that comes from Sri Lanka. A great place to see where it comes from is the valleys and hills at Haputale in the hill country! Haputale is home to the famous Dambatenne Tea Factory which was opened by Scottish man Thomas Lipton more than a century ago! The tea is all grown locally in the mountains![]
The Dambatenne Tea Factory is actually up in the mountains at Haputale and hard to get to. If you are an avid tea drinker, I assure you however that it is worth the trip!
How do you get to the Dambatenne Tea Factory?
Getting to the Dambatenne Tea Factory is tricky for tourists. Up in the mountains and valleys there is no rail system here. The bus system does run, but the roads are so narrow you are better off finding a local driver. Get a local driver to take you and save the hassle! He will know what he is doing! []
What price is it to visit Dambatenne Tea Factory?
The entrance fee is a simple 250 Rupees, payable in cash only at the front door. You may have to wait until one of the workers is available to take you round. It's not busy at all - despite being a great place to visit and one of my travel highlights, this is still well off the normal traveller's trail - worth getting out to.
How long does the tour of Dambatenne Tea Factory take?
Your tour will be split into three main parts and should take around 25 minutes:
1. First of all you visit a room upstairs where the tea has just arrived in from the mountains. Here the tea leaves are put into machines ready for the process.
2. Secondly you are in a large room downstairs to watch the process of the tea being refined before it is heated at the end.
3. Finally the tea is heated, later cooled and put into large bags ready to be shipped worldwide!
No photos are permitted during parts 2 or 3. The below photo is from the upstairs room. The workers are hard at work while you're walking around, for this reason I respected the "no photos" rule. With regards to opening hours, check and ask around at the time, as a general rule it's normally 9 - 5pm but don't take my word for it.
What else is the tour about?
The tour is short and once it's over that's you done! Yes really there is no restaurant, cafe or tea room to even have a sample of the Sri Lankan tea. Your only consolation will be being able to buy a packet of Dambatenne tea direct from the factory in a small box.
To buy a packet of Dambatenne tea is 300 Rupees. The more expensive tea for sale is Simondou which costs a ridiculous 1,100 Rupees. You might actually be better buying them in the towns and villages in markets.
What other things can you do in the area nearby?
The region is very hilly so admiring the view is the best thing to do, if you hire a driver they can stop wherever you like:
1. Admire the views of the mountains
2. Walk round the tea plantations
3. Have a cup of tea with a great view over the landscape
4. Visit Haputale town and stay in a hotel, check out the markets and shops (there is also an ATM in the town)
There you have it - the tour is short and over quickly but is worth a trip and provides you with great travel memories.
Time for a cup of tea!
The Dambatenne Tea Factory is actually up in the mountains at Haputale and hard to get to. If you are an avid tea drinker, I assure you however that it is worth the trip!
How do you get to the Dambatenne Tea Factory?
Getting to the Dambatenne Tea Factory is tricky for tourists. Up in the mountains and valleys there is no rail system here. The bus system does run, but the roads are so narrow you are better off finding a local driver. Get a local driver to take you and save the hassle! He will know what he is doing! []
What price is it to visit Dambatenne Tea Factory?
The entrance fee is a simple 250 Rupees, payable in cash only at the front door. You may have to wait until one of the workers is available to take you round. It's not busy at all - despite being a great place to visit and one of my travel highlights, this is still well off the normal traveller's trail - worth getting out to.
How long does the tour of Dambatenne Tea Factory take?
Your tour will be split into three main parts and should take around 25 minutes:
1. First of all you visit a room upstairs where the tea has just arrived in from the mountains. Here the tea leaves are put into machines ready for the process.
2. Secondly you are in a large room downstairs to watch the process of the tea being refined before it is heated at the end.
3. Finally the tea is heated, later cooled and put into large bags ready to be shipped worldwide!
No photos are permitted during parts 2 or 3. The below photo is from the upstairs room. The workers are hard at work while you're walking around, for this reason I respected the "no photos" rule. With regards to opening hours, check and ask around at the time, as a general rule it's normally 9 - 5pm but don't take my word for it.
What else is the tour about?
The tour is short and once it's over that's you done! Yes really there is no restaurant, cafe or tea room to even have a sample of the Sri Lankan tea. Your only consolation will be being able to buy a packet of Dambatenne tea direct from the factory in a small box.
To buy a packet of Dambatenne tea is 300 Rupees. The more expensive tea for sale is Simondou which costs a ridiculous 1,100 Rupees. You might actually be better buying them in the towns and villages in markets.
What other things can you do in the area nearby?
The region is very hilly so admiring the view is the best thing to do, if you hire a driver they can stop wherever you like:
1. Admire the views of the mountains
2. Walk round the tea plantations
3. Have a cup of tea with a great view over the landscape
4. Visit Haputale town and stay in a hotel, check out the markets and shops (there is also an ATM in the town)
There you have it - the tour is short and over quickly but is worth a trip and provides you with great travel memories.
Time for a cup of tea!
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