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.[]
It's in the middle of nowhere in fact so visiting Dambatenne tea factory is an off the beaten track gem. If you've grown up on drinking tea it's a place not to be missed though I must say.
How do you get to the 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 it cost to visit Dambatenne Tea Factory?
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.
What length of time is a tour of Dambatenne Tea Factory?
It can be split into three parts and takes about 20 - 25 minutes, here are the three parts:
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. 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. 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 other things are there 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.
The packet of tea cost 300 Rupees and that's the Dambatenne stuff. However the better tea called Simondou costs a whopping 1,100 Rupees! You can also buy them in the nearby towns of course.
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. Savour the mountain views
2. Stroll along the hills of tea plantations
3. Have a cup of tea with a great view over the landscape
4. Visit the actual town of Haputale (there are hotels, markets, shops and even an ATM there!)
There you have it - the tour is short and over quickly but is worth a trip and provides you with great travel memories.
OK it's tea time!
It's in the middle of nowhere in fact so visiting Dambatenne tea factory is an off the beaten track gem. If you've grown up on drinking tea it's a place not to be missed though I must say.
How do you get to the 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 it cost to visit Dambatenne Tea Factory?
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.
What length of time is a tour of Dambatenne Tea Factory?
It can be split into three parts and takes about 20 - 25 minutes, here are the three parts:
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. 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. 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 other things are there 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.
The packet of tea cost 300 Rupees and that's the Dambatenne stuff. However the better tea called Simondou costs a whopping 1,100 Rupees! You can also buy them in the nearby towns of course.
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. Savour the mountain views
2. Stroll along the hills of tea plantations
3. Have a cup of tea with a great view over the landscape
4. Visit the actual town of Haputale (there are hotels, markets, shops and even an ATM there!)
There you have it - the tour is short and over quickly but is worth a trip and provides you with great travel memories.
OK it's tea time!
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