Why Lipton's Seat, Haputale will steal your heart
In the late 19th century, a Glasgow grocer called Thomas Lipton came to Ceylon and bought tea estates in the hills around Haputale. He went on to build one of the most famous tea brands in the world. Legend has it that he loved to sit on a rocky ridge high above his estates and survey his empire. That spot is now known as Lipton's Seat, and the view is every bit as grand as you'd hope.
The drive or walk up to Lipton's Seat winds through the Dambatenne tea estate, one of Lipton's original plantations. In the early morning, you pass tea pickers heading to work in colourful saris, baskets on their backs, and neat rows of tea bushes stretching over every slope. It's one of the most beautiful tea landscapes in Sri Lanka.
At the top, at around 1,970 metres, the land falls away beneath you, and on a clear morning, the view stretches across several provinces: rolling tea estates, forested ridges, villages, reservoirs and the lowlands fading into the distance. A statue of Sir Thomas Lipton sits on a bench, admiring the view with you.
A small stall at the top serves hot tea and fresh roti, the perfect breakfast with a view. On the way down, visit the historic Dambatenne tea factory, founded by Lipton himself, where you can see how tea is still processed and learn the story of the estate.
The secret, as so often in the hills, is to go early. Mist often rolls in by mid-morning, so aim to arrive for sunrise. With the golden light spreading across the valleys and the tea glistening with dew, it's one of the finest mornings you'll have in Sri Lanka.
