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 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
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! []
How much does it cost to visit Dambatenne Tea Factory?
It's a simple 250 Rupees fee payable at the door and in cash only. There might be a slight delay to wait until one of the workers is available to show you around but it will be worth it - this place is off the beaten track!
How long does a tour of the Dambatenne Tea Factory last?
It can be split into three parts and takes about 20 - 25 minutes, here are the three parts:
1. A visit to the rooms upstairs where the tea arrives in from. They are put into machines to begin the refining process.
2. Visiting the downstairs room where the tea goes through different levels of refining and is eventually left out to rest before being 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 can you do near to the Dambatenne Tea Factory?
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. Marvel at the epic mountain views
2. Walk at leisure round the endless tea plantations on the hills
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!)
I was just trying to see if the post could be stretched out any more and extra details added, but basically like I said, it's a short and basic tour and that's really all there is to it. If you have any questions on it, do leave a comment below or get in touch. They don't even have their own website, despite the enormity of their production, and for once I'm not even going to bother linking to a site about it!
OK it's tea time!
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
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! []
How much does it cost to visit Dambatenne Tea Factory?
It's a simple 250 Rupees fee payable at the door and in cash only. There might be a slight delay to wait until one of the workers is available to show you around but it will be worth it - this place is off the beaten track!
How long does a tour of the Dambatenne Tea Factory last?
It can be split into three parts and takes about 20 - 25 minutes, here are the three parts:
1. A visit to the rooms upstairs where the tea arrives in from. They are put into machines to begin the refining process.
2. Visiting the downstairs room where the tea goes through different levels of refining and is eventually left out to rest before being 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 can you do near to the Dambatenne Tea Factory?
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. Marvel at the epic mountain views
2. Walk at leisure round the endless tea plantations on the hills
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!)
I was just trying to see if the post could be stretched out any more and extra details added, but basically like I said, it's a short and basic tour and that's really all there is to it. If you have any questions on it, do leave a comment below or get in touch. They don't even have their own website, despite the enormity of their production, and for once I'm not even going to bother linking to a site about it!
OK it's tea time!
About the Author:
For more inspiring articles on backpacking in sri lanka and general immense backpacker tales and crazy travel stories check out Jonny's blog.
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