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![]
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.
Getting 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! []
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?
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. 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?
It's a very basic and quick tour and that's really all there is to it. I was surprised to learn that there is NO tea shop or even souvenir shop there - I'd have thought they would have made money from something like that, but alas the only thing you can do is buy a fresh packet of Dambatenne Tea!!
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. Admire the views of the mountains
2. Walk round the tea plantations
3. Stop at a cafe for a cup of tea with a view
4. Go to the town of Haputale which has hotels, shops, an ATM and markets
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!
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.
Getting 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! []
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?
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. 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?
It's a very basic and quick tour and that's really all there is to it. I was surprised to learn that there is NO tea shop or even souvenir shop there - I'd have thought they would have made money from something like that, but alas the only thing you can do is buy a fresh packet of Dambatenne Tea!!
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. Admire the views of the mountains
2. Walk round the tea plantations
3. Stop at a cafe for a cup of tea with a view
4. Go to the town of Haputale which has hotels, shops, an ATM and markets
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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