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.[]
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 to get to 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?
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 a tour of the Dambatenne Tea Factory last?
Your tour will be split into three main parts and should take around 25 minutes:
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. Next you visit a massive downstairs room where the tea is refined in different stages before it is finally heated.
3. Lastly all the tea will be heated then let to cool. Once cooled, it goes into bags to be distributed around the globe!
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 can you do on the tour?
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.
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 is there to do nearby?
It's such a mountainous region so there are four other things to do which is best done with a driver:
1. Admire the views of the mountains
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!)
So that's really all there is to it - it's a short and sweet tour but definitely worth doing!
OK it's tea time!
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 to get to 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?
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 a tour of the Dambatenne Tea Factory last?
Your tour will be split into three main parts and should take around 25 minutes:
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. Next you visit a massive downstairs room where the tea is refined in different stages before it is finally heated.
3. Lastly all the tea will be heated then let to cool. Once cooled, it goes into bags to be distributed around the globe!
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 can you do on the tour?
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.
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 is there to do nearby?
It's such a mountainous region so there are four other things to do which is best done with a driver:
1. Admire the views of the mountains
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!)
So that's really all there is to it - it's a short and sweet tour but definitely worth doing!
OK it's tea time!
About the Author:
To find more articles like Sri Lanka Tea Factory head to Jonny Blair's magnificent website on his Travel lifestyle for more advice and stories.
No comments:
Post a Comment