Tea Factory Visit - Dambatenne

By Jonny Blair

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 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!

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! []

How much does visiting Dambatenne Tea Factory cost?

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?

The tour is basically split into 3 parts and takes roughly 25 minutes:

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. The tea is heated and then cooled and put into bags ready for shipment.

You can't take photos inside during parts 2 and 3 which is fine as it's their system. The staff will all be working hard in the background so it's important to respect that. The opening hours of the tours seemed to be 9-5 but double check before you visit.

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.

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?

It's a sparse hilly region so activities are not vast, however I pinpoint these four things in the nearby area, it's also easier if you have a driver (car or tuk tuk) as they can stop for you anywhere you want:

1. Marvel at the epic mountain views

2. Walk at leisure round the endless tea plantations on the hills

3. Enjoy a cup of tea in a cafe with an impressive 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.

I'm heading to get a cup of tea...a lifestyle of travel!

About the Author:

To read more articles like Sri Lanka Tea Factory head to Jonny Blair's magnificent website on his Travel lifestyle for more advice and anecdotes.

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