Lipton’s Seat

Lakpura - web

Lipton’s seat is a viewpoint popular among many tourists providing magnificent views of the sunrise. It is where the Scotish tea Baron used to observe his tea plantations and the tea factory from. You have to start early in the morning and reach there before dawn. Hotels in the surrounding, Haputale and Ella will help you with arranging transportation. The viewpoint gets covered in mist most of the time during the day, however on a clear day you can see seven different provinces and many attractions including Handapanagala wewa, Chandrika wewa, Uda Walawe, Wedihiti Kanda, and the Hambantota Harbor.

The viewpoint is about 7 kilometers away from the Dambatenne Tea Factory. There are two main routes one from Haputale or from the Nayabedda Estate. When you reach the entrance you need to buy a ticket which is about 100 LKR and an extra 50 LKR to drive your private vehicle. If you are keen to walk, you can do so too, but don't miss the sunrise.

There are some locals selling tea, drinks and snacks at the top, if you may require to take your own snacks and water with you. On your way back you will notice Tamil tea pickers mostly females are gathering with their tea bags tied to their heads getting ready for the day's work. Plan a visit to the Dambatenne Tea Factory when going back to Haputale.