Panorama at Lipton Seat

Lipton’s Seat and Dambethenna Tea Estate are two Of the major attractions in Haputale. Lipton’s Seat is considered the number one attraction in Haputale, is a viewpoint on the Poonagala Mountain the highest point in the Badulla District in Dambethanne Tea Estate.

Panorama at Liptons seat is one of the most popular attractions for the Sri Lankan Tourist. The view from here is considered only rival to World’s`End view at Horton Plains. This view point is located at a perilous location at the top of Poonagala Mountain at a height of over 1950 metres with a sheer drop over one side and a 360 degree view.

The place gets this name after the famous tea planter Sir Thomas Lipton. It is said that this point was one of his favourite viewpoints, where he used this place to survey the surrounding region of his tea plantations after a seven kms of horse ride to the top. It was one of the favourite places to entertain his guests and used this seat to have a relaxed evening with his much loved famous pipe.

Sir Thomas Lipton, the man who introduced the Lipton Brand Ceylon Tea bought this tea estates in then Ceylon in 1890’s, when the country was under the British rule. Sir Lipton started this Dambethnna Tea Factory in 1891, which was 925 acres in size, and one of the largest tea processing factories in the Uva region.

Though the estate changed hands in 1930’s the name of this view point survived as a remembrance to Sir Lipton.

The road to Lipton’s Seat is narrow and rocky. Take the signed narrow paved road from Dambethenna tea factory and climb about 7km through lush tea plantations to the lookout From the tea factory the ascent should take about two hours. The earliest bus leaves Haputale at 6.30am up to the Factory

The bird’s eye view at the ‘Seat’ could be seen seven districts in the Sothern plateau in a clear day. Large structures, reservoirs, natural settings and the South coast of Hambantota, Matara, Galle, Monaragala, Ratnapura, Ampara and Badulla are possible to see from the top of the Seat Lipton’s Sea. Arriving Lipton’s Seat before noon for greater location view is recommended.

Dambethanne Estate

Dambatenne is the first estate that Lipton bought in Ceylon was known Downall Group in Haputale and it included Estates Dambatenne, Llaymostatte and Monarakande.

Dambethanna Estate is just ten kms away from Haputale town. East of Haputale, a scenic narrow road along the edge of the steeply mountain through beautiful rambling tea estates leads to legendary Dambatenna Tea

Factory built by Sir Thomas Lipton, the tea magnate whose name is immortalized in Lipton’s Tea. The colonial Dambatenne Tea Factory brings in an unmistakable message of philanthropy in addition to the efficient industry: the wbrkers¹ quarters of the famous factory accommodates over 4,000 people, the 20,000 sq ft factory employee 1,600 workers. In spite of the on-going modernisation, some of the machinery of the colonial era is still in operation in this ISO certified factory.