info
Thank you for visiting my site.

LIPTON SEAT - HAPUTALE

LIPTON SEAT - HAPUTALE

Lipton’s Seat is one of the most famous viewpoints in Sri Lanka, located near Haputale in the Badulla District. It sits at an elevation of about 1,970 meters (6,463 feet) above sea level within the vast Dambatenna Tea Estate, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. Here's a detailed guide to Lipton’s Seat:

History & Significance

Lipton’s Seat is named after Sir Thomas Lipton, the Scottish tea baron who is widely credited for making Ceylon tea a global brand. Sir Lipton would often sit at this very point to admire the beauty of his tea plantations, contemplating his business and the rich, rolling hills of the region. He played a key role in shaping Sri Lanka's tea industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The spot where he used to sit and enjoy the surroundings now serves as a memorial to his legacy in the tea industry. It is still part of the Dambatenna Tea Estate, one of the largest tea plantations in Sri Lanka, which was originally owned by Lipton.

Getting to Lipton’s Seat

 Lipton’s Seat is located about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from Haputale town. You can reach it via a scenic, winding road that takes you through tea estates, small villages, and patches of misty forest. Visitors can either:

Walk or hike: The walk from Dambatenna Tea Factory to Lipton’s Seat is around 7 kilometers. The trail takes about 2–2.5 hours, and it’s a pleasant uphill hike through tea plantations with several beautiful viewpoints along the way.

Tuk-tuk: This is a more popular and quicker option. The journey by tuk-tuk takes around 45 minutes from Haputale or about 20 minutes from the Dambatenna Tea Factory.

What to Expect at Lipton’s Seat

At the summit, there is a viewing platform where you can enjoy 360-degree views on clear days. The landscape stretches across the central and southern parts of Sri Lanka, including views of tea estates, paddy fields, mountain ranges, and small villages. On an exceptionally clear day, it's said that you can even see the coast and parts of five different provinces of Sri Lanka from this spot.

However, due to the high elevation, mist and clouds often roll in, especially later in the morning or during the afternoon. It’s best to visit early in the day (around sunrise) for the clearest views.

The Surrounding Area: Dambatenna Tea Estate

The Dambatenna Tea Factory, built by Sir Thomas Lipton in 1890, is still operational and offers guided tours for visitors. You can learn about the tea production process, from plucking the tea leaves to the final stages of drying, sorting, and packing. It’s a great complement to the visit to Lipton’s Seat, offering insights into the history and production of Sri Lanka’s world-renowned tea.

Best Time to Visit

Early morning is the best time to visit Lipton’s Seat. By mid-morning, clouds often obscure the views, especially during the monsoon season (April to September). Many visitors aim to arrive by sunrise for the clearest skies and spectacular colors as the sun rises over the tea-covered hills.

October to March tends to be the driest period, making it ideal for visiting.

Tips for Visitors

  • Carry warm clothing: Temperatures can be cool in the morning, especially at this high altitude.
  • Entrance fee: There’s usually a small entrance fee to visit Lipton’s Seat.
  • Snacks and water: There are no shops at the top, so bringing some light refreshments is a good idea.
  • Stay hydrated and bring sun protection if you plan to hike, as the sun can be strong despite the cooler temperatures.

 

 

Feedback from valuable clients + See all

    "We are an older couple celebrating a lot of years of marriage (and hiking) in Sri Lanka in February this year, for two weeks, and three days in the Maldives. Although we love to drive, we chose to go with a driver-guide, after planning the trip completely independently. (It turned out he might help us in the planning and selection of hotels, we own). The main advantage is reaching the sites, some of which are tired, refreshed after someone else used to bad roads, with bad signage - If you are i..." Sam

    "Dear Cyril, Sincerest apologies for this delayed email --- reason being that I had been extremely busy with work & travel, since returning from Sri Lanka and just got a breather now, to download our photos and catch up with private matters. Hope this email finds you & family, in the best of health & spirits. Your granddaughter must be keeping you busy and giving you & Mrs. Baddegama immense joy. At this end, we are doing fine. Nikhita is back at school, now in Grade 7 and havi..." Pradeep Kumar Menon - Singapore

    "I want to thank Mr. Cyril for this 17 days long tour. He is an excellent chauffeur guide, always on time with a car more than the clean. He knows all the places in the Island and organized very well. Most of all, he is very kind person, always with a smile and ready to help. I want to reccommond him to all my friends. Ria Deleu Belgium Travel period 25 Jan 2020 - 10 Feb 2020 ( 17 days)" Mrs. Ria Deleu from Belgium

    "2nd to 15th November 2016 Dear Cyril, Thank you for arranging our first visit to your beautiful country. We had a very  enjoyable, comfortable, safe, interesting and memorable holiday. All the accommodations you provided were very clean and comfortable and we will always remember the welcome, we felt when the smiling staff cheerfully looked after us and our every need. The itinerary you arranged was just right for us and made even better with the care you took whilst driving your very c..." Satwant and Doug from Australia

    "Dear Cyril, Thanks for taking care of the Dr.Sethukavalar and his wife very well. They were indeed very happy for all the care you have shown during your tour. They were very impressed of your patience and kindness. I look forward to see you soon and maintain this good relationship we have developed in a short period of time. We will not hesitate a second to recommend you to all our friends who would like to visit Sri Lanka. Taking this opportunity of wishing you all the best. Thanks fo..." HARIDAS KANDASAMY

    "We had a exellent and memorable trip. That all credit to you Cyril.Indepth knowledge about the place, roads, Culture and history. Very matuared and patient. We were in very safe hands on all the time. Thanks a lot, mainly it's memorable expeirience for all of us. We always recomond CYRIL TOURS to our friends and relatives in Dubai and in India." Awdhesh Kumar and gruop

    "Dear Cyril, Here are some photos for you as we promised, and also little gift to you. Here is some photos of elephant boy which we were took on elephant ride. Please give to them when you go to Habarana again. We are very grateful to you for your services that you have done to make our holiday in this beautiful country. Still we are thinking over our nice trip with you. It was fantastic, really! Here in Holland, life is normal again. Greeting for your wife and daughter too. George and Cala ..." George and Cala

    "We found Cyril on-line and after checking with lots of other guides we decided he is the one for us, that decision was the best one we did for our trip From the beginning, in our emails, Cyril listen to us and was very helpful, he gave us information and helped us to create the best trip for us.We had 10 days trip, for our honeymoon, to many parts of Sri-Lanka. the country is amazing, green, nice people and good food.Cyril was a great driver and even greater guide, he has so much knowledge and e..." Coral and Oded from Israel

    "  Hi Cyril   We have had a fabulous holiday driven and guided by Cyril from CYRIL TOURS. Hotel recommendations were perfect and knowledge supertb. We would happy to introduce CYRIL TOURS to our frieinds and relatives. Thank you for the photos you are taken and send to us, they are a great reminder of our amazing experience in Sri Lanka.   We had a truly memorable time and we are grateful to you for all your knowledge and guidance throughout our trip, it would not have been..." Mr. Richard & Mrs. Bridget Simson and family from

    "Thank you Cyril for making our Christmas holiday fun so smoothly and easy. We loved Sri Lanka and look forward to retuning again. Cyril, your knowledge and service was outstanding and it was so refreshing to have such a very highlevel of service. We will be sure to recomond your service and travel agency to our friends. Please feel free to use us as a reference, you can use my email or phone number to clients." Bruce Larson & family from USA

RECENT PACKAGES
DISCOVER SRI LANKA - 14 NIGHTS 15 DAYS
SURFING IN SRI LANKA - ARUGAMBAY AND HIKKADUWA
ROUND TOUR AROUND SRI LANKA INCLUDING LIPTON SEAT
2 DAYS EXCURSION - SIGIRIYA - DAMBULLA AND KANDY
SRI LANKA - HONEYMOON PACKAGE
GLIMPS OF SRI LANKA - 4 NIGHTS 5 DAYS
FROM JUNGLES TO TEMPLES IN SRI LANKA -14-DAYS
DISCOVER SRI LANKA
SIX NIGHTS 7 DAYS SPLENDID BEACH HOLIDAY
HONEYMOON TOUR IN SRI LANKA BY 9 DAYS

MAKE A REQUEST