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View all Ella toursLipton's Seat, the Dambatenne Tea Factory and Adisham Bungalow from Ella
A morning above Haputale to Lipton's Seat, the viewpoint where Thomas Lipton surveyed his estates, with the Dambatenne factory he built in 1890 and the Benedictine monastery at Adisham.
Highlights
- Lipton's Seat at 1,970 m, with a view across five provinces on a clear morning
- The Dambatenne tea factory, built by Thomas Lipton in 1890 and still working
- The option to walk the 7 km up through the estates instead of driving
- Adisham Bungalow, a 1930s English country house now a Benedictine monastery
- Pickup from Ella, Bandarawela or Haputale
Lipton's Seat, the Dambatenne Tea Factory and Adisham Bungalow from Ella: Key Facts
| Price | From $49.39 per person |
|---|---|
| Duration | 6 hours |
| Languages | English |
| Tour type | Guided Tour |
| Booking | Direct with the local operator — no OTA markup |
Full description
Thomas Lipton bought his first Ceylon estates in 1890, and Dambatenne was one of them. He built the factory that still stands there and, the story goes, used to ride up to a rock outcrop above it to look out over everything he owned. That outcrop is Lipton's Seat, at about 1,970 metres, and on a clear morning the view runs across five provinces to the southern plain.
The emphasis is on clear and on morning. By nine or ten the valley below fills with cloud and there is nothing to see, which is the same problem as World's End and has the same answer: go early. Some visitors walk the seven kilometres up from Dambatenne through the tea, which takes about two hours and is one of the better walks in the hill country; most drive.
The Dambatenne factory is a working plant and one of the oldest in Sri Lanka, and a visit takes the leaf from the withering troughs through rolling, oxidation and firing to the grading table.
Adisham Bungalow, back towards Haputale, is a 1930s English country house built by a British planter and now a Benedictine monastery. It is genuinely odd — Tudor-style stone in the middle of Sri Lankan tea country — and the monks sell jam.
Tour Itinerary
The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
Pickup
An early start for the drive up to Haputale.
Lipton's Seat
The viewpoint before the cloud arrives.
Dambatenne factory
The working plant Lipton built in 1890.
Adisham Bungalow
The monastery and its gardens.
Drop-off
Back at your hotel.
Detailed Itinerary
[{"time": "05:00", "title": "Hotel pickup", "description": "About 90 minutes from Ella. The early start is the entire trip."}, {"time": "06:30", "title": "Lipton's Seat", "description": "Cloud usually closes the view by nine or ten. Cold and windy at 1,970 m before sunrise."}, {"time": "08:30", "title": "Dambatenne", "description": "Closed on poya days, when an estate walk substitutes."}, {"time": "10:00", "title": "Adisham", "description": "Open to visitors on limited days — the operator confirms when booking. The monks sell jam and cordials."}, {"time": "11:00", "title": "Ella", "description": "Drop-off, with the rest of the day free."}]
Includes
- Private vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide, hotel pickup and drop-off, all driving, fuel.
Excludes
- Tea factory and Adisham entrance fees, meals and drinks, tea purchases, gratuities.
Important information
Meeting point
Hotel pickup in Ella, Bandarawela or Haputale; confirmed after booking.
Know before you go
- Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts