A spectacularly situated hill country town, Haputhale is sits on a ridge at the southern edge of the central mountains offering magnificent views over the plains, the coast in the far distance, and inland with peaks rising up behind you.
With a mainly Tamil population, the town is a small but busy commercial centre often shrouded in mists that swoop down to engulf it. Although Haputhale had a grand colonial past, little remains today except for the St. Andrew’s church – with many memorials to 19th century tea planters. Haputhale still continues to be tea country and the green slopes line the roads, undulating into the distance. The air is bracing cold up here; a far cry from the blazing hot beaches you can spot across the valleys in the distance.
Lipton's Seat
The Dambatenne tea factory, the Lipton’s Seat lookout rivals the views from World’s End. The Scottish tea baron Sir Thomas Lipton used to survey his burgeoning empire from here. Take the signed slender paved road from the tea factory and climb regarding 7km through lush tea plantations to the lookout. From the tea factory the ascent ought to take about 2½ hours. Anticipate the company of Tamil tea pickers going off to work as you walk uphill to Lipton’s Seat.
Bambarakanda Falls
At 240m, the Bambarakanda Falls are the highest in Sri Lanka. March and April are the most effective months for viewing the falls, however any visit after significant rainfall ought to be worthy. At different times the water could also be reduced to a dissatisfactory trickle. From close to the falls a challenging four-hour path runs to Horton Plains. The falls are about 11km from Belihul Oya towards Haputhale, close to Kalupahana.
