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How did I get here?

Birds, Holiday, Our dogs, Sri Lanka / By Mikeez

I sit on the balcony and just wonder “how did I end up here?”

It is a December morning with Christmas fast approaching.

About an hour ago I was woken up by the early morning light that washes over hills below our bedroom window which has a view towards the Southern coast of this Paradise Island.

My balcony sits below a glorious Sri Lankan Fig Tree which is bathed in a kaleidoscope of light.

Music is provided freely by the winged visitors that whistle, tweet and call to each other appearing to be saying “Good morning World!”.

My peaceful start is disturbed by three of my four legged friends that want to join the party.

Mans, and my best friends, are acknowledged by a gentle pat on their heads and then they settle at the balcony end to also enjoy the view.

I look at my temperature gauge and smile as I see the digits twenty three point nine degrees celsius.

Not many years ago I would be fighting my way through the throng of London’s Underground network targeting arriving in the office on time.

I would be wrapped up tightly to ward off the icy blasts of that the European Winter would throw at me.

Approaching the box that would be my coffin for the coming eight or so, hours I automatically pick up a generic coffee which is encased in a ,less than environmentally friendly, disposable cup and my blood pressure would eventually settle after being tormented on the start to a traumatic day.

My coffee today has been picked from the Estate, processed and roasted on a skillet over an open fire. Bean to cup has travelled about two hundred metres.

However I got here, I am just thankful.

To experience a relaxing morning listening to birdsong and being surrounded by a blanket of green come to the beautiful Sri Lankan Hill Country and spend some deserved vacation at GlenMyu Estate, Hotel and Bed & Breakfast, Haputale, Sri Lanka.

Please click on the following link to find out more details.

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Lipton Seat

Hiking in Sri Lanka, Holiday / By Mikeez

Lipton Seat, Sri Lanka

Stunning views from the viewpoint from where Scottish tea baron, Sir Thomas Lipton, used to survey his vast tea empire

Lipton Seat is a stones throw away from GlenMyu Estate, Haputale, Sri Lanka and is well worth a visit.

The top of Liptons Seat is 1970m above sea level and the elevation provides some stunning views of the country.

It has a panoramic view over the hills and you can see Udawalawe Tank (reservoir), Handapanagala Lake, the Wedihiti Kanda Mountains, Chandrika Lake and Hambanthota Port which is located on the southern coast.

You can see five provinces from the viewpoint including Uva, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Eastern Provinces.

As your view includes the surrounding tea estates you are likely to see some tea pickers with their baskets on their back where they put the picked leaves.

What will I see on the way?

There are two ways to get to Liptons seat however we have only been there via Haputale and Dambetenne Tea Estate.

On the way from Dambetenne Tea Estate you can see Lemastota Waterfall.

You will be travelling through beautifully manicured tea plantations. The route is well marked and you will travel through some narrow roads (some in need of TLC) and you will come across stone roads built during the period where Britain colonised the Country when it was known by its former name Ceylon.

If however you are approaching from Bandarawella and Nayabedda Estate, the viewpoint at St Catherine’s Seat in the Nayabedda Estate provides a great view of Bandarawella , Diyitalawa and the Uva Valley.

No promise that you will get a clear view, however it is still worth the trip

As with lots of places in Sri Lanka there is no guarantee that once you arrive at the destination that you will get the view you were hoping to upload on your Instagram feed.

The weather in the Hill Country is changeable and on our visits to Lipton Seat we have experienced stunning views of the tea country and also the viewpoint covered in a thick mist giving no view at all.

Despite our disappointment it was still well worth the trip and we still managed to take some really memorable photos in the mist.

I’m sure that Sir Thomas didn’t get a clear view each and everytime he went to survey his empire!

Where is Lipton Seat Located?

Lipton Seat is a high viewpoint in the hills of Poonagala and is located at the top of the small town with the same name.

It is located around 15 kilometres from Haputale Town.

There are busses that go from Haputale to Dambetenne Tea Factory and you can either hike or get a tuk tuk to take you the on the remainder of the journey which is around 6-7 km.

What’s the best way to get to Lipton Seat?

Well, it depends on how fit you are and whether you are up for a hike.

The drive is a bit of a challenge to get to Lipton Seat and gets trickier as more tourists visit the site putting pressure on the small road. If you are not up for the hike we would recommend hiring a Tuk Tuk to get you there as they are able to cope with the road conditions and are small enough to pass other traffic on the narrow roads and lanes.

If you look at a few reviews of Lipton Seat you will read that most people recommend to walk there after experiencing the journey by vehicle!

Can I get a nice cup of Sri Lankan Tea when I am at Lipton Seat?

There has been a small shop built at Lipton Seat in more recent years and you can get a limited amount of refreshments and snacks including a cup of tea, some roti, dhal etc.

What’s the temperature like?

Due to the elevation and potential change in weather it can get a little chilly (for Sri Lanka) at times. I’ve seen on some reviews that early in the morning some people have experienced temperatures of 8 degrees Celsius, so I would recommend that you take something to wrap yourself up with just in case.

When is the best time to go to Lipton Seat?

Well, it depends on whether you want to get up early or not.

I have only been there during the day however most reviews that I have read recommend that it is worth getting there for sunrise for the spectacular views.

As a rule, in Sri Lanka, I would recommend to get to most of the tourist sites early as for lots of reasons.

You can avoid the crowd

The light is normally great for photographs early in the morning (and as the light goes down – according to most photographic manuals I have read).

You can avoid the really hot part of the day – and perhaps the pain of sunburn!

You have the rest of the day to relax and catch up on that sleep that you missed early in the morning.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate, Haputale, Sri Lanka and visit the local places of interest.

In addition to Lipton Seat and Dambetenna Tea Factory there are lots of places to visit within a stones throw from Glenmyu Estate such as Horton Plains National Parl, Addisham Bungalow, Bambarakanda Waterfall and Diyaliuma Waterfall.

GlenMyu Estate has three luxurious bedrooms with stunning views of the Southern Sri Lankan Hills for guests. It also has a natural spring fed waterfall and five acres of land to explore. To find out more about a stay in the Hill Country at GlenMyu Estate please visit our website using the button below.

Dambatenne Tea Factory

To find out more about Dambatenne Tea Factory please click on the flowing link https://www.historyofceylontea.com/tea-estates/estates-registry/dambatenne–4836.html

Udawalawe Tank (reservoir)

To find out more about Udawalawe Tank please click on the following link https://www.udawalawenationalpark.com

Handapanagala Lake

To find out more about Handapanagal Lake please click on the following link https://www.sundayobserver.lk/2021/07/04/feature/waters-handapanagala.

The Wedihitikanda Mountains

To find out more about the Wedihiti Kanda Mountains. please click on the following link https://infolanka.lk/en_US/wedihiti-kanda/.

Chandrika Lake

To find out more about Chandrika Lake please click on the following link https://www.lankapradeepa.com/2021/04/chandrika-wewa.html.

Lemastota Waterfall

To find out more about Lemastota Waterfall click here https://amazinglanka.com/wp/en/lemastota-oya-ella-falls/

St Catherine's Seat.

To find out more about St Catherine’s Seat please click here https://amazinglanka.com/wp/en/st-catherines-seat/

Lipton Seat Read More »