Sri Lanka's most beautiful place.
“Probably, the most beautiful place we have ever seen”. Our guests reaction when they returned from seeing the siunrise at Lipton’s Seat. Is this Sri Lanka’s most beautiful place.
This is not something that I was expecting to hear and something that you do not hear that often.
We live on a paradise island and there are some spectacular and memorable places to experience and visit that make a great impact on your senses.
Today (3rd November 2023), our guests returned from their early morning trip to see the sunrise at Lipton’s Seat.
It’s been a while since I’ve visited Lipton’s Seat and this inspires me to make another trip soon.
An early start
Lipton’s Seat is just over an hours drive from GlenMyu Estate Hotel.
Our Australian couple were travelling around Sri Lanka, for the first time, and are to end up in Colombo at a friends wedding.
The end of October and beginning of November is not the best time to visit the island as it is hit by the Inter-monsoon.
We have experienced quite a lot of rain and fortunately when they arrived the rain had eased, thankfully. When guests arrive we always want the view from the lounge to be spectacular. This afternoon we had an okay view in our opinion. I guess you get a little spoilt when living at GlenMyu Estate all year round. For us it is a little disappointing, however, for our guests they were knocked over by the beauty.
It's easy to get blase!
We tend to forget that most visitors live in cities and they don’t have a view like ours.
I was so pleased that they were bowled over by the view.
Maybe tomorrow
Sometimes when the new is not as spectacular as I would like, I hope and I pray the view the next morning would be fabulous after the rains. Unfortunately, after looking at the weather forecast, rain was also expected the following day.
Up early and off to Lipton’s Seat
The view the next morning from GlenMyu Estate was not going to be a issue as our guests had already planned to get up at 4.30 a.m.
They were aiming to get to Lipton’s Seat to see the sunrise.
I was a little skeptical that there would be a sunrise worth seeing, given the weather and the forecast.
Lipton’s Seat - what’s that?
Do you know the brand Liptons Tea. Maybe you have drank an Liptons Iced tea?
Lipton’s Seat is located an hour away from Haputale town.
Lipton’s Seat is a viewpoint which was named after the celebrated Thomas Lipton.
Sir Thomas Lipton was a Scottish businessman who moved to the island in 1890 when it was a British colony.
He met James Taylor, and together they introduced tea gardens to the country.
Before Thomas Lipton’s more to the country, James Taylor had attempted to grow coffee on the island.
Sadly, the coffee plantations were devastated by a leaf-blight. With Thomas Lipton’s assistance, the two men started on an enterprise which would carry on for generations after.
The Viewpoint
Lipton’s Seat is a popular viewpoint, from where Sir Thomas Lipton would sit with a cup of tea in hand and survey the landscape of his estate.
Today, you can enjoy one of the best views from the lookout.
You can even get a photo with the Tea Baron! There is a life-sized statue of the man himself sitting on a bench.
If you want a better chance of getting a great photo of the beautiful landscape, it is recommended that you go early in the morning to avoid the crowds and the late-morning mist and fog
The next morning
The following morning our guests had left early as planned, with a flask of tea, provided by one of our staff, in hand to keep them warm at the peak.
I was delighted, again, that the overnight rain had cleared the clouds sufficiently so that the guests had a chance of seeing a view.
We were aware that the guests would also make a trip to Dambethenna Tea Factory to see how the tea is processed after their hike to Lipton’s Seat. This would result in them returning for breakfast around 10 a.m.
We are up early most days.
As normal, both Ru and I were up early. Ru made and baked the breads and prepared the rest of the breakfast in readiness for their return.
I watched the skies hoping that it stayed clear and dry enough for the guests to have an enjoyable start to the day.
Then it was my time to be bowled over!
Almost on cue, the guest arrived back to GlenMyu Estate at 10 a.m. as planned.
I greeted them as they entered the house and they had big smiles on their faces.
The view from the house was so much better when they arrived back. Cleared skies and Udawalawe Reservoir could be seen in the distance. There were photo opportunities not to be missed before I got a debrief of their early morning adventure.
Probably the most beautiful place they have ever seen
Once the photo session from the house had concluded I got to see some of the photos they had captured that morning. They said that the view from Lipton’s Seat “Was probably the most beautiful place they have ever seen”.
I was amazed to hear this as they have travelled quite extensively and there are so many beautiful places to see in Australia.
There was an added bonus, as they were the only people at Lipton’s Seat that morning.
Sri Lanka Tourism Authority has a plan to attract between four and five million tourists at 2030 (from a plan of 1.5 million in 2023). Given this target, what our guests experienced will be truly a unique experience compared to what is expected in the future.
The photos - just wow!
I asked the guests to share the photos with me so that I could share them with you.
The photos of the sunrise is just wow and spectacular.
I’m sure you agree.
Getting up early is worth it
We recommend an early start to guests when they stay at GlenMyu Estate. You can have your adventure and exploration early on in the day and enjoy the afternoon at the estate.
You can read more about why you should get up early in our article “The 6 best reasons to wake up early “.
Inspired!
I have not seen the sunrise at Lipton’s Seat and seeing these photos and hearing about our guests experience gives me an incentive to do the same.
Hopefully their experience will also inspire and encourage you to see the sunrise at Lipton’s Seat.
Thank you Matt and Millie for sharing your photographs with us at GlenMyu Estate.
Find out more about a stay at GlenMyu Estate
What you will experience.
3 Kingsize Double Bedrooms with Spectacular Views
2 Spacious Lounges with views over the hills below the house
A Natural Spring-Fed Infinity Swimming Pool
5 Acres of land to explore
Delicious bespoke meals freshly prepared by the host
A selection of places to dine
A place to relax and be closer to nature
Within reach of the following tourist sites
Diyaluma Waterfall and Upper Diyaluma Pools
Horton Plains National Park – Mini Worlds End, Worlds End and Bakers Falls
Adisham Bungalow
Lipton Seat
Dambetenna Tea Factory
Bambarakanda Waterfall
Thangamale Bird Sanctuary
Ella Town
9 Arch Bridge
Little Adams Peak
Ravanna Waterfall
Find us on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Read our reviews on TripAdvisor, Google, Booking.com and Airbnb.
