Joanna James
Synonymous with Sri Lanka is the tea industry which retains pride of place, especially if you happen to travel through the country’s central highlands. Outlined are 5 tea factories worth visiting.
As one of the plantations purchased by James Lipton himself on his way to Australia, the land area on which the Dambatenne Tea Factory would soon be built was considered a personal favourite of the man whose name is associated with the global tea industry. Located between the regions of Bandarawela and Haputale, the Factory continues to utilise similar methods of tea production as it did upon its inauguration in 1890. With a rich heritage spanning more than 130 years, the Dambatenne Tea Factory is best visited before noon to go on a guided tour of one of Sri Lanka’s acclaimed sources of tea production.
Having entered Sri Lanka’s tea industry in the year 1940, the Uva Halpewatte Tea Factory found along the winding road to Badulla in the area of Hela Halpe is rated as one of the nation’s largest tea factories. Known for affording visitors more than a mere glimpse into the local tea industry, an organised tour will see to it that you are equipped with a thorough understanding of every important aspect, commencing from the plucking of tea to its final, packeted product. The Factory is open from 8 am to 5 pm (except Mondays) for all those keen on embarking on an adventure of a lifetime.
Found off the A5 Road in between the towns of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya is the enchanting Damro Labookelie Tea Estate which is set on a 500-acre property. Encircled by rolling hills and untouched sections of dense greenery, the Estate which saw the light of day in 1841 is home to a vibe that captures the very essence of a rural village. Essentially, tours keep to time and are brief but serve the greater purpose of introducing visitors to all things centred on tea. Before one leaves, it is best to allocate some time for a trip to the visitor centre where a comfy café will have you delighting in household names that have transformed the tea estate into what it is today.
Having passed through the hands of the British planters from its establishment in 1885, the Pedro Tea Estate located in Pidurutalagala proudly sits on an area that was once used to plant Sri Lanka’s (then Ceylon’s) very 1st tea bush by James Taylor. What makes the Estate stand out from its neighbouring tea plantations boils down to the fact that its staff employ machines and methods that were initially introduced by the colonists themselves. A tour of the Pedro Tea Estate lasts for as much as 20 minutes during which you will be educated on every detail that goes into the production of tea in Sri Lanka.
Currently, in its 102nd year of business, the Blue Field Tea Factory in the area of Ramboda, some 20 km north of Nuwara Eliya comes complete with a reputation for producing and manufacturing 30,000 kg of high-grown tea every month. If touring through Nuwara Eliya, points of interest such as the Blue Field Tea Factory can be included in your bucket list from where tours can be scheduled and views of tea pluckers busily attending to their work can be caught sight. When looking for a place to be based where such journeys can be experienced, then consider a stay at Tea & Experience Factory which doubles as both a hotel and a fully-functional tea factory.
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