Things to do in Haputale
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Diyaluma Falls
The 171m-high Diyaluma Falls, Sri Lanka’s third-highest waterfall, is just 5km beyond the town of Koslanda. Cascading down an escarpment of the Koslanda Plateau, the stream is fairly small, but it quickly escalates after a downpour. By bus, take a Wellawaya service from Haputale and get off at Diyaluma (1¼ hours). The falls leap over a cliff face and fall in one clear drop to a pool below.
Climb up to some beautiful pools – ideal for swimming – and a series of minifalls at the top of the main fall. Walk about 500m down the road from the bottom of the falls and take the estate track that turns sharply back up to the left. From there it’s about 20 minutes’ walk to a…
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Adisham Monastery
This Benedictine monastery is about 3km west of Haputale. Follow Temple Rd along the ridge until you reach the sign at the Adisham turn-off. The elegant stone-block monastery once belonged to tea planter Sir Thomas Lester Villiers. To recreate his English lifestyle, he developed beautiful gardens and lawns amid the tropical surroundings and even had a Daimler car for transport, complete with an English chauffuer. Adisham is one of only 18 monasteries in the world belonging to the Sylvestrine Congregation, a suborder of the Benedictine fraternity founded in the 13th century. Inside, visitors are allowed to see the living room and library, and occasionally a couple more…
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Dambatenne Tea Factory
A few tea factories in this area are happy to have visitors. The most popular, Dambatenne, was built by Sir Thomas Lipton in 1890, one of the most famous figures in tea history. A tour through the works is an education on the processes involved in the fermentation, rolling, drying, cutting, sieving and grading of tea.
Although it’s 11km from Haputale, the popular factory is easily accessible. A bus for the estate workers goes from the bus station for Bandarawela to the factory and back again about every 25 minutes (Rs 15). A three-wheeler there and back costs about Rs 500.
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Lipton’s Seat
Near the Dambatenne tea factory, the Lipton’s Seat lookout rivals the views from World’s End (and it’s free). The Scottish tea baron Sir Thomas Lipton used to survey his burgeoning empire from here.
Take the signed narrow paved road from the tea factory and climb about 7km through lush tea plantations to the lookout. From the tea factory the ascent should take about 2½ hours. The earliest bus leaves Haputale at 6.30am. Look forward to the company of Tamil tea pickers going off to work as you walk uphill to Lipton’s Seat.
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Sri Vani Vilas Hotel
The Sri Vani Vilas Hotel, near the Bandarawela bus stand, is one of the places for short eats, dosas, rottis, and rice and curry.
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Risara Bakers
Head to Risara Bakers for what just may be Sri Lanka’s best samosas. Pop in there when you get back from World’s End in the early afternoon. A fresh batch of still-warm baked goodies usually appears around 2pm.
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Lanka Tea Centre
The Lanka Tea Centre, opposite the Welimada and Nuwara Eliya bus stand, is one of the places for short eats, dosas, rottis, and rice and curry.
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Pattipola
Hike along the train lines from Haputale to Pattipola (14km, an all-day hike), the highest train station in Sri Lanka.
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Tangamalai
Tangamalai is a bird sanctuary and nature reserve.
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