Haputale
Uva Province
About Haputale
Haputale balances on a knife-edge ridge at 1,431 metres, and its magic is simple: on a clear morning you can stand in the town centre and see the land fall away on both sides - south across descending ridges all the way to the shimmer of the Indian Ocean, north into the green bowl of the Uva basin. This was Thomas Lipton's country, and the town remains refreshingly work-a-day Tamil tea country rather than a resort: trains sigh in at the hillside station, tea pluckers stream out at dawn, and the bazaar smells of coriander and diesel. Its set pieces reward slow days - Adisham Bungalow, a Benedictine monastery in a planter's granite mansion straight from the Cotswolds, sells its famous homemade jams; the Thangamale bird sanctuary shades the walk there; and Lipton's Seat crowns the tea slopes above. Cool, cheap, and spectacular, Haputale is the connoisseur's alternative to Ella.
Top Activities
- ✓Adisham Bungalow and its gardens
- ✓Thangamale sanctuary walk
- ✓Lipton's Seat and Dambatenne factory
- ✓Ridge-edge sunrise views
- ✓Hill-railway journeys to Ella and Ohiya
Nearby Attractions
Travel Tips
Adisham opens to visitors on weekends and poya days - check before going.
Buy the monastery's jams and cordials; proceeds support it.
South-facing guesthouse balconies get the ocean view sunrise.
Quick Info
Best Time
January to April; clear mornings
Weather
Cool and frequently misty; mornings are clearest.
Estimated Daily Budget
6.7669°N, 80.9511°E
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