Haputale

Haputale is a small town strung along a narrow ridge at about 1,400 metres on the southern edge of the hill country. On clear mornings you can see right across the plains to the south coast, and on misty ones the town floats above a sea of cloud. It is quieter and more local than nearby Ella, with fewer cafés but some of the most beautiful tea country in Sri Lanka on its doorstep.

Things to do

• Lipton's Seat — the viewpoint where tea pioneer Sir Thomas Lipton surveyed his estates. Take the early bus or a tuk-tuk to the Dambatenne tea factory, then walk up through the tea (about 1.5 hours) or drive to the top. Be there by 7 am before the mist.
• Dambatenne Tea Factory — built by Lipton in 1890 and still working; join a tour to see how tea is processed.
• Adisham Bungalow — a 1930s English country house built by a British planter, now a Benedictine monastery. Gardens and some rooms open to visitors on weekends and holidays; the monks sell homemade jams.
• Diyaluma Falls — Sri Lanka's second-highest waterfall, with natural pools near the top, about 45 minutes away.
• Train rides — Haputale is on the Kandy–Badulla line; the stretch to Ella is spectacular.

When to visit

January to April for the clearest views. Mornings are clearest all year round.

Getting there

• By train: Haputale station is on the main hill-country line, about 1 hour from Ella and 5.5–6 hours from Kandy.
• By road: about 1 hour from Ella, 2 hours from Nuwara Eliya and around 2.5 hours from Udawalawe.