Lipton’s Seat
Lipton’s Seat, the famous viewpoint where Sir Thomas Lipton used to sit and contemplate his plantation with its stony landscape and green tea bushes. Once you are to summit, to say the view is spectacular, would be an understatement. The climb is worth it, just for this.
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Activity Level Moderate
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Best Time Early Mornings
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Total Time 2½ walk
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Our Rating Must Visit5/5
If you are staying in Ella for more than a day or two and visiting Haputale, make some time to visit the Lipton Seat.
What is Lipton's SeatThe name Lipton’s Seat says it all. It is a famous viewpoint 1970m above sea level. This precise spot in the Haputale Mountains overlooking the Dambetenna Tea Estate is where Sir Thomas Lipton used to sit and contemplate his plantation with its stony landscape and green tea bushes.
LocationThis is located about 18 km from Haputale (7km from Dambetenna Tea Factory)
Panoramic viewsOn good weather conditions, you will witness some incredible panoramic views you would ever find in the hill-country. Plan your visit to the place bit early as it may be cloudy already from 10 am on.
Once you get to the summit of Lipton’s Seat, you will have a bird’s eye view of the Uva, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Eastern provinces in the perspective of Thomas Lipton himself. To say the view is spectacular would be an understatement. The climb is worth it just for this.
On a clear day, you should be able to spot the Handapanagala Lake, the Chandrika Lake and the Udawalawe Lake as well as the Wedihiti Kanda mountain range and, if you’re lucky, the Hambantota port. Yes. The same one located all the way down south. It’s pretty surreal.
We highly recommend Lipton's Seat as a must do if you are planning to stay some days in Ella or nearby.
Walk through the tea estates
Take the signed narrow paved road from the Dambetenna 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. You will enjoy the talk with tea pluckers going off to work as you walk uphill to Lipton’s Seat.
Local Taxi/Tuk Tuk
Alternatively, you can hire a tuk tuk to the viewpoint too. but we recommend the walk to get the full use of your journey.