Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SIR THOMAS LIPTON - ONE VERY CANNY SCOTSMAN
His name lives on in the hot-beverage aisle of your local supermarket, but Sir Thomas
Lipton was a major success in business even before he became the biggest player in the
global tea industry.
From 1870 to 1888 he grew his parents' single grocery shop in Glasgow to a nationwide
chain of 300 stores. Recognising the potential of tea, he cannily bypassed the traditional
wholesale markets of London, and went straight to the source by purchasing his own tea
plantations in Sri Lanka. His network of 300 stores provided him with guaranteed distri-
bution to sell tea at lower prices to an untapped working-class market. It also inspired the
winning advertising slogan, 'Direct from the tea gardens to the tea pot'.
Lipton's planet-spanning ambition wasn't only limited to trade. In 1909 he donated the
Thomas Lipton Trophy for an international football competition 21 years before the first
World Cup, and he was tireless in his (unsuccessful) attempts to win yachting's America's
Cup. His well-publicised interest in the two sports ensured his brand became a household
name on both sides of the Atlantic.
Belihul Oya
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Belihul Oya is a pretty hillside region worth passing through on your way to or from the
Hill Country - it's 35km from Haputale and 57km from Ratnapura. From here you can
walk up to Horton Plains, a seriously strenuous, seven-hour return trip. The path starts
from near the Bambarakanda Falls and it's a very good idea to arrange a guide through one
of the towns hotels.
Sights
Bambarakanda Falls
WATERFALL
About 14km towards Haputale, near Kalupahana, are the Bambarakanda Falls. Ask the bus
driver to let you off at Kalupahana Junction. From the main road it's another Rs 500 by
