Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For more spectacular views - weather permitting - take the train to
Idalgashinna
, 8km
west of Haputale. Walk back beside the train tracks, enjoying a spectacular view with the
terrain falling away on both sides.
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 as-
cent should take about 2½ hours. The earliest bus leaves Haputale at 6.30am. Look for-
ward to the company of Tamil tea pickers going off to work as you walk uphill to Lipton's
Seat.
Some visitors hike along the train lines from Haputale to
Pattipola
(14km, an all-day
hike), the highest train station in Sri Lanka. From Pattipola you can continue via foot or
taxi to Ohiya train station, and from there to the Horton Plains.
Sleeping & Eating
Accommodation in Haputale represents fantastic value compared with nearby, busier tour-
ist towns.
You're best off eating in your guesthouse, but there are a number of OK places for short
eats, dosas (paper-thin pancakes),
rotti
, rice and curry in the town centre.
Sri Lak View Holiday Inn
HOTEL
Rs 1200/1500; )
Haputale's best-value place to stay combines spotless rooms split across two buildings.
Views stretch a few hundred kilometres from the decent restaurant and from some rooms.
Multiple reader recommendations mean they must be doing something right. It has plenty
of traveller services too. It's worth booking ahead.
Leisure Mount View Holiday Inn
GUESTHOUSE
This is a good-value new guesthouse a couple of kilometres west of the town centre. The
older, cheaper and more basic rooms are in the family house, while the newly constructed
