Lipton’s Seat in Haputale is a favourite among road-trippers looking for a mountain view vacation. This tea plantation marked the beginning of tea exports from Sri Lanka and if you’re there on a clear day, it’s got a breath-taking view.
It’s called Lipton’s Seat because it’s where Thomas Lipton sat down with a cuppa and proudly looked over the fruits of his endeavors. Or that’s how the story goes. The Scottish businessman started out in Sri Lanka in the late 1800s, when British colonization made it easy, buying several tea plantations and setting Tamil Indian workers to work on them. Lipton Ceylonta, his brand of tea, was then born, and marketed and exported all over the world. The stuff leaves Lipton’s Seat on Dambatenna Estate and goes to countries worldwide today.
This was actually a part of a tour organized by Lipton Ceylonta during their re-launch which was held at the premises of SirThomas Lipton’s Bungalow, which is where we came across the narly photo of him. Lipton’s Seat had been where Sir Thomas Lipton had gone to get some alone time, invite friends for a cup of tea or just to relax.