Kelburne

Sri Lanka's central hills, which rise to a height of 8,000 feet, are where the best tea is grown. Till about 30 years ago, tea plantations were managed by British "planters", who led comfortable if somewhat lonely lives in splendid bungalows with lovely gardens, taken care of by servants, cooks, and gardeners. Hardly any Brits are left, the large tea plantations have been broken up by misguided land reform, but the splendor and romance of the plantations remain. Some unoccupied plantation bungalows now accept paying guests. For those who seek a different type of holiday, being pampered and spoiled, a tea plantation stay is the way to go.

We chose Kelburne, a small plantation near Haputale, in the hill country facing the south of Sri Lanka. Haputale is at a height of 2,500 feet. Kelburne has three bungalows, all nearly 100 years old, which have for the most part have been lovingly restored. We stayed at Aerie Cottage, the smallest with two bedrooms (seen above), for four nights, and the larger Rose Cottage for a night. In both places, the caretaker was Karnan.

Karnan, is seen with the splendid breakfast he laid out each morning. Fresh juice along with Western or Sri Lankan breakfast, my favorite being hoppers with fried, savory onions ("seeni sambol") and fish curry. The breakfast was at the terrace below the bungalow, overlooking the southern coast of Sri Lanka, over the Uda Walawe protected area for elephants, the popular Kataragama shrine, all the way to Hambantota, where the government recently built a harbor. The view could stretch to 50 kms. The clouds would be below us and the magnificent view, paired with the delectable dishes, was heavenly.

The chef Stanley would come around during each meal asking for what we wanted for the next meal. His repertoire was wide, going from grilled cheese sandwiches to elaborate rice and curry.

Often, the mist would roll down or across the valley.

Tea on the lawn.

Miho tending to the roses. She showed the two gardeners how to care for them and also bought them pruning shears.

Ready for a good night's sleep.

The bigger Rose Cottage.

Velvety growth of tea plants.

Tea pluckers having their harvest weighed. These workers earned about Rs. 500/ (less than HK$40) per day, a pitiful amount even by Sri Lankan standards. Not everyone who lived on the plantation had work, so there is a steady exodus of women, both girls and grey haired women, who went as domestic helpers in cities like Colombo.

The climb to Lipton's Seat.

At Lipton's Seat, which Sir Thomas Lipton is supposed to have visited.

A plantation holiday isn't cheap but at least one such stay is a welcome reward for all the hustle and bustle we have to put up with everyday.