Dambatenne Tea Factory — Attraction in Uva Province

The Airbnb tour took us here in a tuk tuk. They started the tour with tea tasting with used spoons that the staff just rinsed in tap water for a second (dry yourself) from shared bowls (seem to be sitting there all day without cover) of 6 different teas that hardly tasted different. They were all very bitter, worse than any tea we tasted in cafes and inns in Sri Lanka. They asked us to wear masks and cover our shoes but once we got into the factory the staff would scoop all the tea in his hands to allow us to smell with our masks off then putting that tea back into the production line. Everyone working there was in bare feet or in thongs walking amongst all the tea leaves and powder going into production line. The fermenting etc all occur on the floor and staff sweep with a broom to collect the powder back into the production line. The information they gave was not easy to understand and the tour was brief. For all this they charge 1000 rupees per person to see this unhygienic factory, on top of the already 2 entrance fees to the estate, and then they charge fees to use the toilet at the factory. I appreciate the complex process that goes into tea making and the hard work for those who grow and pick the tea leaves in the field but this factory experience didn't inspire me to buy their tea. Don't know if other factories are like this but I wouldn't...

Contrary to some recent reviews here on google maps, I visited the factory today and had a great visiting experience. We were allowed to photograph, the guide had an extensive 40+ year career in tea factories in Sri Lanka and he not only answered all our questions, but I genuinely learned a lot of the process despite being an avid tea drinker. The factory had an ongoing work shift and all employees were extremely hard working, all of us guests and employees had protective masks/gear on.

Before the visit, we read some comments about a "touchy" guide, but at least based on our group's experience, there was no disturbing behaviour seen. Perhaps we were lucky to have an exceptional tour, but I strongly believe the 1 star ratings are not indicative of the reality.

The tour did not include a tasting. But the factory is more B2B focused on their production (their standard package size is 58 kg). I did not feel a need for a tea tasting as part of the tour as you can visit any good tea shop in the region to purchase your tea and book a separate tasting.

Note, this is only based on our personal experience from today, but I hope the factory will continue this type of tour for future...

We had the opportunity to visit the Dambethenna Tea Factory, which, as our guide Chaminda informed us, is Sri Lanka's oldest tea factory. Chaminda was very knowledgeable and experienced, providing great insights into the tea-making process and the history of the factory.

We visited on a working day (Saturday) around 3 PM, but unfortunately, most of the daily operations had already finished by that time. However, Chaminda and the team were kind enough to start a few machines for a short time to give us a glimpse of how the equipment operates, explaining the process in detail. If you plan to visit, I’d recommend going in the morning when the factory is in full operation, as the workday starts early.

Pricing: The ticket price was 500 LKR per local adult, which we found reasonable for the experience.

You can also purchase various grades of tea directly from the factory, including types that are typically not available in Sri Lankan supermarkets. They offer BOP, OP, PEKOE, BOPF, and more. We bought 500g of BOP grade tea for 1000 LKR, which was a...