MANDARAM NUWARA, SRI LANKA
TEA & EXPERIENCE FACTORY
Where misty cloud forests meet legendary tea traditions.
About Tea & Experience
One of Sri Lanka’s oldest tea factories, still at work, now a place to stay.
Built in 1880 and left empty for 40 years, this tea factory on the Kabaragalla Estate was converted into 16 rooms without altering its original structure. Part of it still makes tea. Guests follow the leaf from plantation to cup, then walk out through the estate to waterfalls and the edge of the Piduruthalagala Forest Reserve.
Enquire NowWellness & Spa
Ayurveda, steeped in tea.
Ayurvie, the Ayurvedic spa, builds its treatments around the estate’s own crop. Fresh tea buds, warm tea boluses and tea fruit oils, from a tea sauna to a full-body massage.
- Fresh Tea Bud Whole Body Massage
- Tea Sauna
- Pinda Sweda, a traditional Ayurvedic tea bolus heat therapy
- Tea Serenity Reflexology with a blended tea foot bath
- Natural Tea Facial Treatment
Dining
Local flavour, served in the Engine Yard.
Engine Yard, the restaurant, pairs international favourites with local dishes and keeps to the factory’s traditional roots. Barrels Pub follows, a small bar of signature spirits and wines.
- Engine Yard restaurant, seating 45
- International favourites alongside local Sri Lankan dishes
- Barrels Pub, a 15-seat bar for spirits and wine
- Hands-on cooking demonstration with the hotel’s chefs
- Vegetable farm on the estate, open for guided tours
- Half Board and Full Board options available
Accommodation
Sixteen rooms within the walls of a working tea factory.
Rooms occupy part of the converted factory, each with an attached bathroom and rain shower. Configurations run from queen and twin rooms to family rooms sleeping four.
- 16 rooms across five room types, plus a 12-bed dormitory
- Rain showers and Ayurvie Ayurveda-inspired bath amenities
- Bathrobes, slippers, mini bar and in-room safe
- Interconnecting Sinna Dorei rooms for families travelling together
- Family rooms sleeping up to four
Getting Here
Kabaragalla Estate, Mandaramnuwara, Sri Lanka
The Kabaragalla Estate lies in the hill country of Mandaramnuwara, on the edge of the Piduruthalagala Forest Reserve and close to Sri Lanka’s highest peak. Tea plantations, villages and waterfalls surround the factory.
- Gregory Lake Seaplane Base, Nuwara Eliya: approx. 7 to 10 km, 25 to 35 mins by car
- Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB): approx. 105 km, 4.5 to 5.5 hours by car
- Diyawanna Oya Seaplane Base (DWO): approx. 95 km, 2.5 to 3 hours by car
- Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI): approx. 95 km, 3.5 to 4.5 hours by car
Activities
Leaf to cup, summit to waterfall.
The estate is the starting point. Pluck and process tea with the factory manager, walk to Pichchamal Ella Falls, or climb Kabaragalla for views across to Piduruthalagala. After dark, a naturalist leads a night trail through the plantations.
- Leaf to Cup Experience with the factory manager
- Guided treks to Pichchamal Ella Falls and the summit of Kabaragalla
- Tailored waterfall safari by jeep, up to six falls
- Birdwatching and night trails with the hotel naturalist
What’s Included
Everything taken care of
Board Options
Half Board and Full Board options available
Guide Price
All stays quoted on a bespoke basis
Half Board and Full Board options are available. Rate varies by season, room type, board basis and duration. Contact us for a tailored proposal.
