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The Best Strawberries in Haputale
Sweet, Tangy Red Rubies and Delectable Goodies from the Hills of Uva
One of the best ways to experience the cooler regions of Sri Lanka is to savour our local strawberries grown along the island’s highest altitudes.
They’re available throughout most of the year in these climes, but the primary planting season for strawberries up-country begins in September. It involves carefully ensuring the best irrigation system is first looked into before planting. After that, the strawberry plants are each carefully placed in aligned beds to gain the most nutrients possible to be harvested two months later.
At the time of harvest, you’ll be able to enjoy a juicy – ideally sweet – big strawberry. The latter, garden-fresh strawberries, is a top reason many people flock to the hills!
While the Nuwara Eliya district has gained popularity for growing strawberries due to its many acres of farmland, we’ve gradually discovered equally fresh punnets of strawberries and delicious goodies derived from them right here in Haputale.
And to help you find the best strawberries, strawberry milkshake, and strawberry jam without having to make an extra trip further up country, here are our top picks:
1. The Freshest Strawberries in Haputale: Strawberry Lanka
Located 25 minutes from Haputale town, you can find a lush farm filled with fresh strawberries at Strawberry Lanka. To get here, head southeast on the A16 route and take the Roehampton – Diyatalawa – Bandarawela Road to reach Pahalakadurugamuwa, Diyatalawa.
Step into a green field of red bulbs, and sense the sweet tang of strawberries on your palate upon seeing them! Handpicked fresh from their gardens, it’s no surprise that Strawberry Lanka has been reviewed five stars by all its visitors so far.
The experience awaiting you here is “highly recommended and delicious” fresh strawberries.
Another option for purchasing fresh strawberries is at Sarath’s Farm Shop. Located 24 minutes from Haputale town, this shop is located in Bandarawela. If you’d like to travel by train, it will take you only 10 minutes from the Bandarawela Railway Station.
Regardless of where you choose, we’re telling you these spots in Haputale will off you some of the island’s best, most delectable strawberries!
2. The Best Strawberry Milkshake in Haputale: The Golden Hill Tea Center
The Golden Hill Tea Center is a mandatory stop en route, regardless of whether you’re searching for strawberries.
They’re recommended for their strawberry desserts, and their milkshake is raved to be the best in this locale and the surrounding region.
Located on the Colombo Road in Haputale – just 9 minutes away from Haputale town – this dine-in café from its exterior is disguised as an old tea factory but in reality, has now been converted into a rustic café. Once inside, visitors can enjoy the ambience of colonial roots entwined with a bohemian touch.
Interestingly, The Golden Hill Tea Centre also known as Olive’s is owned and run by Jagath Senanayake, a dairy farmer turned entrepreneur! His unique story of having travelled from Polonnaruwa – located in the North Central Province – to Haputale in search of a new market for his dairy products adds much colour to this place.
Today, he melds homemade ice cream and the freshest strawberries from Haputale to create what has been reviewed by many to be the “best milkshake” you can find in Haputale – and possibly beyond too!
3. The Most Popular Strawberry Jam in Haputale: Adisham Bungalow (St. Benedict's Monastery)
Adisham Bungalow is a tourist hot spot located 25 minutes from Haputale town, close to the Thangamalle Sanctuary. For many reasons, this colonial relic is a must-visit location for anyone travelling to Haputale or Idalgashinna. And its awe-inspiring architecture apart, this monastery is famous for its irresistibly sweet and delicious strawberry jam.
It has been said that when Adisham was purchased, the priests who took over the premises found half-wild strawberries, among other fresh produce, which they developed and extended. Today, you can also buy cordials, jams and chutneys at the premises.
The popular sentiment is, “Haunted or not, Adisham makes an amazing strawberry jam!”. We agree; many visitors insist on revisiting the location for this reason.
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Haputale is increasingly gaining traction as an up-and-coming location to experience the best of the island’s hill country. Here, you can explore not just strawberry goodness but breathtaking and dynamic scenery, from lush tea plantations and hauntingly beautiful pine forests to the distant shore of Sri Lanka’s southern region.
And with Haputale catching up to Nuwara Eliya in terms of what it offers, strawberry lovers can also be assured that their palates are set for a sweet escape without the hassle of travelling too far!