Tea and Experience Factory - Thema Collection

An amazing property set high in the tea plantations.Surrounding countryside is spectacular.The building itself is amazing and the staff are super.We enjoyed every minute of our stay .The tea factory experience was great and we did a guided walk to the waterfall.Lovely swimming pool.

Dining room is dark .It might be nice to have some outside seating

The place is unique and away from the crowds. Great way to learn about tea making in Sri Lanka. The staff was very attentive . Thanks for all the small touches( snacks, gift and they even filled our water bottles twice a day). The building has character. We got great advice from the naturalist for a walk and enjoyed the pool in the plantation.

The hotel can arrange the transport to the hotel. Check in advance. We booked our own taxi and had to change to the Tuk Tuk for the last 5km. However the 🛺 ride was great fun.

Je wordt bijna behandeld als koning en koningin. Ze doen werkelijk alles voor je! Zo ontzettend vriendelijk. Ook de kamers waren groot en gewoon mooi en goed afgewerkt, iets dat in de meeste andere hotels niet het geval is in Sri Lanka.

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I strongly disagree with the previous review. My stay was a disaster from start to finish. The bedroom had cockroaches, the location is actually a 2-hour drive from the main city (nowhere near what the ad claimed), and the water in the rooms is ice-cold. The food was passable at best, but definitely not worth the price. Save yourself the disappointment — don’t go.

Struttura fantastica, ben arredata, nuovissima. Accoglienza tra le migliori mai ricevute. Esperienza del tè davvero interessante e piacevole.

Abbiamo trovato un topolino di campagna in camera ma appena segnalato sono venuti subito a cacciarlo ed hanno disinfestato ed igienizzato. La strada è davvero complicata da fare in macchina. Lunghissima dal primo centro abitato, tortuosa, sconnessa ed in salita. Si consiglia jeap ed un viaggio diurno.

Accessing the hotel was quite a challenge—it involved driving up a long stretch of unpaved road, and when we visited, it was raining heavily, which made us genuinely worried about slipping off the edge. However, once we arrived, it was incredibly quiet and peaceful. The food was delicious, and I enjoyed tea picking. Overall, it was a wonderful experience. Since the hotel is quite far from Nuwara Eliya and Kandy, I highly recommend staying and relaxing at the hotel itself rather than planning sightseeing trips. The hotel is a beautifully renovated former tea factory, which makes it a very unique place to stay. As a newly opened property, everything was well-maintained and spotlessly clean. I especially loved the cinnamon tea provided in the room—it was so good that I brought some home and am still enjoying it.

Tea and Experience Factory is a comfortable stay in the middle of Kabaragalla tea estate which is situated in a wind-gap, so you get to experience a really dreamy weather. Slightly sunny, definitely breezy with a little bit of rain here and there. You get to see stunning views throughout the day, how the mist covers the mountains when evening comes around and then the starry night sky. The last part of the road to the hotel is a bit rough and narrow, you will need a vehicle with a considerable amount of ground clearance. Thema Collection has done a good job converting and conserving the tea factory and it's history. Periya dorei family room was cozy, the beds were comfortable, the windows provided stunning views of the mountains and trees. The layout of the washroom was smart and a special mention must go out for the Ayurvie products provided. Especially the body wash, which was so good that we bought one at the end. The pool was temperature controlled, as in it is not heated but once you get in you don't feel the harshness of the surrounding cold air. It's 1.5 deep therefore smaller than an average pool but again, you get to see the breathtaking greenery so a dip in the pool is a must. The overall experience is heightened by the fact that the hotel is run by a really helpful staff. From the Security Guard down to the Factory Worker, everyone was accommodating to our needs. A huge shout out goes to the Hotel's General Manager, Naturalist Mr. Lakshan, all the receptionists, Head Chef, Mr. Ramesh who was our food server and Mr. Lechchamiswaran (I hope I got the name right) who shared his torch light with us, during nightfall, when we were returning back to the hotel from a walk (on the path leading to the Pichchamal Waterfall) on our first day. The food was delicious. We decided to go half-board but were informed that we can request for lunch at an additional cost, if needed. It wasn't needed since they served a complimentary high tea from 4.30 - 5.30pm each day. We got to experience a bit of fine dining during our first night. The breakfast spread was very detail-oriented as well. The hotel provided us with sandwiches during our journey to see four waterfalls on the second day and they were delightful as well. The remaining meals (dinner and breakfast on our last day at the hotel) were buffet-style. We booked a safari to check out 4 waterfalls; Pichchamal/ Kabaragala Waterfall, Kolapathana Waterfall, Athinawala Waterfal and Kalu paalam Waterfall. In order to go near the Pichchamal Waterfall you have climb up a few rocks, definitely manageable for an average person (our family is highly unathletic but we were able to do it) and to go near Kolapathana Waterfall it's just a 1.5km walk. And the other two are easily accessible. We went to the viewpoint of Mandaramnuwara too where we basically got to see the whole city from one place. Mr. Lakshan, our guide, was very informative. He taught us a lot about the biodiversity of the area, farming practices of the people and also explained the cultural and historical significance of places, which are easy to miss, like the remaining pillars of an ancient dutch coffee factory. On our last day, we got yet another guided tour by Mr. Lakshan, on the tea factory and its operations. We even learnt how to pluck tea leaves for black tea, which was fun and again very educational. You got to be there to learn how labour-intensive each part of the tea making process is. The hotel's goodbye was as warm as its welcome, which is to say it was truly genuine. We hope to return here again and would be recommending this place to our friends and family for the foreseeable future.

The site was purely unique and well loved. The staff were professional, attentive and accommodating to our needs.

It was a little far to travel to for one night

We had a wonderful stay at this charming hotel tucked away in the beautiful village of Mandaram Nuwara. The location is stunning – surrounded by lush tea plantations and mist-covered hills. The highlight of our trip was the nearby tea and experience factory, where we learned about the entire tea-making process and even got to try it ourselves – a truly memorable experience! The hotel staff were incredibly friendly and attentive, the rooms were clean and comfortable with amazing views, and the food was fresh and flavorful. Perfect for anyone looking to relax, reconnect with nature, and enjoy authentic Sri Lankan hospitality. Highly recommended! Special thanks to Dumidu for your great support and service