JOHN SHELTON AGAR'S LAND is one of the oldest tea estates in Sri Lanka, originally planted in coffee (the entire industry of which was destroyed by the coffee blight Hemilia Vastratax about the year 1860, after which, tea was introduced to Ceylon from the jungles of Assam & China by John Shelton Agar (the pioneer British tea planter who established China Jatt in Agar's land), about the year 1870. Shelton Agar died in China in the year 1902 (a bronze plaque to his memory is to be seen at St Paul 's church in Kandy ). The present house is built on the same site that Agar once lived; only a breadfruit tree bears testimony to his past garden. The present owner Desmond Perera Esq, making it one of the finest tea plantations in Sri Lanka , has replaced every tea bush. The modern factory that you can visit, was his untiring work (sadly government nationalized the majority holdings of the property in 1972), which regularly won the gold medal in Mincing Lane London , for having produced the best tea in the world. The first Tea Auction conducted in old Colombo Ceylon by William Somerville on the 30 th July 1883 contained three invoices of Agar's land tea, one from Kabaragalla and two from Oodawarra.

TO REACH THE PLANTATION : one drives through patches of dense primeval jungle & impressive waterfalls. Agars Land lies at the foot of Sri Lanka 's venerated mountain, Adams Peak (on the Southern slopes & a little beyond the city of Ratnapura , famed for its gems since Marco Polo).

THE HOUSE: is a working estate cottage, comprising of a drawing room, 2 triple bedrooms (All with attached bathrooms with hot & cold water) a dining room all of which are 32 x 20 Ft approximately in size & of course verandas. The furniture is mostly old Colonial and Sri Lankan antique

THE STAFF: a butler, cook, houseboy, 2 gardeners & 2 security guards.

THE FOOD: is all provided including an early morning cup of tea, if you wish to see the break of dawn.

THE GARDEN: 2½ acres of well maintained tropical garden (including immaculate lawns). The Ficus Benjamina tree spans a good ¼ acre, its long tentacles, arising from the undergrowth of exotic wild flowers & orchids. The summerhouse where one can have tea & listen to some of the rarest birds in the east is out of this world. This place is heaven for bird lovers. At present a flock of jungle fowl have made the garden their territory.

 

COLOMBO  APARTMENT    

The  apartments have lifts manned by security guards.. and is above the well known super market Keells.. 

 The apartment consist 's  of a large drawing room. Dining room  leading out to the balcony overlooking the  city of Colombo..  Colonial Town Hall and various  other  high  rise  buildings interposed by the sea.

Master bedroom with two large four post beds and antiques. A dressing room with a crystal chandelier and mirrored wardrobes lining the walls.  Ensuite bathroom with a tub and Jacuzzi shower…Two other double bedrooms ..One with a double four-poster …and a shared bathroom with a tub and Jacuzzi shower… Most of the furniture is antique... blended with whimsical pieces..a la Helga's Folly in Kandy... 

Drawing room has a Chinese Opium bed and ancient wall hangings… together with antique furniture and  leads out onto the balcony…

Kitchen has a granite floor and work top with a  Dishwasher .. Fridge..Microwave..In addition,  to  all  other  modern appliances  ...   

 We could   also supply a cook if required….The  apartment  is a miniature Folly… 

We at Helga's Folly

understand the pressures you are increasingly facing in your everyday lives and you have less time to plan your business or holiday, be it for a weekend or month.

With this in mind, we work hard to bring a mix of interesting and inspiring destinations with great activity driven by business or holiday ideas and provide you with all the necessary information. We will plan your next trip so that it will be hassle free. We handle Air Tickets to most destinations.

We also provide you with cars driven by gentleman drivers.