Sinharaja Forest Reserve

Sinharaja Forest Reserve is Sri Lanka’s last viable area of tropical rainforest, more than 60 percent of the trees here are endemic to Sri Lanka and are considered to be rare. Internationally famous, Sinharaja has been named a Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

‘Sinharaja’ translates to ‘Lion Kingdom’ and is only 21km from east to west and at its longest, 7km from north to south. Because of the thick flora, there are very few wildlife to be seen in this rainforest of Sri Lanka. Estimates indicate that there are only about 3 elephants and 15 leopards living in this jungle, but you can see many purple faced langurs, luxuriating among the tall trees of this forest.

Flocks of birds are aplenty in Sinharaja Forest Reserve, and you can see many Sri Lankan crested dringos and the noisy orange billed babbler. Sinharaja is a great place for birdwatchers passionate about Sri Lankan birds as 20 out of the 26 endemic species to the country can be found here. Sinharaja also has a small collection of reptiles which you will want to avoid if walking through the forest, such as the green pit viper and the hump nosed viper.

Sinharaja is situated close to the center of Sri Lanka and thus can be accessed easily from many places, including Colombo, the south coast, the east coast and the central hills, all of them great holiday spots, making Sinharaja an ideal stop for your Sri Lankan travel itenerary. The easy access to the rainforest also means that there are plenty of lodging options to choose from, including those closer to the park such as Rainforest Edge (8.4 miles away), Niyagama House (24 miles away), The Surfer Surf Camp Sri Lanka (27.4 miles away) and Kahanda Kanda (24 miles away).

During the months of May to July and November to January Sinharaja sees heavy rains, so its best to avoid these months if you are traveling there. February to April are the best times to visit but the other months are worth a try as well, despite the high precipitation this Sri Lankan rainforest experiences.

There are two primary nature trails in the Sinharaja Rain Forest, one that leads to the peak of Moulawella and another that leads to the peak of Sinhagala. Both of these trails begin at the Kudawa Conservation Center but the Mullewela trail is significantly shorter, only taking 2-3 hours while the Sinhagala trail will take you around 5-7 hours to complete. Both trails lead you through the lush beauty of this tropical rainforest and will be a memorable addition to your Sri Lankan travel memories!