SINHARAJA RAIN FOREST RESERVE – Sinharaja is the only “UNESCO World Heritage Site” Rain Forest in Sri Lanka, with a very high rate of bio-diversity. The vegetation is tropical wet evergreen forest and the area under the reserve is 11,187 hectares.

Out of the 331 woody trees and lianas identified 192 (60%) are endemic at Sinharaja.

Regarding Fauna 141 bird species recorded here and about 28 are endemic (34 for the entire country), Butterflies 65 species (1 endemic), Fishes 10 (07 endemic), Amphibians 19 (08 endemic), Reptiles & Snakes 29 (14 endemic), and Mammals 40 (07 endemic).

Sinharaja is the only relatively undisturbed rain forest of any considerable size and many of the plants are very rare and are represented by only one individual of its kind in a large area.

Sinharaja can be reached from Colombo via Matugama (174 km) or Ratnapura (154 km)

to Kalawana, Weddagala and up to Kudawa  Base Camp. From Galle to Deniyaya and Mederpitiya (10 km) and from there to Pitadeniya Camp and enter the Reserve from the Southern side of the country.

The best period to visit is between December to early April and from August to September.