Sinharaja Forest Reserve

Sinharaja Forest Reserve lies in south west Sri Lanka, across the Ratnapura, Galle and Kalutara districts. It covers ranges of low hills between the Kalu Ganga and Gin Ganga river systems and is the largest remaining area of primary lowland tropical rainforest in the country.

The forest was protected as a forest reserve in colonial times, made a biosphere reserve in 1978, and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 after logging was stopped.

More than 60 percent of its trees are endemic to Sri Lanka, many of them rare. The forest is known for mixed-species bird flocks, in which many species move and feed together, and for most of Sri Lanka's endemic birds, including the Sri Lanka blue magpie, red-faced malkoha and green-billed coucal. It also holds purple-faced langurs, endemic reptiles such as the green pit viper and hump-nosed viper, many tree frogs and the Sri Lankan birdwing butterfly.

Visitors walk along trails with a licensed local guide, which is required. The most used entrance is at Kudawa on the north west side, about 120 km south east of Colombo, with another approach from Deniyaya in the south. Walks usually lead to streams, waterfalls and viewpoints, and early morning gives the best birdwatching.

The forest is wet for most of the year, and leeches are common, so leech socks are useful. An entry fee is charged, and the drier months from January to April and August to September are the easiest for walking.

How rich is the forest? Sinharaja holds 19 of Sri Lanka's 20 endemic bird species, and the vegetation is so dense that counts reach about 240,000 plants per hectare. About 60 percent of the reserve lies in Ratnapura District and about 20 percent each in Galle and Kalutara, covering most of the Kalu Ganga basin. It was declared a biosphere reserve in April 1978 and is managed by the Department of Forest Conservation. Visitors can enter at four main points, all with a licensed guide, and dozens of villages border the forest.