SINHARAJA RAIN FOREST

Overview

Pick up from Hotel at 05.00 A: M

Transfer time – 03 Hours approx.

Sinharaja Rain Forest, UNESCO named a World Heritage Site in Sri Lanka. Is an ideal day trip for nature enthusiasts who visits Sri Lanka. The trip starts at 5 am from Colombo and will take 3 hours to reach the entrance of Sinharaja Rain Forest. You can decide on how far you are going to walk inside the jungle depending on your capacity. You can have your lunch once you come out of jungle or ask our driver to organize you a picnic meal so you can enjoy the meals during the picnic.

Sinnharaja Forest Reserve is a national park and a biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The hilly virgin rainforest, part of the Sri Lanka lowland rain forests ecoregion, was saved from the worst of commercial logging by its inaccessibility, and was designated a World Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and a World Heritage Site in 1988. The reserve's name translates as Kingdom of the Lion.

The reserve is only 21 km (13 mi) from east to west, and a maximum of 7 km (4.3 mi) from north to south, but it is a treasure trove of endemic species, including trees, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals Because of the dense vegetation, wildlife is not as easily seen as at dry-zone national parks such as Yala. There are about 3 elephants and the 15 or so leopards are rarely seen. The most common larger mammal is the endemic Purple-faced Languor.

Of Sri Lanka's 26 endemic birds, the 20 rainforest species all occur here, including the elusive Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal and Sri Lanka Blue Magpie. Reptiles include the endemic Green pit viper and Hump-nosed vipers, and there are a large variety of amphibians, especially tree frogs. Invertebrates include the endemic Common Birdwing butterfly and the inevitable leeches.

Transfer back to Colombo.