Sinharaja Rainforest

 Sinharaja, the largest rainforest in Sri Lanka, is spread over 18900 acres and is located in the lowland wet zone. Sinharaja was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.  Bounded by three rivers, Sinharaja is rich in biodiversity. Endemic to Sri Lanka are found in the Sinharaja. 

19 out of 20 endemic bird species in Sri Lanka are found in the Sinharaja Reserve.  Endangered birds include the Sri Lankan Jungle fowl, Wood Pigeon, the Green Bill Cooke, Frogmouth owl, the Sri Lankan White-headed Starling, the Red-faced Malkoha, the Sri Lankan Blue magpie and the Ash Head Bubbler.

Among the endemic amphibian species, 

 Nolarti's frog, Kotagami dwarf frog , small-eared Atikittha, Kelati's dwarf frog, yellow-eared worm frog, curved frog. 

Out of the 16 endemic fish species of Sri Lanka, 03 species can be found in the Sinharaja streams.  Among the endemic fish species, MalPulutta, Gadaya, Galpadiya,Pulli Ahirawa and Kadukara Ahirawa are abundant.  

65 species of butterflies found in Sri Lanka can be seen in the Sinharaja forest.  Of these, the Mahakurulu piya Papilia, the largest butterfly species in Sri Lanka, is found in Sinharaja.   

Large mammals can be seen in the Sinharaja rainforest as in many other forests.  About 40 species of mammals in Sri Lanka have been recorded from Sinharaja.  Of these, 08 out of 12 endemic mammal species have been recorded from Sinharaja.  Among them are Sambar, wild boar, leopard, wild cat and Miminna.  

When you enter Sinharaja from the Deniyaya - Lankagama entrance, you can see several waterfalls. 

1. Malmora Falls

2. Kakuna Falls

3. Pathanella 

You will need a guide to visit these waterfalls and forests.  The guide will take you on a 4-5 hour journey through the jungle. 

When visiting Sinharaja, the heart of Sri Lanka, care must be taken not to harm its biodiversity.