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Bounded by rivers on 3 sides, Sinharaja is the last undisturbed remnant of the great tropical forests that covered much of ancient Sri Lanka. The inaccessibility of Sinharaja due to its hilly landscape was largely the reason why it was spared from commercial logging ventures in the past.
With exploration of the forest limited to hiking trails and overnight camping stays only possible with prior permission, the human impact on the forest has remained marginal. This has allowed the flora & fauna of the forest to flourish undisturbed even in the modern age. Due to the dense vegetation the sighting of larger animals can be difficult, however it is fantastic for birders as there are sightings aplenty.
A bird watcher’s paradise, Sinharaja is home to 95% of Sri Lanka's indigenous birds including the Red-faced Malkoha, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Ashy-headed Babbler, and White-headed Starling. Mixed feeding flocks (Bird Waves) are a common sight here, with multiple species joining in for foraging sprees.
At least 15 leopards are thought to inhabit Sinharaja, but sightings are low due to the dense cover. The 3 elephants that inhabit the forest are also quite elusive, but plenty of other mammals such as the Purple Faced Leaf Monkey, Sambar, Barking Deer and others are easier to spot.
Masters of blending in with their surroundings, the reptiles and amphibians of Sinharaja are quite hard to spot. But those with keen eyes will soon make out species such as Whistling Lizards, Hump-nosed Lizards, Torrent Toads, Green Pit and Hump-nosed Vipers among the vast array of species in the forest.
A tropical wet evergreen forest, Sinharaja is made up of trees, shrubs and herbs. So far 211 types of woody trees and lianas have been identified, with over half classified as endemic. The difficulties in accessing many areas of the forest has made progress slow in identifying more species.
This one-of-a-kind birding tour will take you across diverse climatic zones in Sri Lanka to explore and observe some of Sri Lanka’s most unique...
Black River or ‘Kalu Ganga’ invites you to a magical canoeing experience.
Ride the white waters of the Kelani River as it stumbles through a rocky gorge in Kitulgala, and take on the rapids from the...
It is a wonderful area where the layers of time are peeled back to expose a historically significant mansion that served as a rest...
The most well-known Sinharaja Rain forest is about 5 minutes from where Blue Magpie Lodge is based. Their resort is a creation of simple...
The most well-known Sinharaja Rain forest is about 5 minutes from where Blue Magpie Lodge is based. Their resort is a creation of simple...
Rainforest Eco Lodge is located in the Sinharaja Division of the Enselwatte Estate, formerly a tea estate, and it borders the southern boundary of...