Sinharaja Forest Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the last remaining substantial area of primary lowland rainforest in Sri Lanka, covering approximately 11,187 hectares across the Sabaragamuwa and Southern Provinces. The reserve receives between 3,500 and 5,000 mm of rainfall annually and supports one of the highest levels of endemism found in any forest in Asia: 64% of its tree species are endemic to Sri Lanka, as are the majority of its birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Sinharaja was designated a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and a World Heritage Site in 1988.
Trekking in Sinharaja is conducted with licensed guides from the villages of Kudawa (northern entrance) or Deniyaya (southern entrance). Trails pass through primary and secondary forest, across clear-water streams, and through regenerating sections recovering from selective logging that ended in 1977. Bird watching is a primary attraction: Sinharaja is internationally renowned for its mixed-species feeding flocks, which can contain 15 to 20 or more species travelling together through the canopy. All of Sri Lanka’s endemic bird species can potentially be encountered here, including the Sri Lanka blue magpie, red-faced malkoha, and green-billed coucal.
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