Sinharaja Rainforest Sri Lanka 

There is no better place in Sri Lanka for a bird enthusiast than the Sinharaja Rainforest. This virgin rainforest is a designated UNSECO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, due to the high degree of endemism found in the plant, bird and reptilian life that call it home.

History and Description of the Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve in Sri Lanka

Designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and then a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988, Sinharaja is one of the best biodiversity hotspots in Sri Lanka. It is a frequently visited nature reserve that has a colorful mythological past.

This rainforest is intrinsically linked to the legends of the first Sri Lankans;
in fact the name Sinharaja derives from the Sinhalese ‘kingdom of the lion’.
It is said that the Sinhalese race was born out of the union of the princess
and the lion king and it is believed that they had lived in Sinharaja itself.

The forest covers an area of approximately 11,200 hectares, measuring 21 kilometres from east to west and from north to south just less than four kilometres. The Sinharaja Rainforest is situated in the southwest lowland Wet Zone of Sri Lanka and the elevation ranges from 200 to 1,300 metres. It is noted for being a habitat for 95 percent of the endemic birds found in Sri Lanka.

View the Gallery