Sinharaja Forest Trek: North to South

Weddagala to Lankagama via Singhagala

Total Distance: 22 km  (With an option of reducing it to 18 km)  

Duration: Approx: 7 hours

Sinharaja Forest Reserve has been designated as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and also a Biodiversity Hotspot by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

All these titles highlight the importance of the Forest Reserve in terms of its exceptional biodiversity as well as its fragility. Birding in Sinharaja is particularly interesting since it is home to 95% of the endemic birds of Sri Lanka.

Trek from Weddagala to Lankagama

We take a journey through the picturesque paths and sparkling streams of Sinharaja, where placid underbrush lie in wait for the appreciation of all who wish to pander in a voyage to the serene and lush wilderness of Sri Lanka’s legendary rainforest, a hotspot of endemic species which includes over 50% of Sri Lanka’s endemic trees, mammals, birds, butterflies, reptiles, insects and rare amphibian species.

Start the tour early morning at 6.30 am from our Mahoora Tented Safari Camp in Singharaja (Altitude 302m) and continue through the jungle with the sound of birds chirping while crossing sparkling streams and enjoying the fresh air around you.

Journeys through the jungle can vary from  soft and moderate treks to short steep climbs.  Please refer to our grading guidelines (to be linked) for more information on difficulty levels. Overall, we would classify the entire trek as a Moderate Trek.       

The first section of the journey that starts from the camp leads along a dirt track  to the Kudawa Research Centre (Altitude 520m). The best part of this trail is that you get to observe the birds of Sinharaja in all their splendour. During early morning and late evening, there is a very high chance of coming across Mixed Species flocks or the Bird Wave which is a magnificent sight and will provide you with an opportunity to observe some of the rarest birds of Sri Lanka such as the red-faced Mal-Koha, Blue Magpie etc.

The Sinhgaraja Bird Wave is the largest and longest studied Mixed Feeding Bird Flock in the world. Up to 41 individuals have been recorded in one flock. Your naturalist guide will help you to spot and identify these magnificent birds. Since the dirt track is fairly broad unlike the rest of the trail, it is easy to spot the birds and butterflies.

The distance up to the research centre from the starting point is about 5 km and it’s a soft trail along the dirt track. It finishes at the research centre and we cross a large stream and continue along the trail, which is now a narrow footpath.

The next 5 km of the trail has occasional irregular sections, but it is more or less a flat, easy walk. This could be taken as the second part of the trek. We continue to head southward passing a few turning points leading to interesting locations. A large complex of caves known as “Gallen Yaya” and  “Koskulana Peak” are just two of them.

In the third section of the trek which is about 4km, we cross quite a few streams, go past dense forest patches to reach Singhagala. The trail will become more irregular, with brief ascents and descents, along with broad flat sections.

The last section of the trail to the Singhagala (Lion's Rock) is a hard climb of about 500m. This section is the most challenging  of the entire trail. About 200m before the summit, the trail goes through a small cave which is an ideal spot to take a short break. The summit point is about 9km from the research station and about 14km from the start.

At the summit, you will be able to enjoy picturesque and breathtaking views of the forest, which is worth the climb and  an experience of a lifetime. (Altitude 740.6m)

Start the descent from Sinhagala and continue on the trail southwards through the dense forest on a narrow footpath. After about 4km, you may hear the chanting from a temple, which tells you that we are almost there.  

We reach by late afternoon and you will get to enjoy a refreshing bath in the sparkling and almost magical stream at the end of the trek. A short walk towards the Lodge takes you to a warm cup of tea, a piping hot  dinner and a comfortable bed awaiting you. You might want to witness the local village life along the way. (Altitude 228.5m). We also have the option of organizing a local lorry for the last leg of the journey which is about 4km.