Where it’s bestKenyaTanzaniaIndiaAfricaBotswanaMadagascarNamibiaRwandaSouth AfricaUgandaZambiaZimbabweAsia & the Far EastBhutanIndonesiaJapanMalaysiaMongoliaPapua New GuineaRussiaSri LankaPolar & NordicAntarcticaFinlandGreenlandIcelandNorwaySwedenLatin AmericaArgentinaBoliviaBrazilChileColombiaCosta RicaEcuadorGuyanaPeruBrowse all destinations
All JourneysJourney ThemesBig Cat SafarisBirdingGreat MigrationLandscapesMarine WildlifeNorthern LightsPolar ExpeditionsPrimate TreksRare SpeciesWildlifeBirdsCheetahElephantsJaguarLeopardLionMarine MammalsPenguinPrimatesPumaRhinosSnow LeopardTravel StylesPrivate JourneysPhotography ExpeditionsSlow TravelLuxury Lodges & CampsConservation-Led TravelFamily AdventuresOn FootSmall Group JourneysFly-In SafarisSignature Journeys
JournalGalleryFilmsBrochures
EnquireTravel CalendarFirst-Time Safari GuidePacking GuideFAQ
Our StoryConservationPressGuest ReviewsContact
Enquire
Home  /  Sri Lanka  /  Sinharaja Forest Reserve
UNESCO rainforest · Sri Lanka

Sinharaja Forest Reserve

The island's last great rainforest — a UNESCO site dripping with endemic birds and mixed feeding flocks.
Getting there
~4 hr drive from Colombo into the wet south-west hills
Best for
Endemic rainforest birds, mixed feeding flocks, purple-faced langur, amphibians
The land
Lowland-to-montane tropical rainforest in the wet south-west
Good to know
Almost all of Sri Lanka's endemic birds occur here; the famous mixed flocks are a highlight
What it is
Sinharaja is Sri Lanka's rainforest jewel — a UNESCO reserve that holds nearly all the island's endemic birds.
The last large tract of primary lowland rainforest on the island, Sinharaja is a birder's pilgrimage: red-faced malkoha, Sri Lanka blue magpie, green-billed coucal and the rest of the endemics, often together in spectacular mixed feeding flocks. Purple-faced langurs, endemic lizards and a wealth of amphibians fill out the forest.
PhotoSinharaja Forest Reserve — unesco rainforest.
The reason to come

Endemics and feeding flocks

Sinharaja is about the forest's specialities — the endemic birds, and the famous waves of mixed flocks.

Endemic birds

Nearly all of the island's endemics, found on the forest trails.

Mixed feeding flocks

Dozens of species moving through together — a Sinharaja signature.

Forest life

Purple-faced langur, endemic lizards, frogs and butterflies.

Worth knowing

The last great rainforest

Sinharaja is what most of the wet zone once was — and the only place to see the full set of the island's endemic birds.
PhotoMisty primary rainforest canopy at Sinharaja.
When to come — honestly

Drier windows are easiest.

January – April
Best
Drier months — the most comfortable for the forest trails and birding.
August – September
Best
A second drier window, good for flocks and breeding birds.
Wetter months
Good
It is rainforest — expect rain and leeches, but year-round birding rewards.
Sinharaja is true rainforest — wet, slippery and leech-prone. The drier windows are most comfortable, but a guide and the right footwear matter year-round.
Context

Endemism in one forest

Sinharaja concentrates Sri Lanka's endemic birds and much of its rainforest biodiversity into one accessible reserve.

It is the wild-card on a wildlife trip — a change of pace from the dry leopard parks.

We pair Sinharaja's forest birding with the dry-zone parks for the full range of the island's wildlife.

Beyond the obvious

More to Sinharaja Forest Reserve.

PhotoEndemic birding

Endemic birding

The forest trails for the island's specialities.

PhotoMixed flocks

Mixed flocks

Following the feeding waves through the canopy.

PhotoNight and herp walks

Night and herp walks

Endemic frogs and lizards after dark.

Why Wild Voyager

We put the right tracker in your jeep.

On an island this popular, the guide makes the trip. We pair you with top naturalist trackers and time the parks to dodge the crowds and find the leopards.

Handpicked camps

We choose the lodge and guiding that fit your dates and pace, not whatever is left.

We time it right

We build your visit around the season that delivers — cranes, whales, fruiting-season bears or breeding birds.

Journeys

Trips through Sinharaja Forest Reserve

12 Days · 11 Nights

Birding Sri Lanka
10 Days · 9 Nights

Whales & Wildlife
15 Days · 14 Nights

Ultimate Sri Lanka Wildlife
Where to stay

Where you’ll stay in Sinharaja Forest Reserve

Luxury Collection
PhotoRainforest Eco Lodge
Luxury

Rainforest Eco Lodge

A timber-and-container eco lodge tucked into tea and rainforest at Sinharaja's edge.
Classic Collection
PhotoBlue Magpie Lodge
Classic

Blue Magpie Lodge

A simple birders' lodge by the reserve entrance, named for the endemic it overlooks.
Wildlife you may see
Birds Primates

Plan your Sinharaja Forest Reserve journey.

Walk the rainforest for endemic birds and feeding flocks. Tell us your dates and we will build the route around it.

Plan a Sinharaja Forest Reserve trip

Field notes, now and then.

Where to go · When to go · Wildlife in season

A few times a year, never more. Unsubscribe anytime. See our Privacy Policy.