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Sinharaja and the Sinhala people derive their names from the word “Sinha” meaning lion. According to legend, the Sinhalese are the result of a union between a King’s daughter and a mighty lion who lived in the forest. Legend also claims the forest was royal territory belonging to the ancient Kings (Rajas) and in some early records the forest is referred to as “Rajasinghe Forest”. Yet another legend states the forest was the last refuge of the lion, no longer on the island. Or taken literally, the name may refer to the “king-sized forest” of the Sinhala people.
By 1909 about 7,910 forest acres had been demarcated to create a reservation, but it took almost 20 years before the reserve was created. In 1926, 9,203 acres was declared a climatic reserve purely for its watershed value. But by the late ‘60’s the country began to turn to the lowland rainforests to meet its growing demand for timber and in 1971 logging was extended to the reserve itself. Within only two years it was in danger of begin totally destroyed. This raised an unprecedented public outcry in Sri Lanka and the protest movement forced the authorities to restrict logging operations within the reserve to a 3,000 acre plot. In 1977, the new government halted all logging in Sinharaja and in April ‘78 the status of the forest reserve was enhanced when it was made an UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve .These measures were further strengthened in ‘88 when Sinharaja was made a National Wilderness Area and in ‘89 when added to the list of World Heritage Sites.
At present, the Sinharaja MAB Reserve covers 8,800 hectares. It is 21km in length, 7km at its widest point and 3km at its narrowest. Many endemic and rare, vulnerable or endangered tree species have been identified in the forest. Of the 217 endemic trees and woody climbers of the rainforest region, 65% (140 species) have so far been recorded in Sinharaja. Half of Sri Lanka’s amphibians, and nearly half of the endemic amphibians are represented. There have been147 bird species recorded to date and it is also the only locality where 18 out of 20 endemic birds species may be viewed. Reptilian fauna including snakes, lizards, tortoises and skinks are represented by 45 species, of which 21 are endemic.
Annual rainfall has ranged from 3,614mm to 5,006mm. Most rain emanates from the South West monsoon (May to August) and the North East Monsoon (November to January). Temperatures range from 19°C to 42°C.
Tour prices are all-inclusive and cover:
- 6.30am - 3.30pm (2 hour drive each way)
- Hotel pick up, park entry guide fees, vegetarian lunch, leech socks and refreshments included.
Get 10% discount when you book online!
We operate a tiered pricing structure so we can passon savings to you where possible - the more people that come on the trip the lower the cost is per person.
Pickups from other places and individual tour prices available on request.
| Normal price |
Online price |
Min. People |
| Rs 7.000 |
Rs 6,300 |
2 |
| Rs 5,000 |
Rs 4,500 |
4 |
| Under 14s half price when accompanied by 2 adults |
» Book now
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