The sun peeps through the thick canopy. Silence is occasionally broken by a symphony of bird calls and the stealthily gushing water of miniature streams and waterfalls. Words simply cannot capture nature’s bounty manifested through the Sinharaja Rain Forest. Located in southwestern Sri Lanka this forest is perfectly situated in the island’s wet zone where rain is abundant. In case you are thinking of the best mode of transport Malkey Rent a Car will provide you with a multitude of options. In Sri Lanka car hire has been made convenient through the facilities made available by this company. You can drive a car that you have hired or be driven to Sinharaja Rain Forest and be captivated by this paradisiacal stretch of protected land.
Myth and legend suggests the most improbable of all! It is said that the majority race is the product of the union between a lion who resided in the rain forest and the daughter of a king. This provides the best material for storytellers. However, in order to provide more factual details, the expanse of the forest is 189 sq km. It stretches 21 km East to West and 3.7km North to South. Decorating the borders of the Rain Forest are the rivers, Koskulana Ganga in the North and the Gin Ganga towards the South. While fact might not be as colourful as legend, it is the best place to start when visiting Sinharaja.
Declared a World Heritage Site in 1989, Sinharaja Forest is home to a great many mammals, birds and reptiles. The purple- faced langur is commonly sighted and is also a much loved endemic mammal who finds abode in the Sinharaja Forest. Among the feathered beauties who chirp away on the mighty branches of the Forest’s trees are the greater racket-tailed drongo, the noisy orange-billed babbler the elusive red-faced malkoha, green-billed coucal and Sri Lanka blue magpie.
Another interesting observation can be made on your visit to the Rain Forest. Villagers from the surrounding areas enter the protected area to tap palms in order to prepare the beloved Sri Lankan sugary treat, ‘jaggery’. Villagers also enter the forest in search of medicinal plants that would be incorporated into Ayurvedic treatments. It is satisfying to watch these forms of human activity taking place in and around the forest.
The Sinharaja Rain Forest is relatively dry during August and September and January to early April. It would be best that you plan your trip during these months. The Rain Forest is ready to swallow you whole.
Chandrishan Williams is a travel writer who writes under the pen name, Caleb Falcon. He specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers.
