national park · Sinharaja · 91km from Colombo

Sri Lanka's last large area of primary lowland rainforest, listed by UNESCO in 1988. It covers about 8,864 hectares of steep ridges between roughly 300 m and 1,170 m in the Ratnapura, Galle and Matara districts. More than 60% of the trees are endemic, and most of the island's endemic birds live here, including the Sri Lanka blue magpie, red-faced malkoha and green-billed coucal. You can only enter on foot with a licensed guide, through the Kudawa, Pitadeniya or Morningside gates.

Best time to visit

January to April and August to September; start at 6:30am for birds

Typical visit duration

Half a day to a full day

Tips

A licensed guide is compulsory and comes with the ticket; bring your passport. Wear leech socks, long trousers and repellent. No shops inside, so carry water and snacks.