Sinharaja National Park
One of the last pockets of Sri Lanka's
once extensive cover of rainforest and declared a World
Heritage Site in 1989, Sinharaja National Park is south of Ratnapura and
northeast of Galle, and it is best reached
from Galle, Mirissa, Tangalle, Unawatuna or Weligama. Dominated by
the tall majestic
hora and kina trees, these forests are often over 40
m high and close-galleried, thus providing a shrub-free,
easily traversed forest floor.
According to legend, Sinharaja NP
belonged to the old Sinhalese kings (rajas), who were
said to be descended directly from a lion (sinha). Its
evergreen tropical rain forests boast some incredible
statistics. Of the many types of trees and lianas, 66%
are endemic. In addition, over half of Sri Lanka's endemic
mammals and butterflies, and nearly all 21 of the island's
endemic bird species, live here.
It rains in Sinharaja NP most afternoons.
It does not have the animal spotting facilities of some
of the other reserves or national parks, like Yala West
NP, yet just being in the thick of the rain
forest is a unique experience and you are not confined
to a jeep.
Sinharaja NP is best visited from
Galle, Mirissa, Tangalle, Unawatuna or Weligama
as a 2-day tour.
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