Sinharaja Forest Reserve is probably the best kept secret in Asia – Sinharaja is one of the least disturbed and biologically unique lowland rain forests in Sri Lanka.Sinharaja is a vast forest which covers an area of approximately 11,000ha, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located quite close to Ratnapura with approaches from other directions as well, this dense rain forest has an amazing variety of flora and fauna, and this has caught the attention of scientists as well as nature lovers who make excursions into the jungle to explore and appreciate its many natural wonders. Among these are cool waterfalls, rushing streams and crystal clear freshwater streams. A lot of attention and emphasis is now being placed on the conservation of this precious treasure that is Sinharaja. This rain forest covers an extent of about 11187 hectares from east to west of Sri Lanka. The length of the Rain forest is about 21km and width from North to South is about 3.7km. It was declared a National wilderness area in 1988 and lately a world heritage site in 1989. It is situated in the southwest lowland wet zone of Sri Lanka in the districts of Ratnapura, Galle and Matara. The average annual temperature of Sinharaja is 23.6 C. Rainfall figures show values ranging from 3,700 to 5,000 in and around the Sinharaja forest.
