Sinharaja Forest Reserve

The Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a national park
in southern Sri Lanka.

The reserve's name translates as the Kingdom of the Lion. It's an area of international significance and has been designated the status of Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The reserve is only 21 km from east to west, and a maximum of 7 km from north to south, but it is a treasure trove of endemic species, including trees, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

Part of the Sri Lanka lowland rain forests ecoregion, this relatively small area of hilly virgin rainforest, was saved from the worst of commercial hardwood logging by its inherent inaccessibility. THe Sinharaja Forest Reserve was designated a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and a World Heritage Site in 1988.

We apologise for the repetition of some place or proper names with different spellings, but there is no definitive spelling translation of these words.

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JeGraNet.com statement - 15 October 2008 - Quote from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: "There is a high threat from terrorism in Sri Lanka. Fatal attacks have become more frequent. They have occurred in Colombo and throughout Sri Lanka, including places frequented by expatriate and foreign travellers. Further attacks may occur at any time. There is an increasing risk of British nationals being caught up in an attack". As independent travellers we left Colombo after just 9 days into our planned 6 month stay as a result of a feeling of insecurity, however we are sure that 'package tour' travellers to tourist resorts will probably enjoy a worry free holiday.