The undisturbed Sinharaja Rainforest is acclaimed as Sri Lanka’s sole existing virgin rainforest. Situated in the island’s wet zone, the renowned forest extends over 8900 hectares of spectacularly picturesque vegetation. The forest also features numerous ridges and mountains in its verdant terrain. Within its luxuriant expanse visitors will come across springs, rivers, streams, waterfalls, valuable shrubs, rare trees and a wide selection of native fauna. The nature enthusiast will never forget a stroll through the lush expanse of the Sinharaja. Due to its ecological significance and great biodiversity the area has been designated as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, the only such location in the island. The locality has also been identified as a National Heritage Wilderness Area. As might be expected in a lush tropical rainforest, numerous tall trees give the Sinharaja an imposing appearance. Despite the dense vegetation pathways exist which enable visitors to gain an intimate understanding of this unique ecosystem. The forest is dark even during daytime hours as the thick canopy prevents sunlight from penetrating into the interior; this gives the Sinharaja a magical ambience. The incessant calls of frogs and cicadas add to the romantic aura of the rainforest. The mighty tropical forest boasts many attractive varieties of wildlife which can sometimes be glimpsed by the visitor. These include macaques, water monitors, giant squirrels, purple-faced leaf monkeys, rusty spotted cats, fishing cats, civets, porcupines, barking deer, sambhur, wild boars and even leopards. The bird lover will not be disappointed at the forest as there is a wide array of avian life to be seen including the Ceylon junglefowl, Ceylon spurfowl, Sri Lankan hanging parrot, Ceylon wood pigeon, Layard’s parakeet, green-billed coucal, red-faced malkoha, grey hornbill, small barbet, yellow-fronted barbet, chestnut-backed owlet, spotted-winged thrush, black-capped bulbul, brown-capped babbler and blue magpie amongst many other varieties. A striking characteristic at the Sinharaja is the existence of large flocks of birds which contain many different species. Many attractive varieties of colourful butterflies may also be seen. The visitor to Sri Lanka looking for Kalutara hotels will find an appealing accommodation in the Mermaid Hotel & Club, a beach hotel Sri Lanka offers which provides excellent rooms and attentive service.
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