Literally translated to Lion King, “Singharaja” is a rain forest located in south central Sri Lanka. It is also a UNESCO world heritage site. It is considered to be a great bio diversity hot spot and also a national park of the island nation. The jungle borders a number of districts of the country including Sabaradamuwa district as well as the Galle District in Southern Sri Lanka, thus it can be accessed via diverse routes from various locations in the country. One can access the forest from Udawalawe side after visiting the Udawalawe Park, or from Colombo through Ratnapura or the Southern coastal belt from Deniya. It spans roughly across 18,900 acres. The jungle is also bounded by three waterways; Gin River, Napola Stream and Kosgulana River. The setting boasts of a large number of flora, fauna and diverse endemic species ranging from plants, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds and of course insects. It is considered to be home to more than 50% of species endemic to the island. Visitors can be sure to spot at least a few of the various species that have made these woods their habitat.
The setting is indeed a great spot for any visitor who is interested in nature as there are diverse species to be spotted here. It is a must visit site for any bird watching enthusiast and there are a number of trails that are popular amongst tourists who visit this forest. Depending on the wish of the visitor they can choose a trek that goes on for about 2 hours or as long as 7 hours. There are also a number of peaks and also rivers in the vicinity for the tourists to explore. The average temperature here ranges between 19- 34 degrees Celsius. However during the monsoon season of May to July and November to January there is usually heavy rain in the area.
This great natural habitat can be easily reached by car and there are many Sri Lanka car rental services that provide comfortable travel solutions to any visitor to the country. Sri Lanka car hire companies such as Malkey Rent A Car are one of the best service providers in the industry.
