Nature and Wildlife
Feel the nature
Sinharaja Rainforest
Sri Lanka’s Sinharaja Rainforest has been designated as a Natural World Heritage Site as well as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. It rains in all seasons of the year and it is between 3000 – 5000 milliliters. Bordering the districts of Galle, Matara and Ratnapura, Sinharaja has an area of 11,187 hectares. It is also the only lowland primary tropical rainforest in Sri Lanka and one of the few unique forests in the world. Green canopy and high biodiversity are the most prominent features of Sinharaja forest. Home to a large number of rare or unidentified plant and animal species endemic to Sri Lanka, this place has attracted the attention of local and foreign tourists and researchers.
Safari to Yala National Park
Yala National Park is the main and largest national park spread over a large area in the southwest of Sri Lanka. Although this reserve is 979 square kilometers and belongs to both Uva and Southern provinces, only 141 square kilometers of land is open to the public. Most of the reserve is scrubland, but this is a park that is populated by a variety of habitats, including forested beach areas, springs, rivers, and scrubland. These scrublands are populated by scattered rocky outcrops. The park provides habitat to a large number of animal species. Yala Reserve has the largest leopard population in the world. Entering the park, you can see a large number of animals, including Asian elephants, crocodiles, wild boars, buffaloes, and gray relawns. In addition, there are also flowered parrots, Ceylon sand cuckoos, and Indian peacocks in this park. Yala can be identified as an ideal tourist spot to experience and photograph natural beauty.
Safari to Udawalawe National Park
Udawalawe National Park, located on the border of Ratnapura and Monaragala districts, was created as a result of the Walawe river development project. This park, which was established to protect wildlife and protect the watershed area of Udawalawe Reservoir, was named a National Park in 1972 and the total area is 30821 hectares. This is a park very close to Colombo city. The distance from Colombo to the park is about 165 km. To the north of the park, the Kalthota mountain range and Diyawanna Falls add to the beauty of the park. Tourists visiting Udawalawe National Park can often see large herds of elephants with calves. Apart from this, there will be great opportunities to see many species of birds and animals such as Panther, Rusty-spotted Cat, Sambur, Wild Boar, etc. in Udawalawe Park.
Safari to Wilpattu National Park
Wilpattu Park can be identified as another special place suitable for visiting. Located 30 km west of Anuradhapura on the north-west coast, this park straddles the border between the North-West and North Central Provinces. This park is divided into five sections. Inside this park, there are many buddhist ruins and there are many important cultural places. “Veeranagouda” is one of them. A place of archaeological value that has attracted the attention of researchers. Also, this is one of the oldest and most important protected areas in Sri Lanka. Many plant and animal species found in the lowland dry zone can be seen here. The spotted deer is special among them and is estimated to number around 3500. A large population of elephants and 31 other mammal species have also been recorded. Animal lovers and environmentalists can identify this as a great place to study.
Bird Watching
Sri Lanka is a paradise for bird watching. Sri Lanka has become the home of birds due to the wet and dry climate and the location of the natural environment in the country. About 439 species of birds can be seen in Sri Lanka, of which 236 are resident birds and 203 are migratory birds.
The rest are vagrants and occasional visitors; Sri Lanka has 33 endemic and 68 endemic species of birds. Also, nearly 200 seasonal migratory land and water birds visit Sri Lanka from Europe in winter. Sri Lanka has many best places for bird watching and places like Kumana, Bundala, Chundikulam, Gal Oya National Parks, Sinharaja Rain Forest Reserve, Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary, Kegalle Bird Forest etc. provide excellent birding tours.
River Safari
River safari can be pointed out as an outdoor activity suitable for local and foreign tourists who want to travel and have fun along the rivers.Here you will be able to take an unforgettable trip through the lush mangrove systems and calm waters of Sri Lanka. Bentota River Safari and Madu River Safari can be identified as the most suitable river safaris for this.
The Bentota Safari Zone, located on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, provides an opportunity to explore the ecosystems and various flora and fauna around the Bentota River. A similar experience can be had through the Madu River Safari in Balapitiya. Also, the Madu River is a river with the highest number of islands in Sri Lanka. Currently, about 17 islands can be seen and Koth Dua, Ma Dua, Satapatha Dua and Gal Dua are some of them. You can also visit these islands during the Madu River tour. This kind of river safari is also provided along Walave river and this is a great opportunity for those who want to experience the beauty of the natural environment.
Lagoon boat Rides
Since Sri Lanka has a large number of rivers, lagoons and lakes, Sri Lanka also has a large number of places where boating can be done. Sri Lanka, a tropical country, receives constant rain, so the internal water sources in the country are full of water for most of the year. This is a great opportunity for tourists who want to indulge in water-related activities. Negombo Lagoon can be identified as an ideal haven for those who are interested in the lagoon tour of Sri Lanka. Visiting the Negombo Lagoon, which is easily accessible from Colombo, you will have the opportunity to study the old and new methods used to catch fish and buy fish like shrimp for food. Another special ecosystem that has been discussed recently is the Muthurajawela Lagoon.
It extends to a large part of the highway that runs from Colombo to Katunayake. Many types of fish and crabs can be seen around this lagoon. It has also become a haven for wetland birds. Koggala Lagoon and Madu Ganga Lagoon can be identified as other such lagoons with natural beauty.
Whale and Dolphin Watching
Due to the Coastline around Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka has become a paradise for dolphin and whale watching. The beaches of Trincomalee and Kalpitiya are natural habitats where dolphins live in herds.
Also, tourists will have the opportunity to see more whales along the coast of Mirissa. The reason for this is that a small fish species called “krill” around this sea area more and more blue whales come to eat those fish. Tourists always have the opportunity to study the movement patterns of whales and experience the beauty of the surrounding environment.