Sinharaja Forest Reserve is the last primeval tropical rainforest at the heart of wet zone in Sri Lanka. Until 1960’s, it was not a place for human to enter, thus such a significant ecological system was preserved. UNESCO declared it as a world heritage site in 1989.

The total size of this forest was 10 times larger in the past, but it was reduced due to cultivation of gum and tea plantations and tree logging. It is home to 500 of the 830 species of flora that are native to Sri Lanka. Other endemic species living there include various species of birds and 40 confirmed species of butterflies. The Sri Lanka Giant Squirrel is also a natural inhabitant here. It is the law not to leave any human trace and pollute the environment. Only locals who have lived in this forest are allowed to sap the milk of toddy palm for sweetener.