A visit to Kanneliya Rainforest Reserve promises a memorable and enriching experience, allowing you to immerse yourself in the beauty of nature while supporting conservation effortst
Your naturalist will meet you at the entrance gate to the rainforest and after a briefing on the tour and safety precautions, we will walk through the forest adimiring the nature
The area is covered by a naturally high forest ecosystem consisting of several subtypes, namely lowland tropical forest, wet semi-evergreen forest, submontane tropical wet semi-evergreen forest and montane tropical wet-evergreen forest.
This complex ecosystem has been identified as one of the most floristically rich in south-east Asia and attracts many nature lovers who come to explore this unique UNESCO-certified Biosphere Reserve.
Kanneliya Rainforest has two waterfalls - Anagi Mala Ella and Narangas Ella – that are fed from the crystal clear water of the Nannikitha Spring that starts its journey in the Kanneliya Forest Reserve. A refreshing swim in one of these beautiful waterfalls completely enveloped by the sights and sounds of nature is a further highlight of a visit to this fantastic biosphere reserve.
Kanneliya also has a total of over 220 known species of fauna; including 86 species of mammals, 36 species of snakes, and several species of fish. Amongst the bird species here; 26 birds are endemic with 20 of them only seen within the KDN forest complex. Some of these are the Sri Lankan spurfowl, Sri Lankan jungle fowl, Sri Lankan grey hornbill, red-faced Malkoha, orange-billed babbler and the Sri Lankan blue magpie. The Green-billed Coucal, Sri Lankan blue magpie, ashy-headed laughing thrush and the white-faced starling are bird species that are also listed as endangered. Twenty percent of Sri Lanka’s endemic freshwater fishes inhabit the waters of Gin River and Nilwala River; while 17 endemic snakes are amongst the Kanneliya Rainforest’s herpetofauna. A total of 23 species of lizards were recorded within the KDN forest reserve.
The other two attractions are deeper within the forest, reached by walking over slippery trails and rope bridges. One of these is Narangas Ella, a charming little waterfall that drops down a vertical rock shelf to fall onto a number of flat ledges. It makes for a very beautiful sight. The other attraction is the giant Nevada tree located at a short detour on the same trail. There is an observation platform built halfway up the trunk so that visitors can see the wonders of Kanneliya.
