The best rainforests to visit in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's wet zone once held continuous rainforest. Today only fragments remain, but they hold most of the island's endemic species, including birds such as the Sri Lanka blue magpie, many frogs, lizards and trees. Scientists continue to describe new species here.

The forests fall into two main types: lowland rainforest, warm and humid, below roughly 1,000 metres; and montane cloud forest, cool and mossy, in the high hills. Each has its own wildlife.

Visiting them is less about big animals and more about detail: birds in the canopy, butterflies, frogs, orchids and the sound of the forest waking up.

Sinharaja is Sri Lanka's most important rainforest and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guided walks from the Kudawa entrance in the north or the Deniyaya side in the south follow trails through tall forest, with streams and waterfalls.

Its birdwatching is outstanding, especially the mixed feeding flocks of many species moving together through the canopy. Endemic lizards, frogs and the purple-faced langur are also commonly seen.

Stay at least one night near an entrance so you can start at dawn. Day trips from the coast spend too long in the car.

Sinharaja's name means lion king, and local legend links it to the origins of the Sinhala people. Villages around its edges have long harvested kitul palm sap for treacle and jaggery, and some guides come from these families. Their knowledge of birds, plants and medicinal uses adds a great deal to a walk.

Kanneliya, roughly an hour from Galle, is a lowland rainforest with trails, streams and natural pools. It is easier to reach than Sinharaja from the south coast and suits a half-day or full-day trip.

Kottawa, near Galle, is a small arboretum and forest with a short loop trail and a stream, ideal for a gentle introduction. Hiyare, a reservoir with a surrounding forest and a biodiversity centre, also near Galle, is good for birds and dragonflies.

Morapitiya, further inland in Kalutara district, is a quiet lowland forest rarely visited by tourists, suited to keen naturalists with a local guide.

Kitulgala's forest, on the Kelani River, is known for birdwatching and walks, combined with rafting. Udawattakele, a forest reserve right behind the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, has walking paths, monkeys and birds within minutes of the city.

The Knuckles Range, a UNESCO-listed mountain forest north-east of Kandy, has cloud forest, grasslands and villages, with trekking trails of all lengths. Horton Plains, on a high plateau, combines cloud forest with grassland, and its loop walk to World's End passes through mossy, misty trees.

Lankan Stays & Trails matches the forest to the traveller: Kottawa for a gentle hour, Sinharaja for keen birders, the Knuckles for walkers.

Rainforests can be visited all year, but the wettest months, roughly May to September in the south-west, bring more leeches and slippery trails. January to April is often ideal.

Go early, with a local guide, in quiet colours. Wear leech socks, long trousers and shoes with grip, and carry a light rain jacket and binoculars. Stay on trails and do not feed wildlife.

Most forests charge an entry fee and require guides on longer trails. Confirm arrangements in advance.