Location: South West, 80 kilometers from Colombo
Area: N/A
Avg. Temperature: 26 °C
Avg. Annual Rainfall: 2500 mm
Situated surrounding an ancient Buddhist monastery, Bodhinagala Forest Reserve is a tropical rainforest which was only just discovered as one of the best bird watching locations in Sri Lanka. It is a moderately small strip of secondary lowland rainforests; however it is surprisingly rich with flora and fauna. Surrounded by rubber and tree plantations, Bodhinagala is composed of slopes, forest paths and sparkling streams and is a popular area for mountain biking!
The peaceful wet-zone area is home to 150 species of bird including endemic species such as the Green-billed Coucal, Ceylon Spurfowl, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Ceylon Small Barbet, Black-capped Bulbul, Spot-winged Thrush and sub-continental endemics such as the Ceylon Frogmouth and the Malabar Trogon. Butterflies of many species can be found here including the Tawny Rajah. The endemic mammal species include the Purple-faced Leaf and Toque Monkeys and the Grizzled Indian Squirrel.
Getting there:
The turn-off to Bodhinagala is just before the 29 km post on the A8 (Ratnapura Road). You can reach Bodhinagala from Pandura passing Horana and turning right before Ingiriya. You can also reach Bodhinagala from Ingiriya passing Awissawella from Colombo.
Accommodation Options:
Citizen Rest Guest House
Camping in the Reserve
Ingiriya Bature Bungalow
The Retreat
Wijaya Holiday Resort in Kiriella
Colombo, since it is an hour and a half’s drive away
