Sinharaja is the last large patch of primary lowland rainforest in Sri Lanka, a dense green world of towering trees, streams and constant dripping humidity in the south-west of the island. The name means lion king, though there are no lions; there are, however, leopards, purple-faced langurs, giant squirrels and an extraordinary number of species found nowhere else, especially birds, frogs and plants. It was listed as a World Heritage site in 1988, and ornithologists come from all over the world to see the mixed flocks that move through the canopy, with blue magpies, jungle babblers and drongos travelling together in noisy, colourful groups.
You will walk, of course, not ride, inside the reserve: entry is on foot with a local guide from the main entrances such as Kudawa on the north side or Deniyaya in the south. The forest is beautiful and demanding at the same time. The heat and humidity are intense, and leeches are almost guaranteed, especially after rain, so leech socks and a good repellent are worth their weight in gold. The rewards are waterfalls, enormous trees with buttress roots, and the feeling of being in a place that has hardly changed for millennia.
Riding in this part of Sri Lanka is a constantly changing experience. The roads to the reserve wind through tea and rubber plantations, small towns and villages, climbing up and down green hills, and they are often narrow, with surfaces that range from new asphalt to potholed and broken. Traffic drives on the left, and the private buses are the kings of the road: they overtake anywhere and expect you to get out of the way. Tuk-tuks, dogs, people and cows complete the picture. The south-west monsoon brings heavy rain from about May to September, and the second monsoon brings more later in the year, so the roads are often wet.
Ratnapura, the city of gems, is the nearest large town, about thirty kilometres away, with fuel, shops and accommodation, and its gem markets are a sight in themselves. The small towns closer to the reserve have basic shops and sometimes fuel, but it is better to fill up in Ratnapura. Eat a rice and curry in a local restaurant, often a dozen small dishes for very little money, and drink plenty of king coconut water against the heat.