Hello my loving Hivers,
How are you guys? I hope you are having a great weekend with your family and loved ones. Last week, I had the opportunity to visit the Deniyaya area, known as the "Little Nuwara Eliya" of Sri Lanka. There are several places to visit in the Deniyaya area. Among them, the Sinharaja Rainforest tour allows you to see waterfalls, medicinal plants, and endemic species. We entered the Sinharaja Forest through the Pitadeniya entrance. If you are planning to visit the Sinharaja Forest, you should definitely go with a tour guide. There are many professional tour guides, so it is not difficult to find one. Deniyaya, which has a cold climate, feels very cool even when the sun shines. There are several entrances to the Sinharaja Forest. It is a region of great medicinal and biodiversity value spread between the Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces. A local tourist is charged Rs. 200 for this, while a foreign tourist is charged Rs. 3,000.
There is a signboard near the Sinharaja entrance in Pitadeniya indicating the distance and travel time to the waterfalls in the rainforest, making it convenient for tourists. Through this, one can get an idea of the travel time. Since the population of leeches is high, salt powder was applied from the bottom of the feet to the knees to avoid their attack. When the salt powder is applied, the leeches also fall off and fall to the ground.
During this trip, I had a wound on my foot that would not heal. Our tour guide mentioned that you should crush a leaf of a plant similar to the betel leaf in the photo above, rub its juice on the wound, and then rinse it with clean water after a few minutes. Although several Western medicines were applied to my wound, it did not heal, but the juice of the root of a plant with high medicinal properties completely healed it.
We also learned about several other similar medicinal plants from the tour guide, which helped us gain additional knowledge. It has become mandatory for tourists to seek the help of guides due to the smuggling of plants and animals native to the Sinharaja Reserve and the loss of lives due to bathing in unsafe places. The decision taken by the Forest Conservation Department is a timely one. There, the guide showed us a small frog and warned us not to touch it, as it is a small creature but is highly poisonous. He advised us to only take photos, as touching this species of frog can cause severe damage to the skin.
Although the Sinharaja Rainforest is not a swampy, salt-marsh environment, we were able to observe the spread of a mangrove species. The upper layers of trees are larger and taller, making the forest more humid. Several species of ferns were also seen during this visit. Due to the higher layers of trees, it is very dark in the forest, so we did not feel tired while walking.
After walking for about two hours in the Sinharaja forest, a small waterfall was seen. The way even a small stream, when it falls down a mountain, creates a waterfall is a wonderful demonstration of nature. I touched my feet to feel the coldness of the water. It was truly a breathtaking experience. My two friends also took photos to capture beautiful memories.
As we continued our journey, the guide informed us about a medicinal plant that is best for diabetes. He said that by boiling the leaves and stems of the plant well and drinking it, we can get relief from diabetes. Many strong vine varieties have invaded around the very tall trees in the Sinharaja rainforest. These vines are strong enough to hang high on the trees. Some vine varieties are divine herbs. The roads in the Sinharaja rainforest were natural and we had to walk through large fallen trees.
The guide mentioned that there is a species of lizard called Bodhilima in this rainforest, and it took a lot of effort to find it, and although we were lucky enough to see it, we could not properly capture it in the photo because it moved to the highest point of the tree. It should be noted that this lizard with different colors is a species that adorns the Sinharaja forest. We came across a large beetle that we had not seen before on a leaf. We were advised not to touch the beetle because it was also an invasive species.
Although it rained heavily the night we visited Deniyaya, it was not a heavy rain for the Sinharaja forest. It did not cause the water level of the Gin River to rise. However, the water droplets falling on the leaves of the plants gave off a strange glow. Due to the variety of plant species, it has become a world heritage site due to its rich biodiversity. Therefore, everyone should take the initiative to protect such biodiversity zones.
As our guide mentioned, a species of vine known as Pattaya is widespread in the Sinharaja rainforest. In addition, we also encountered the medicinal plant Venivel vine in places. None of these herbs can be taken out of the forest. If such a wrongdoing occurs, the relevant guide will be fully responsible.
We also encountered a plant species similar to the turmeric plant that we use as a spice in our kitchens during our trip. Its roots and tubers are used as a medicinal plant. We observed a large spider resting on a dry leaf. Since it is not poisonous, we picked it up. The ones that live in Sinharaja grow longer and larger than those that live in gardens. Another unique plant species was brought to us by the guide and he performed a special action. When the guide threw the plant in my friend’s hand, it stuck tightly to his T-shirt. He mentioned that it is an invasive plant species.
Our trip provided us with the opportunity to study a wide variety of plant species. In addition, we came across several small waterfalls. This can be considered a more important trip as many types of trees that are more than a hundred years old can be seen in the Sinharaja Rainforest. Some of the trees were encroached upon by vines, and the roots of those vines could be seen like a cluster of snakes. In addition, we entered the Sinharaja Rainforest through the Lankagama entrance and entered a waterfall paradise. I will present that in another content.
