Galle Trekking Tour in Kanneliya Forest

Kanneliya rain forest reserve situated 41 Km away from the Galle and it is part of the world famous Sinharaja rain forest. It is a lowland rain forest and Galle trekking tour takes place in Kanneliya rain forest. 

Kanneliya trekking tour approx.. distance 10 Km–12 Km and Kanneliya rain forest is the best, closest forest to the Galle city. Kanneliya forest is the forest recorded highest number of endemic flora and fauna in lowland forest. Kanneliya forest trekking is just not walking through the rain forest! It is a wonderful memory in tropical forest exploring flora and fauna with local nature expert. He will take you through the forest and explore the mini waterfall, demonstration about plants scientific facts. After the trekking tour in Galle Kanneliya rain forest, you will visit to local house and experience traditional customs of natives. You will enjoy typical countryside local lunch at his house. 

After the lunch you will do mini walk in the countryside and experience simple living style in countryside.   

Flora of Kanneliya

The Kanneliya forest complex shows floral endemicity, as 17% of lowland it confined endemic floral species to this forest area of 319 woody plants recorded in the area, about 52% are endemic. The vegetation of Kanneliya Forest complex represents Sri Lanka lowland rain forests. The floral communities dominated by Shorea-dipterocarps-Mesua (Sinhalese "Doona-Hora-Na") are common in emergent layer of the forest.

Many medicinal plants are found in these forests. They include Concilium fenestra tum (Sinhalese "Weniwelgata"), Salacia reticulata ("Kothala Himbutu"), and Tinospora cordifolia ("Rasakinda").Lycopodium Squarrosum ("Kuda hadaya"), and Lycopodium phlegmasia ("Maha hadaya") are among the rare plants the forest complex harbors.

Fauna of Kanneliya

Some 220 fauna species recorded from the Kanneliya forests and forests around the Kanneliya forest. This includes 41 endemic species. The forest complex is home to 86 species mammals. This includes 4 species of shrews, 5 rodents, one carnivore and 2 primates.Out of 26 endemic birds of Sri Lanka, 20 of them can be seen in Kanneliya forest complex. Sri Lanka spur fowl, Sri Lanka jungle-fowl, Sri Lanka grey hornbill, Red-faced malkoha, orange-billed babbler, Sri Lanka blue magpie is some of them. 20% of Sri Lanka's endemic freshwater fishes inhabit in the waters of Gin River and Nilawala River, which sourced by the springs of Kanneliya forest. Among the forests' herpetofauna are 36 species of snakes, 17 endemic species belonging to 6 families. 23 species of lizards recorded in these rainforests.