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The Rainforest Ecolodge is a remote lodge of shipping-container chalets on stilts above a tea estate on the edge of the Sinharaja rainforest, near Deniyaya. Set within the 500-acre Enselwatte estate, classified by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority as the country's first ecolodge and now managed by Aitken Spence Hotels, it holds LEED Platinum certification, runs largely on solar power and is reached by an off-road track through the estate.
There is one category to book, and every chalet is built the same way.
A chalet takes up to three adults, or two adults with up to two children; a third adult or an older child sleeps on an extra bed, which the lodge charges for separately. Children under seven sharing their parents' bed stay free, and from 12 they count as adults. The lodge also has Interconnected Rooms, made by joining two chalets, for families or friends travelling together; ask us if you would like two chalets connected.
Meals are served in the Lobby Lounge, reached along metal walkways and open to views over the jungle and the tea. Ingredients come from the nearby village and from Galle, and the kitchen leans on forest flavours: the signature main course is mirepoix-stuffed chicken breast with mashed purple yam, the endemic herb heen bovitiya and a red wine sauce, and dessert is a kithul flour pudding with kithul-flavoured tea. An evening high tea can also be arranged.
The lodge exists for the forest. Naturalists lead guided walks and treks on three kinds of trail, from gentle walks through the estate to steeper hikes along streams to forest waterfalls, where you can sit with your feet in the water while small fish nibble at them. Birdwatching walks start before sunrise to catch the mixed-species feeding flocks; Sinharaja is home to most of Sri Lanka's endemic birds, and the Sri Lanka blue magpie, the lodge's emblem, often visits the trees beside the lounge. Wellness treatments are available after a day outdoors, and there are board games such as chess in the lobby lounge.
Sinharaja itself, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the island's last large stretch of undisturbed rainforest, starts at the edge of the estate, and the lodge's guides know its trails well; the wider forest includes the peak of Sinhagala, and our guide to the Sinharaja entrances explains the other ways in. The nearest town is Deniyaya, about 18 kilometres away by road; the road down to the south coast runs through Akuressa. Bird lovers will find more on Sri Lanka's birds in our guides.
The lodge lies deep in the south-west, about 18 kilometres beyond Deniyaya. From Colombo or Bandaranaike International Airport the usual routes run either down the Southern Expressway to the Imaduwa interchange and inland through Akuressa to Deniyaya, or through Matugama, Neluwa and Morawaka. The last 10 kilometres are a narrow, winding estate road from the Viharahena entrance through the Patna division to the lodge, so allow time for the final climb. The simplest way to arrive is a private transfer from Colombo airport to the Rainforest Ecolodge.
It suits birdwatchers, walkers, wildlife photographers and anyone happy to trade a pool and nightlife for silence, mist and rain in one of the richest rainforests on the island. Two or three nights give you time for dawn birding, a long trek and a lazy afternoon on your deck. For other options near the forest see our places to stay in Sinharaja.
A truly wonderful stay at The Rainforest Ecolodge – Sinharaja! 🌿🌧️ The environment was absolutely beautiful — peaceful, refreshing, and surrounded by the incredible natural beauty of the Sinharaja Rainforest. Staying so close to…
Awful place. In 26 years of extensive travelling and working away I have never abandoned any accommodation - this is a first. To put this into context, I would ordinarily stay in 40+ hotels per annum. For starters, it was only…
We had an amazing time at the eco lodge. Although we were booked forn2 nights, we got there in time for a nighttime walk and two walks the following morning, and so didn’t stay a second night. This place is dedicated to nature and…
Ratings and reviews provided by TripAdvisor for The Rainforest Ecolodge.
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