This is the best way to see the Sinharaja Rain Forest if you have one morning at Kudawa. You walk with a guide on the Mulawella Trail, which climbs about 400 m to a rock summit at about 760 m, moving from forest logged in the 1970s into forest that never was.
What the hike involves
- The way in: the first part follows paving stones and then a footpath from the Kudawa car park, shared with the road where birders look for mixed-species flocks.
- Two steep climbs: after the fork towards Mulawella the path climbs hard twice, with a dip between them.
- Uncut forest: higher up, the old logging gaps give way to tall, layered rainforest, the change that University of Peradeniya botanists described in their 1987 guide to this trail.
- The summit: the walk ends on an open rock top, windy and slippery in rain.
Is this hike for you?
- Distance: about 4 km each way and about 8 km return, measured on the mapped footpath.
- Time: about half a day. Start early, when birds are most active.
- Fitness: moderate. It is short, but the climbs are steep and the ground is uneven.
- Conditions: expect leeches and rain in any season. Bring leech socks, long trousers, closed shoes and at least 1.5 litres of water.
For a full day going much deeper into the forest, see the Sinhagala Peak Full-Day Trek.
Price on request
We are finalising the price of this experience. Contact us with your preferred date and how many of you are travelling, and we will send you a quote with the meeting point and what is included.
