Kanneliya Raiforest is the second most significant rainforest located in Southern Sri Lanka. This forest is also known as Kanneliya-Dediyagala-Nakiyadeniya (KDN) rainforest. The forest is about 34 km to the Northwest of the city of Galle. Kanneliya was declared a biosphere reserve in 2004.
The elevation of the forest ranges from 60 m to 425m above sea level. The average temperature is around 27C. The forest records a rainfall of around 3750mm annually.
The forest feeds the two most important rivers in the Southern Province namely The Ginganga and The Nilwala Ganga.
Flora
The forest is the home for a number of endemic fauna and flora in tropical Sri Lanka. A largest number of the endemic plants and trees found in Kanneliya are only confined to this forest. The forest is claimed to have around 309 different plants. The forest is rich in herbal plants. Wenivel (Salacia reticulata) which is one of the most popular herbal plant in Sri Lanka are found in abundance in Kanneliya. Wenivel is a common component of the Ayurvedic prescriptions. Beside Wenivel, plants like kothalahimbutu , rasakinda , thapaswara bulath , kekiriwara , hal etc. are some of them.
The forest is also home to around 220 animal species. Out of this number around 41 are endemic to Sri Lanka. There are 86 species of mammals in Kanneliya. Currently elephants are not found in this forest. The last elephant to live in Kanneliya had died in 1997. The largest animal to live in Kanneliya is the sambar deer. Out of the 116 snake species in Sri Lanka all the species of snakes, except the sand viper and the sea snakes, are found in Kanneliya. Four species of chameleons are also found here.
Anagimala Ella is a popular attraction in the Kanneliya reserve. The waterfall is refreshing treat for the already weary visitor.
At present
The blogger visited Kanneliya on two different occasions. The videos and the photographs on this page bear witness to the visit on the 7 th Sept. 2025 with a group of students.
Today Kanneliya is a popular tourist destinations in Sri Lanka. A large number of students pick up Kanneliya for their annual excursion. The forest authorities take every possible step to protect the forest. Thanks to the efforts of the authorities forest has a zero polythene environment. The visitors are strictly advised to refrain from using polythene inside the reserve. The guides of the forest render a yeoman service by educating the visitors.
