Adventure meets eco-luxury by the Sinharaja rainforest

By Divya Thotawatte 

The road to The Rainforest Ecolodge is a winding, 45-minute long ride up the mountains. But what awaits at the top is worth every twist and turn. You will find a blend of eco-luxury and adventure amidst breath-taking greenery in a dozen shades, feeding the soul of any nature-lover. 

Upon arrival, the first thing you notice is the cool mountain air that instantly refreshes you, washing away the fatigue of the journey. Guests are welcomed warmly with traditional Sinhala-Tamil greetings and applied a gentle mark of kumkumam on the forehead. They will then guide you up a short path to the lobby, and there it is – the first of many unforgettable views of the sprawling rainforest that stretches out before you.

Located on the 500-acre Enselwatte Tea Estate in the mountain border of the Sinharaja rainforest in Deniyaya, the Rainforest Ecolodge is no ordinary hotel. Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) classifies it as The First Ecolodge in Sri Lanka, with every corner of the property designed to create an immersive nature experience. This 20-room retreat managed by Aitken Spence Hotels caters to eco-conscious travellers who seek an authentic rainforest experience, with its focus on sustainable tourism that is unique in its offering of nature-centred luxury. 

Engineered to minimalise environmental impact, the 20 eco-friendly chalets are each constructed from reclaimed shipping containers with decks made from repurposed railway sleepers. The rooms are not equipped with any air conditioning but cooled only by the crisp mountain air that leaves you fresh and in lifted spirits throughout the day. 

Each chalet has a natural warmth with woven bamboo walls and dark wood accents. Large glass windows invite the lush greenery right into your space, so that even when you are relaxing in your room, you will still feel wrapped in the surrounding mist-covered wilderness.  

The indoor areas are all cosy and tranquil with a rustic charm, featuring furnishings that are chic and emphasise comfort, luxury and eco-consciousness above all else. The outdoor space within the property is also expansive, so the guests could roam around and freely enjoy the rainforest atmosphere and environment. 

The ecolodge’s proximity to the rainforest, allows guests to experience one of the richest ecosystems in Sri Lanka. The Rainforest Ecolodge offers night trekking, waterfall trekking (includes fish therapy), bird watching, and forest-bathing in the Sinharaja. Trained local naturalists, registered with the Forest Department, lead these activities, guiding guests along trails and sharing insights into the rainforest’s biodiversity and its unique animal and plant species. Hiking along the different trails which wind through streams and waterfalls, you might even spot a few types of deer, leopards, and if lucky (or unlucky), a tusked elephant that often roams about the area. 

An experience that stands out is the forest-bathing program. Led by the naturalists, it is an invitation to leave behind your phone and escape your busy mundane lives and troubles for a while. You can stand quietly among the trees, basking in their presence, breathing in the fresh air, and absorbing the energy of the forest. You can forget your endless to-do-list for a minute and hug a tree that is a few times older than you instead. “It will absorb all your stress and replace it with good energy,” says the naturalists. 

After your time spent wandering the trails, you will find that the ecolodge’s restaurant offers a perfect way to round off the experience. Meals here are an experience of their own. Breakfast and dinners are served as freshly-prepared, personalised courses, while lunch features a classic Sri Lankan spread. High tea presents a rich, localised experience that you will not soon forget. If the weather permits it, you can even enjoy your meals out on the open deck with a sweeping view of the property and the rainforest as your backdrop. 

The Rainforest Ecolodge by Aitken Spence Hotels is the fourth in Asia to achieve the prestigious LEED Platinum certification. The ecolodge is not merely a place to stay, but an adventure that allows travellers to experience the biodiversity of the UNESCO-listed Sinharaja rainforest and also a model for eco-friendly hospitality and tourism in Sri Lanka. The retreat caters to all nature-lovers, including both researchers and leisure-travellers. 

About the Sinharaja rainforest

Covering around 8864 hectares (21,903 acres), the Sinharaja Forest Reserve is located in the southwestern part of Sri Lanka. It is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is renowned as a biodiversity hotspot and its high levels of endemism. It is home to a vast variety of flora and fauna, including plants, birds, reptiles, mammals, fish etc. that are unique to Sri Lanka. Over 50% of the forest’s species are endemic, making it a significant area for conservation and an attraction to eco-tourists and researchers alike. 

The tropical forest reserve is home to 139 out of 830 species found only in Sri Lanka, which is 64% of the country’s endemic species. Some of the endemic and endangered species that are found in the forest include the Sri Lankan leopard, the purple-faced Langur, the Sri Lankan wood pigeon and the Sri Lankan blue-faced magpie. 

The dense foliage, rolling hills and the intricate, yet picturesque waterways of the rainforest offer gorgeous and rich environments for trekking, hiking and bird-watching. Sinhagala Trail and the Moulawella Trail are extremely popular among trekkers and hikers. Due to the forest’s density and complex pathways, it is recommended to have a guide, and therefore, the experienced naturalists at the The Rainforest Ecolodge are a huge advantage for guests. 

Transforming local lives through eco-tourism

If you want one more reason to stay with The Rainforest Ecolodge, its Community Village Project, which highlights the ecolodge’s effect on the local community, is a good one. It is an outreach initiative aimed at uplifting the quality of life for the neighbouring tea plantation community. 

This local community, consisting of 37 families, faced harsh conditions, isolation, and limited access to basic resources and facilities. Recognising this need, The Rainforest Ecolodge set out to improve their living standards through better infrastructure, access to resources and sustainable employment. 

The project focused on creating job opportunities for community members within the ecolodge’s tea estate allowing them to become full-time employees and gain a stable source of income. The Rainforest Ecolodge also assisted the local community to shift to eco-tourism practices, offering them roles within the lodge’s sustainable tourism efforts. 

Therefore, through this project, the ecolodge has not only enhanced the infrastructure of the community and provided financial security with long -term empowerment, but the outreach program has helped the community build new skills and increasing their awareness of eco-tourism and sustainable practices as well.