Sri Lanka is blessed with an immense amount of natural beauty – from sprawling national parks to pristine white-sand beaches. However, few things perfectly embody this great bounty as well as the island’s waterfalls. Among these, one of the most picturesque and famous is the Dunhinda Falls of Badulla.
The Dunhinda Falls is around 64 metres in height, this places it somewhere in the middle when it comes to size among Sri Lanka’s other major waterfalls. However, the reason for Dunhinda’s popularity isn’t its size, but rather its appearance. Specifically, the waterfall’s claim to fame is the smoke-like spray that emanates near its bottom. In fact, the Dunhinda’s name originates from this smoky spray – the word ‘Dun” means smoke in Sinhalese.
The Dunhinda Waterfall is sourced by the Bandulu Oya – a river that flows through the Badulla region. In order to reach the waterfall, you’ll need to traverse a narrow footpath that’ll take you through the adjacent forest right up to the sight itself. Along the way, you might want to keep your eyes peeled for wildlife sightings – these include the brilliantly coloured Ceylon magpie alongside inquisitive macaque and langurs. The months of June and July are considered to be the best time to visit the falls as they coincide with the seasonal monsoon. The additional water received from the constant rains during this period makes the falls appear even larger, making for one magnificent sight up-close.
