5 Hidden Waterfalls in Sri Lanka's Central Highlands

Sri Lanka has over 400 waterfalls, but most visitors see only the famous three or four along the main tourist route. The real magic lies deeper in the central highlands, where unnamed cascades tumble through virgin forest and the only sound is the thunder of falling water.

1. Bambarakanda Falls — The Tallest

At 263 meters, Bambarakanda is Sri Lanka's tallest waterfall, yet it receives a fraction of the visitors of its more accessible neighbours. Hidden in a pine forest near Ohiya, the falls are at their most dramatic during the inter-monsoon periods (March-April and October-November), when the volume of water transforms the cliff face into a roaring white curtain.

The approach trail passes through an otherworldly landscape of eucalyptus and pine — planted during the British colonial era — that feels more like Scotland than tropical Asia.