Bumbuna Falls

The Bumbuna falls drop on the Seli, or Rokel, river in northern Sierra Leone, and the country's main hydroelectric scheme was built here, so the river above is dammed into a reservoir and how much water goes over the falls depends on what the plant is releasing. The gorge below is steep and wooded. The dam itself supplies a large share of the national grid. The scheme took decades to complete, having been started in the 1970s and finished only in 2009.

What you actually see

• The falls - the drop on the Seli river below the dam.
• The gorge - the steep wooded cut the river runs through.
• The reservoir - the lake held behind the dam upstream.
• The hydro scheme - the installation supplying much of the national grid.

When to go

July to October is the wet season when flow over the falls is greatest. The dry season leaves much less water. Roads are worst in the rains.

Honest expectations

The dam controls the flow and the falls are often much reduced. The installation is restricted and photography of it is not permitted. Roads to Bumbuna are rough.

Nearby

Makeni is south, and Lake Sonfon is northeast.