A Tourist Destination in the Works.

It's always gratifying to see a tourist destination developing from the ground floor. About twenty years ago, I was fortunate to see Boracay back when it was still a pristine paradise, before it was the touristy district it is today. Right now, I'm at Maria Cristina Falls in Iligan City, the Philippines, where I'm seeing a similar process unfold.

Maria Cristina Falls is actually a power station, the site for a hydroelectric generator that supplies electricity for most of the island of Mindanao. But it's also a grand sight to behold (the cellphone photo on the right does not do it justice), and the few kilometers of water between the falls and the spillway show great promise as a kayaking and whitewater rafting destination.

The National Power Corporation, the government agency that manages Maria Cristina Falls, is very conscious of the revenue-generating potential it has on its hands, so certain plans have been set in motion: picknicking grounds are being built, several ziplines are being planned (the longest, promises the guide, will be a stunning 370 meters long), and a crocodile farm is in the works.

It'll be interesting to see what the place is going to be like twenty years from now. Today, I'm just enjoying the grand sight of thousands of centiliters of water crashing down from a great height, feeling the spray, and wondering where this trip will take me next.

My next post, if all goes well, will be on whitewater rafting in Cagayan de Oro City. Stay tuned. For more details on traveling within the Philippines, check out this article: Travel Guide to the Philippines.

Image of Maria Cristina Falls © Mike Aquino, licensed to About.com.