World of Waterfalls Blog

Waterfall of the Week

2009-11-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

To celebrate our wedding anniversary...

Click here to read more about this waterfall

Finally, A Waterfalling Day!

2009-11-10T05:34:00.000-08:00

With yesterday's costly 3-hour flight delay to Guwahati from Delhi, we didn't get a chance to see any significant waterfalls near Shillong.

So today, we had a lot of catching up to do, and we managed to see Nohkalikai Falls, Nohsngithiang Falls, Kynrem Falls, Elephant Falls, Beadon Falls, and Bishop Falls.

I was really bumming that we didn't get to see Sweet Falls as we simply ran out of time. After doing a post mortem, we saw that it was a smaller version of Nohkalikai Falls, but easily 200m tall.

I don't think we'll be able to see Sweet Falls tomorrow either as we still have to make a 3.5-hour drive back to Guwahati to catch our noon-time flight to Kolkata (Calcutta) and then to Mumbai (Bombay).

Plus, the weak monsoon this year coupled with the fact that some of the Cherrapunjee waterfalls really need to be experienced during the monsoon made many of the falls here (except Nohkalikai Falls) disappointing. But the Shillong-vicinity waterfalls exceeded expectations.

If only we didn't have that costly delay yesterday...

Drama Always Follows Us

2009-11-08T08:43:00.000-08:00

After a pretty successful "alternate" itinerary in Ranthambhore National Park sighting a wild royal bengal tiger as well as a leopard, we're now back in Delhi to spend the night before flying out to India's northeast tomorrow morning. That's where we expect to see the first of the India Waterfalls on this trip.

Like I said earlier, the original itinerary included Chitrakote Falls in Chattisgarh state (discouraged by tour operator due to Maoist activity and time/cost constraints) and the Barehipani Falls and Joranda Falls in Simlipal National Park in Orissa state (again due to Maoist activities). So I've been chomping at the bit to see waterfalls in the country and really look forward to the off-the-beaten-path locales we're about to journey to.

However, before I sign off, I must mention that drama always seems to follow us around, and today was definitely one of those drama-filled days. To make a long story short, there was an accident involving our vehicle where a local village boy was hit about an hour from Ranthambhore. Fortunately, he was taken to hospital and he's fine. I'm not sure if the driver will get through OK as the villagers want money either from the driver or from the tour company.

I feel bad for the driver because driving in India is very difficult (the roads are pretty chaotic and it's shared with camels, bikes, rickshaws, lorries, buses, tractors, scooters, foot traffic, cows, goats, dogs, you name it). And for all we know, the accident may not be the driver's fault (the kid could've dashed out in front of the car). All I can say is that our driver's quick reaction may have made the difference in keeping the boy alive as opposed to becoming another traffic fatality (not all that uncommon in India).

I certainly hope our driver makes it through this ordeal. He's been real nice and the tour company has also been excellent with our trip so far...

Tiger Surprise

2009-11-07T07:30:00.000-08:00

We're currently in Ranthambore National Park, which substituted for a failed trip to Simlipal National Park in Orissa. And what would've been a waterfall visit to Barehipani Falls and Joranda Falls (which was thwarted due to Maoist insurgencies) ended up being our very first sighting of a wild tiger - a royal bengal tiger to be exact.

She was called the Lady of the Lake because she's the oldest and largest tiger in the park. Not bad for a first time safari in India.

Still no waterfalling to report. But we hope that'll change in a couple of days when we go to Meghalaya. Stay tuned...

India So Far

2009-11-06T01:14:00.000-08:00

We're currently on the outskirts of Agra awaiting a train ride towards Ranthambore National Park. This is actually a part of the trip where we had to make changes due to Maoist activity occurring in or near Simlipal National Park preventing us from visiting Barehipani Falls and Joranda Falls as well as a chance to see tigers in the Eastern Ghats.

So far, we've managed to visit Delhi (including the Chandni Chowk bazaar, Humayun's Tomb, India Gate, etc.) and Agra (including the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Fatehpur Sikri). No waterfalls yet. That won't be until a few days later when we go to India's forgotten northeast corner in Meghalaya barring any more unforseen circumstances...

Waterfall of the Week

2009-11-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Shiraito-no-taki

Click here to read more about this waterfall

Heading to the Subcontinent

2009-11-01T00:33:00.000-07:00

After enduring a brutal week of third shift, the only positive I can take out of this experience is that I guess it prepared my body clock for the time zone in India.

Indeed, as soon as I'm done with the last night of 3rd shift this week (including a bonus hour of work since we have to turn back the clock), I'll be heading home, doing some last minute preparations, then heading right back to the airport for a brutal series of international flights ultimately arriving in Delhi by way of Narita and Singapore.

No rest for weary?

I guess, but sometimes it seems you've got to earn it in every way if you want life changing experiences as I hope this waterfalling trip to India will become...

Dangerous Waterfall... In Massachusetts?

2009-10-30T23:36:00.001-07:00

This little article caught my attention when they mentioned a particular waterfall called Bash Bish Falls in Massachusetts was considered one of the most dangerous tourist attractions in the world.

I thought this was strange considering the falls is only 60ft and it sits in a state not exactly known for waterfalls.

I guess it goes to show you that sometimes you can't underestimate the dangers of Nature.

Waterfall of the Week

2009-10-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

Detian Waterfall

Click here to read more about this waterfall

Are they Crazy? Swimming in Devil's Pool at Victoria Falls

2009-10-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

I've seen videos of people swimming in Devil's Pool when there isn't much water at Victoria Falls but in this video, the water flow looks pretty strong.

"The naturally formed Devil's Pool rests right on the edge of the Zambian side of Victoria Falls. A rock wall on the edge of the falls slows down the current and prevents brave swimmers from tumbling over the edge. To really drive the point home, let me remind you that Victoria Falls stretches an astounding 5,600 feet in width and spills over a 360-foot-high cliff.

Also, please note: it's only safe to swim in the pool when the water levels are low (September–December)."

Source: Travel & Leisure

You can also check out our own videos of Victoria Falls.

Some WoW Rearranging

2009-10-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

Back when I started this website over three years ago, we weren't sure how to organize the material we wanted to share with you. What you're seeing on the World of Waterfalls today largely began from the somewhat arbitrary and haphazard decisions made back then. In some cases it seemed to have worked, but in others, we ended up with some orphan regions.

So I spent this week trying to address some of these orphaned regions and the result was some rearranged pages in the Pacific Northwest, American Southwest, and even Europe.

Perhaps the biggest changes were in the Pacific Northwest as we've incorporated waterfalls that were once on the Yellowstone pages into the states of Idaho and Wyoming.

Now I'm sure some of this rearranging will leave some geographical purists scratching their heads asking why Idaho and Wyoming are in the Pacific Northwest. While we recognize this controversy, we're sticking with our partitions to facilitate the organization of this website. Moreover, I'm sure with changes like this, there may be some broken links so if you happen to catch any, please let us know!

Waterfall of the Week

2009-10-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Salto Grande

Click here to read more about this waterfall

Return to Eaton Canyon

2009-10-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

This was supposed to be a big group hike involving co-workers to introduce them to the local nature scene and some of the waterfalls that was sure to pleasantly surprise those who went.

Unfortunately, a big fire that turned out to be Los Angeles County's largest ever occurred just two days prior to the late August Saturday that this excursion was to take place.

Two months later, we made another attempt at this again. But now, a group of about 12 dwindled down to 5.

Nevertheless, the smaller, intimate group setting provided for some nice conversations and I think the overall positive experience from those involved may help in getting the others on board again. In the mean time, here's our brief story about what happened.

Also, the Eaton Canyon Falls page has been updated and expanded as well.

Waterfalls in La Huasteca

2009-10-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

Mexico isn't a country where going waterfalling is high on the priority list for tourists. However, I ran across this article which highlights the waterfalls in the La Huasteca area of Mexico.

We haven't been there yet but it's certainly something we're looking into doing time permitting!

Yosemite Waterfalls in Autumn?

2009-10-15T07:05:00.000-07:00

It seems these days, there aren't a whole lot of reasons for going to Yosemite to see waterfalls in the Autumn unless you're into seeing dry streaks on granite walls where they used to be.

However, the recent storm this week seemed to have revived mammoths like Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Fall (according to this website).

So here's a chance at getting that uncommon shot of a Yosemite Waterfall juxtaposed with fall colors!

Waterfall of the Week

2009-10-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Catarata Gocta

Click here to read more about this waterfall

Waterfall of the Week

2009-10-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Orinduik Falls

Click here to read more about this waterfall

One Year Anniversary of Maui's Pi'ilani Highway Reopening

2009-10-05T05:43:00.000-07:00

Since the big earthquakes in the northwest of the Big Island of Hawaii back in October 2006, there were many closures as a result. But among the casualties for waterfalling fans were:

Kapaloa Falls near Pololu Valley on the Big Island
Pi'ilani Highway in Maui with access to Kukui'ula Falls and Alelele Falls

Fortunately, it has been a year since the re-opening of Pi'ilani Highway in southeast Maui (read the news article); thus ending a two-year closure. So we're taking this anniversary to remind adventurers considering the drive completely around East Maui that you're in for a very different side of the island if you take on this excursion! We certainly plan to do it on our return!

Africa, South Pacific, and Asia Tier 4 Pages Updated

2009-10-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

In the last phase of my effort to incorporate Google Maps into all of the individual waterfall pages on the World of Waterfalls website, I've finally finished integrating this tool into the regions of Asia (including China, Japan, and Thailand), the South Pacific (including Fiji and Tahiti), and Africa (including Zambia, Uganda, and Kenya).

Thus, I'm done with this pretty nontrivial overhaul of the website.

I'm sure there'll be more work to do in terms of another overhaul, but for now, I'll worry about it at a later time as I feel pretty satisfied with the way the website is turning out for the time being.

So check out the website and let us know what you think!

Tier 4 Latin America and Caribbean Waterfalls Pages Updated

2009-09-30T19:06:00.000-07:00

Like I did a few days ago with Norway, I've finished integrating Google Maps to the Tier 4 waterfalls pages for the regions of the Caribbean and Latin America.

Still more to come later this week. Stay tuned...

Waterfall of the Week

2009-09-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Chorrillo del Salto

Click here to read more about this waterfall

Tier 4 Norway Waterfalls Have GoogleMaps

2009-09-28T18:42:00.000-07:00

The Norway section is now completely integrated with GoogleMaps. So not only do the regional maps show where the waterfalls are concentrated, but now each individual waterfall page has its own Google Map so you can pinpoint their locations.

More Google Maps to come for the remaining individual waterfall pages for other parts of the world!

Niagara Falls - More Than Just A Pretty Waterfall!

2009-09-27T12:55:00.000-07:00

After reading up on some very interesting books and websites about Niagara Falls and its role in American History, I wrote up an article trying to put everything in perspective.

The end result of this effort was a greater sense of appreciation for a humble waterfall that somehow managed to change the course of our lives as well as the history of our world.

So for those who wonder what value waterfalls have to us as a whole (besides what has been said in one of our Waterfalls 101 articles and another in which we waxed poetic about them), read this article and see how even history can tell us that waterfalls are more than just pretty attractions.

America's Best Idea and Costa Rica Waterfalls

2009-09-27T09:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight is the airing of the much anticipated PBS series "National Parks: America's Best Idea." But rather than being another travel exposition about the majestic and historically important reserves in our Nation, this documentary has been said to focus more on the human connection with the parks from the history of the National Park System to its influence that is still being felt around the world today.

As a matter of fact, I get the sense that this show has the potential of being one of the more influential educational shows in recent memory. At a time when the sour economy is forcing Americans to go back to basics (i.e. family, Nature, quality time, etc.), I can envision parents and kids watching this show together and instilling that sense of purpose and importance about our National Parks where we have something that everyone can share and pass on to future generations. I'm certainly going to check it out throughout this week. I'm sure I'll never tire of seeing Yosemite Falls or the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, which are sure to be in there.

On a different note, I noticed a blog that listed 12 waterfalls in Costa Rica. This country is definitely on our to-do list (gee, seems like this is a never-ending list). So while we try to figure out how to make this happen, the armchair traveling will have to do...

Google Maps Almost Completely Integrated Into WoW

2009-09-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

At this point, the Tier 2 and Tier 3 Waterfall Region Pages throughout the World of Waterfalls now have Google Maps integrated into them. I'm almost at the point where I'm pretty happy with the way the overall website is shaping up (though I'm sure something will come up that will make me rethink this).

Thus, you can see where the waterfalls are for the Tier 2 regions I've most recently updated such as Norway, South Pacific, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Plus, don't forget about the regions that were already done such as Iceland, Australia, plus the USA regions like California, Pacific Northwest, American Southwest, Eastern US, as well as Yosemite and Yellowstone.

Plus, the subregions within the Tier 3 pages corresponding to the Tier 2 pages above have maps as well. This includes China, Japan, Thailand, Peru, Argentina, Guyana, St Lucia, Venezuela, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Tahiti, Fiji, etc.

Slowly but surely, each individual waterfall page (Tier 4) will have their own maps to make it easier for you to locate them and perhaps help you plan your trip.

In the mean time, check out WoW!