Waterfall - Its Magical and Splendour

I vividly remembered I asked myself four years ago when I first tasked to conduct studies on tourism assessment in many parts of Sabah WHY on planet Mars is people so fascinated with WATERFALL? I love beaches, promenades, museums and art galleries, theme parks, skiing and white water rafting, nite market, mountain climbing, diving and snorkelling, horseback riding, biodiversity (that's flora and fauna diversity and composition in case one blurs!), river cruises, shopping malls (hellooo!) .... but waterfall??

The Ulu Membakut Waterfall at the heart of the

Crocker Range.

I had visited many waterfalls nationally and in overseas. I had seen a well developed waterfalls for family recreation like in Kionsom Waterfalls in Inanam, and Madai Waterfall in Kunak, - undeveloped waterfalls but highly potential for domestic tourism like the one .... in Sipitang, ... in Kudat, .... in Beaufort, ... in Pitas, ... in Keningau, where our team had walked and trekked high and low over streams and rivers, jumping up and down over rocks and boulders and crossing dead wood and logs in the endeavour to search natural waterfalls all over Sabah.

A waterfall in Sipitang District. I can't recall its name

but its quite marvellous!

In fact for the record, I visited nice waterfalls while camping in Switzerland and during my Easter Trip to the Basque State in Northern Spain. And by the way, yes I have seen the Niagara Waterfalls in the Discovery Channel. But still, what is so magical about waterfalls?

Sungai Api Waterfall in Kemabong. These few small pools is ideal
for family recreation and picnicking.

Put it simply in lay man term a waterfall is in essence water falling down stream from a slightly higher elevation. The height and width this water falling down determine the whole character of the waterfall. Matemathically, the higher the fall the better, Niagara Falls is a classice example in

contrast to Mahua Waterfall in Tambunan which stands at 55 feet high (which is still outstanding by comparison though).Pinawantai Waterfall in Kudat, a few of those

waterfalls that is still pristine.

The assessment on waterfall(s) for tourism product falls under two categories - its accessibility and its characteristics. The former is quite straight forward - how far the waterfall from the main road, the mode of transports to the waterfalls, i.e. 4WD, Kancil, walking or flying fox, etc., while the waterfall's characteristics are determined by measuring its height, depth, width, radius, and authenthicity (natural or man made).

Mesisilad Waterfall at the Melalap Sub-Station,

above 2500 feet from sea level.

Of course what makes a waterfall so aesthetic is the setting of the environment surrounding it which makes one feels so peaceful, relax and free. The sound of the wilderness, coupled with the thrusts of water persistently hitting the bottom pools and rocks, and flowing water down stream like veins carrying oxygen to the whole body are all simply refreshing and invigorating. Deep inside me I slowly come to term the magical wonders why WATERFALL, a gift of mother nature, is fascinated by most people.

Mahua Waterfall is an eye catcher to those visiting
Mahua Sub-Station in the District of Tambunan.
A good 15minutes drive from Tambunan town.