TAYTAY FALLS -- Majayjay, Laguna ~ MOUNTAINS&BEYOND

TAYTAY FALLS (IMELDA FALLS)

Majayjay, Laguna

http://www.pinoymountaineer.com/2007/09/taytay-falls.html

During our Lucban visit for the Pahiyas Festival, we decided to do our lunch on a picnic at Imelda Falls or known to locals as Taytay Falls -- about 10-minute drive from Lucban. The paved concrete roads and barangay hall are only some of the improvements in the area. The trail down to the falls is a major development with blocks of concrete placed on top of the irrigation system (water canal) serving as path walk for the tourists. The trek to the falls is just 10 minutes compared to the 30-minute trek before.

TAYTAY FALLS IMELDA FALLS, MAJAYJAY LAGUNA

I recalled my first Taytay Falls visit in year ’97 where we experienced a storm just before we left the falls. Back then, the access road from the highway to the barangay is not yet paved and to our misfortune (because of inaccessibility even to tricycles), we trekked all the way to the highway under the drenching rain and in a muddy trail – we even have to pull our legs up to rid from the almost knee deep mud. But the experience at the falls was all worth it -- from the chilling water, to my first glimpse of a dahong palay snake, to the lambanog toast, to the firefly show at night, to the deafening sound of the water drops, and more... It was truly paradise lying at the bottom of Mt. Banahaw.

Now, Taytay Falls has changed – from the trail to the concrete formations in the pond where the water drops, to the number of tourists, to the trashes around, to the concrete comfort rooms and so on... I can’t say if the development was a positive improvement or otherwise. I understand that the falls became a tourist destination and that safety measures must be in place to protect the tourists and the area from possible flash flood but I do hope that they will at least keep the natural beauty and the cleanliness (above all) of the place.

The old Taytay Falls:

TAYTAY FALLS IMELDA FALLS, MAJAYJAY LAGUNA, majayjay falls laguna, imelda falls majayjay, taytay falls laguna, taytay falls majayjay

courtesy of Benjamin Layug blog

The new Taytay Falls:

Before, I dreamt of bringing my kiddos to experience the water of Taytay falls... I still do... I hope that soon enough, it will be an inviting destination once again.