Just when you think every beautiful little corner of the Earth has been exposed, photographed, and shared on Facebook, another secret spot pops up – places like the mysterious Asik-Asik waterfalls in the Philippines, a natural wonder that wasn’t discovered until just a few years ago.

Located in a remote region of the Asian country, and previously hidden behind an impenetrable forest, a series of floods and fires ripped through the area, opening a pathway for locals in a nearby village to see the oasis for the first time. Unbelievably, this didn’t happen until 2010.

With an entire mountainside covered in greenery, and streams of pristine water rushing into the rock pools below, Asik-Asik (which translates to “sprinkle-sprinkle”) appeared custom made for the Instagram age. And sure enough, it wasn’t long until someone won a national photography contest with a picture of the mystical location. The pic went viral, the genie was released from its bottle, and tourists from everywhere started making the trek.

a series of floods and fires ripped through the area, opening a pathway for locals in a nearby village to see the oasis for the first time.

Nowadays, getting to the falls isn’t as rough as it used to be, thanks to the government sniffing an opportunity, and investing in the roads and land around it. But it’s no walk in the park either. There are still plenty of steep steps to climb around the mountainside. But the payoff is equal to the effort, as visitors get the opportunity to grab a selfie in front of a sight unseen by 99.9 percent of people on the planet.

Of course, sitting in the cooling mist of a far-flung waterfall isn’t for everyone. Most travellers are more than happy ticking off the same bucket list items as everyone else. But for those who are comfortable pushing the envelope just a little sites like Asik-Asik are perfect.

Image: TLC was wrong, you should go chasing waterfalls. Some intrepid travellers enjoy the Asik-Asik show.