Thanks to the development of smooth road access to the Sukasari district, the more-than-50-year isolated region has now become open.

The pulse of local residents can now be strongly felt and even people from outside Sukasari have started to come to the region.

The region offers hidden natural attractions that remain untouched. Sukasari, the land of which is mostly covered in forest, turns out to have its own “Grand Canyon.”  

The “Grand Canyon” is called Curug Tilu and it is situated in Ciririp village, Sukasari district, Purwakarta regency.

To reach the destination, visitors can take advantage of either the Cikao Bandung Jatiluhur road or the Maniis–Sukasari road. Cikao Bandung Jatiluhur connects directly to a segment of the smooth Sukasari road. It takes about 40 minutes for visitors to reach Ciririp village.

The Maniis–Sukasari route is not recommended yet as the road remains under construction by the local administration. 

To reach the Curug Tilu area, visitors must take a small 1-kilimoter-long road from the main road.

Prior to reaching Curug Tilu, visitors will first be greeted by a traditional bamboo grotto with palm fiber as its roof. The grotto is known as Pos KOMP@S (Komunitas Pecinta Alam Sukasari – Sukasari Nature Lover Community).

That is the place where a community led by Muhammad Arifin, 32, has been working to develop eco-tourism since 2013.

“We see the open road access conducted by [incumbent Purwakarta regent] Dedi as an opportunity. Why not? The nature that has remained intact has tourism potential that we can introduce to the public at large and we have to take care of it,” said Arif during a discussion at the Purwakarta Communication and Informatics office.

Arif explained that facilities for visitors to enjoy when visiting the Curug Tilu homestay were already available. The homestay, located on the edge of a curug (waterfall), is complete with a hammock and swimming pool. The facility package, priced at Rp 50,000, includes nasi liwet (rice cooked in coconut milk, chicken broth and spices)

“Actually, we have yet to set the price of nasi liwet. The portion of the rice is enough for five persons. So you do not have to cook it yourself,” he explained.

Visitors will be surrounded by the beautiful sight of a green natural panorama and stony mountain contour. The water appears green, precisely like the “Green Canyon” in Pangandaran district, West Java.

Arif acknowledged that he has been relying on young people in Ciririp village to manage the tourist activities. KOMP@S, which he leads, plans to further develop local tourism by offering river tubing and body rafting.

“Frankly speaking, what we have done is far from optimal because our members are still limited to young village people. We want it to be better. But thank God, we see between 20 and 30 visitors daily in [Curug Tilu]. They come from Jakarta, Karawang and Purwakarta,” he said.

The local youth have promoted the area through their social media accounts to attract more visitors.

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