Tubing Down the River at Sindangkasih Garut Tourism Village

KOMPAS.com - As an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, 300 ethnicities, and countless natural landscapes, Indonesia is an intriguing country that never runs out of surprises.

One of the most practical, cost effective ways to get an authentic feel of the archipelago's various cultures and traditions is by going to any one of a number of tourist villages throughout Indonesia.

For travelers from Jakarta, Bandung and other cities in the region, the Homestay Sindangkasih Tourist Village in the West Java regency of Garut is a great place to start experiencing this form of tourism, as it is a four hour drive from the capital.

"Sindangkasih was designated as a tourist village on September 19, 2019, though its official opened for business three months later on December 19," said Dedi Sopandi, who is in charge of Sindangkasih's homestay program.

"We set up the infrastructure for Sindangkasih shortly after it officially opened. Since it has always been a self-sufficient community to begin with, it is only second nature for the villagers to do their bit."

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Open daily from 8 am to 5 pm for its activities, Sindangkasih offers a range of options for day trippers to staying at traditional houses for a number of nights.

The day starts with an admission price of IDR 3,000 per child to 5,000 per adult [$0.21-$0.35]. 

Rolling down the river

One of the highlights of a day out at Sindangkasih is river tubing. Similar to rafting, visitors make their way down the river on a rubber tube. 

The price for two rounds of river tubing is IDR 35,000 [$2.44] per adult and IDR 20,000 [$1.39] per child. One can pay IDR 15,000 [$1.04] per adult for an extra round, and IDR 10,000 [$0.70] per child.

However, this activity is restricted to the dry season, as the stronger river current during the rainy season make the waterway too dangerous to navigate. River tubing is divided into two categories based on age.

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Adults would ply a 750 meter long route down the river, while children would go down a 500 meter long track. "Only five to 10 people are allowed to go down the river at any one time for safety reasons, as they are easier to supervise," Dedi explained.

"If the number of people is higher than that, we are concerned that we cannot watch over all of them." 

dok. Desa Wisata Sindangkasih Tourist attractions in Garut, West Java, called Sindangkasih Tourism Village.