Banjarmasin, S Kalimatan (ANTARA) - Tour visit to the Meratus Geopark sites at the National Tourism Strategic Area (KSPN) of Loksado, South Hulu Sungai District, South Kalimantan Province, continues to be busy after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Loksado tourism activist Miftahul Thaib here on Saturday said that in average 1,000 to 1,500 people visit Loksado every week.
Loksado offers a variety of jungle adventure tours which are Meratus Geopark sites, including bamboo rafting, Tanuhi Hot Spring, Haratai Waterfall, and the Customary House of Haratai.
"There are a lot of nature tours you can enjoy here," he said.
Loksado also provides a comfortable hotels or lodging facilities, many travelers spend the night to feel the cool breeze of the mountains of Meratus.
"Almost every weekend the lodgings here are full," said Miftahul.
According to him, with the increasing number of tourist visits to Loksado, after more than two years of silence due to the pandemic, now the community's economy begin to recover.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic, people's economy had slumped, due to lack of tourists," he said.
"Now stall, restaurants, sourvenirs, lodging and jockey services of bamboo rafting busy again," he said.
Murhan, a Loksado bamboo rafting jockey, admitted that from 2022 to 2023 more and more tourist came for bambo rafting adventures.
"Today alone, more than 40 bamboo raftings have been rented by tourists. Tomorrow (Sunday), more have already been booked," he said in Loksado, Saturday.
"One trip for a bamboo rafting tour of IDR300,000 can be boarded by three passengers, the trip takes about 2-3 hours according to the swift flow of river," he said.
He hopes the weather stays good, because if it rains heavily, the river water rises, it can flood, could be dangerous, and disrupts the local tourism.
Read also: Loksado Festival to be held on June 24, 26
Read also: South Kalimantan programs five blue economy-based marine and fisheries priorities
