Hilltop café in Mbeliling serves travellers bound for Cunca Wulang

Labuan Bajo — A small hilltop café in Tondong Belang Village, Mbeliling district, West Manggarai, is drawing travellers as a rest stop on routes to waterfalls and other nature destinations inland from Labuan Bajo, according to regional broadcaster RRI. The outlet, known locally as Kafe Gracia Sunset or Kafe Gracio Sunset, is run by 56‑year‑old Hironimus Suasa and serves coffee, coconut, pineapple and other simple refreshments.

RRI reported that visitors often pause at the café before continuing toward sites such as Cunca Wulang waterfall and other attractions in West Manggarai. The business sits in the Tondong Belang area of Mbeliling, on a viewpoint known as Cicononggo, a hill that offers extensive views over the surrounding landscape. The report does not state precise coordinates or travel times from Labuan Bajo, but Mbeliling is generally described in local coverage as lying around 20–30 kilometres from the coastal town along inland roads through forested hills.

In its feature on the café, RRI described Suasa’s premises as a stopover point where travellers can rest, drink coffee and ask about routes to nearby waterfalls. He told the broadcaster that visitors heading toward Cunca Wulang frequently stop at the café before continuing their journey. The same report notes that travellers also ask about other waterfall destinations including Cunca Plias, Cunca Perlamping, Cunca Jami, Cunca Rami and Cunca Ngguar.

What visitors can expect

According to RRI, Kafe Gracia Sunset offers basic refreshments rather than a full restaurant service, with products such as coffee, coconuts and pineapples sold to passing visitors. The café functions as a small roadside business at Cicononggo viewpoint, providing shade and seating where travellers can pause. The available coverage does not list a formal menu, parking layout or payment options.

Suasa told RRI that he began developing the café business around 2022–2023, after building his house in the area. In its early years, the café attracted relatively few customers, but visitor numbers increased as more travellers passed through Mbeliling, according to the report. Tourism activity and stopovers later declined after an earthquake damaged the front of his house and affected daily life in the village.

The closure of Cunca Wulang, ordered by local authorities in May 2026 following the deaths of two Austrian visitors at the waterfall’s suspension bridge, has also reduced traffic to the café. The Manggarai Barat tourism office suspended all visits to Cunca Wulang “until a time to be determined later” while officials and police conduct safety evaluations and a legal investigation.

RRI reported that with Cunca Wulang closed, Suasa now relies more on travellers heading toward Ruteng, Wae Rebo and other waterfalls, though he described business as quieter than before.

Operating after the earthquake

Despite damage to the front of his house, Suasa has kept Kafe Gracia Sunset open under what RRI described as post‑earthquake conditions. He told the broadcaster that he moved equipment and furniture from inside the house to an outdoor service area because of concerns about the damaged building and potential aftershocks. The café remains his primary source of income, giving him an incentive to continue operating while repairs are pending.

The RRI feature portrays Kafe Gracia Sunset as a modest, family‑run stopover for travellers exploring the interior of West Manggarai, beyond Labuan Bajo’s waterfront zone. Its role is informal but practical: a place to rest, buy simple refreshments and ask local residents about routes to waterfalls and hill villages rather than a formally organised tourist facility.

RRI’s coverage uses both “Gracia” and “Gracio” when referring to the café and the business, with the headline “Kafe Gracia Sunset Jadi Tempat Singgah Wisatawan di Mbeliling” and references in the text to “Kafe Gracio Sunset”. This article follows the spelling “Kafe Gracia Sunset” used in the main headline of the RRI feature.

Sources

• RRI.co.id – Depan Rumah Rusak akibat Gempa, Hironimus Tetap Bertahan Berjualan
• Floresa.co – Mengenang Bencana Longsor dan Banjir di Manggarai Barat
• InfoMabar – Pemkab Mabar Tutup Sementara Aktivitas Wisata di Cunca Wulang
• Detik.com – Wisata Air Terjun Cunca Wulang Labuan Bajo Ditutup Usai 2 Turis Asing Tewas