Indonesia

8 best snorkeling spots on Banda Islands

2hw — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 06:22:33 +0000

2hw Sun, 07/19/2020 - 09:22

Clear blue water, colourful corals and abundance of sea life - Banda Islands in Indonesia offer amazing snorkelling spots. During our 3 weeks in the area, we visited many different places and enjoyed beautiful underwater trips. Here, we have collected the best ones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urfu6wwvfg8

Lava Flow

During the 1989 eruption of the Api volcano there were three lava flows that reached the ocean. Over the next years corals grew actively over those spots, giving home to various sea life and creating beautiful underwater gardens. Today, they are considered to be one of the best snorkeling and diving spots in the world.

Climbing the Banda Api volcano

Two of the spots are on the north side of the island - one a little bit bigger than the other. The smaller spot often sees stronger currents and your boat driver would most probably lead you to the bigger. The colours underwater contrast greatly with the shore and the side of the mountain, covered in black sharp lava rock. The sea floor drops sharply at the lava flow on the south-west side of the island, and corals there are not that impressive.

During our 3 weeks on Banda we went several times to the Lava flow, spending hours each time snorkelling up and down the coast. The site is not huge, but, like all of Banda, it is not visited by many tourists and the water is clear, with colourful, healthy coral reef, full of all kinds of sea life. There were even black tip reef sharks patrolling the water, turning away shyly when they noticed us in the distance.

The lava flow is 10-15 minutes away from the main town Bandneira on Banda Naira island and is best visited on a boat ride from there.

Hatta Island

Not many places in the world can offer the amazing opportunity to sit on the beach, put your head in the water and see so many corals and sea life. The shore drop-off is less than a meter away from the beach, you don't even have to swim to look at the sea wall. Water is crystal clear, with slow currents. In addition to the corals, there are sea turtles living in this part of the sea, and seeing one would usually be a matter of minutes.

There is only basic accommodation on Hatta, electricity is available for a few hours a day and running water is not an option, but if you are looking for a place where you can snorkel and sunbathe literally on the steps of your room - this is it.

Hatta is less than an hour away from the main island of Naira. The public boats leave a few times a week - they make a loop from Hatta to Naira in the morning and then back to Hatta in the afternoon and cannot be used for a day trip from Bandaneira. If you want to visit Hatta, a private boat can be arranged for the day.

Ai Island

The drop-off on Ai is not as close as Hatta, but it is still a mere 50-100 meters away. The corals are amazing, with schools of fish turning in the water and a special treat for the snorkelers are the big Napoleon fish. The water was clear and very calm on the surface when we visited, but with a little bit of a current underneath - keeping an eye on the shore is always a good idea.

Banda Ai - how to get there and things to do

Similar to Hatta, accommodation options are limited on Ai, with no running water and a few hours of electricity in the evenings, but staying on it will give you a chance for some amazing off the shore snorkelling.

The public boats run a loop Ai-Naira-Ai every day and for a day trip from Naira you will have to organize your own transport.

Nailaka Island

Nailaka is a very small sandy island, there is nothing to see on it, but the coral reef and the sea wall are just 10-20 meters out and are in great condition.

Nailaka is usually visited on a day drip from Ai, or on a longer day trip from one of the other islands when it is combined with Ai and Rhun.

Keraka Island

Keraka is the jungle covered rock rising from the water between the northern edges of Naira and Api islands. A thick and shallow coral reef encompasses its northern side. If you are there during low tide you are so close to the corals that you can touch them with your hands (But don't! It is very bad for them!). The water was clear when we visited during low tide and just a little bit muddy during high tide, but the reef is in great condition, very good for snorkelling.

Keraka is very close to the Lava flow, just 10-15 minutes away from Naira.

Banana/Pisang Island

About a kilometer away from the largest island in the group - Besar, Pisang island has one small beach on its east side that is very popular with the locals. The real interest for snorkelers lays on the quieter eastern side, where a beautiful coral reef and abundance of sea life awaits. When we visited there was some current along the coast, our boatman dropped us off near the southern edge and picked us up on the north side.

Pisang island is uninhabited and can only be visited by hiring a private boat.

Banda Besar

The largest island of the group, Besar has several good snorkelling spots around its northern shore. The corals are not as dense as other places around Banda, but the water is clear, with a lot of fish. At some places, there are huge trees fallen in the water from the rough edges of the shore, and snorkelling over the blurry shapes of their sunken trunks down on the sea floor gives an eerie feeling.

The Nutmeg Tree (TNT) offers a diving tour in this part and they take snorkelers along. Very well organized, with lunch included.

We snorkelled in the west-south-west edge of the island, and while it was nice, clear water, there wasn't too much coral or fish (although we did see a reef shark!). The current was quite strong too, tossing us along, and it was a good thing our boat followed us closely.

Malole beach

This is the only off the beach snorkelling spot on the list, it can be reached within 30-40 minutes on foot from Bandaneira or even quicker on a motorbike.

It was obvious the locals feel it is inferior to other spots around the islands, but we liked it a lot. There are some very nice corals, plenty of fish and some shy eels hiding in their holes. The fun starts mere 50 metres away from the shore, easy to swim there and almost no current.

Things to do on Banda Naira

The beach has a natural rock wall 30-40 m out with a narrow opening, used by the occasional boat. During lowtide you may have to suck your stomach in to go over it. It is a good idea to make a mental note of a fixed object (like a tree or a bench) on the beach, on the same line as the opening when facing it from the water, so it is easy to find it when going back and you don't have to swim up and down looking for the way out.

The beach is not sand, but pebbles, and small rocks, best is to have wet shoes or you can hurt your feet.

Date Visited

December 2019

Destinations

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Climbing the Banda Api volcano

2hw — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 06:20:59 +0000

2hw Sun, 07/19/2020 - 09:20

The Api volcano rises 640 m above the ocean, its green summit visible from all the Banda islands. It is located just a few hundred meters from the main town of Bandaneira on Naira island in Indonesia, providing beautiful views for its visitors.

Things to do on Banda Naira

The volcano is still very much active, with the last major eruption in 1988, which prompted the evacuation of residents in some parts of the neighbouring islands. Several lava flows went into the sea during that time and today corals and sea life are growing into beautiful underwater gardens over those spots, popular for snorkelling and diving trips.

8 best snorkeling spots on Banda Islands

We count ourselves as moderately fit and hiking is not new to us, so the decision to go up Api was not a hard one. We spent three weeks on Banda and made sure to choose a day with a good weather forecast for our ascent, so as not to miss the beautiful views from the top.

The evening before, we arranged for a boat to take us the 100 meters from Naira to Api island and back. We talked with our host Bahri, the owner of Delfika guesthouse and he gave us a quick safety instruction - as it is an active volcano you should be careful at the top, don't go too close to cracks or near the edge of the caldera. Better to have a look around and go back, not to linger for too long at the top.

https://youtu.be/O75V4eWgjP8

In the morning, we left our room around 6 am, and 20 minutes later we were at the start of the path to the top of the volcano. Starting early is important for two reasons - first, avoiding the heat of the day makes for an easier hike, and second, clouds tend to gather over Api around midday, obscuring the view, and it is better to arrive before that. We were told that some people start even earlier, so as to be able to watch the sunrise from above, but we didn't want to trek the unknown path in the dark.

Banda Naira viewed from Api

There was only one way going up, very easy to follow, and without any danger of getting lost. It went almost straight up and the first 15-20 minutes were in the jungle, shaded from the sun. Some of the reviews we had previously read spoke about spider webs directly on the path, and the spiders on Banda are huge! But luckily for us, the only spiders lurking around were on the sides.

After the initially pleasant ascent in the jungle, the path quickly became rough, covered in loose rocks and gravel, and the further up we went, the worse it became. It was two steps up, one step sliding down in the gravel, at places your foot would sink up to the ankle in the mix of ash and stones that was the path.

It was good we had plenty of water and some salty snacks, the sun was hard, even in the early morning, and the air was humid, one can easily get dehydrated. We left one water bottle halfway to the top, to lighten the load, and then collected it on the way down.

Steam smelling like rotten eggs reminds you that this is a live volcano

It took us about 3 hours of very unpleasant hike to reach the top.

It was like a different world on the edge of the caldera - cracks in the ground, hot steam coming out, and the smell of rotten eggs in the air. The view was simply amazing - the little islands in the near distance, some, with tiny puffy clouds above and beyond - the nothingness of the ocean, clear and calm, the blue of the sky dissolving into the water.

Ai and Rhun islands

We took some photos, of course, and sat there, inhaling the view and the atmosphere for a short while before beginning our way down.

Now, if the struggle uphill was unpleasant, with the gravel and the sun, the descent was a whole new level of bad. With every step, the tiny rocks would slide under your feet, making you lose balance and look for something to grab onto, and the loose rocks would hit your ankles. It felt like going down on an endless path covered in marbles mixed with sand. It took us longer to go down than to reach the top.

When at water level we called our boat driver to come to get us and had a deserved rest after the exhausting day.

While it was an amazing experience to see the volcano up close and the view from the top was second to none, we vowed to never climb any volcanoes in the future. The gravel and rocks left some bruises and the hike was mighty unpleasant, not worth even the prize at the top.

Date Visited

December 2019

Destinations

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Banda Islands food guide - local cuisine, restaurants, snacks and street food

2hw — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 06:12:56 +0000

2hw Sun, 07/19/2020 - 09:12

Culinary adventures may not be in the top reasons to visit the remote group of tiny Indonesian islands, but don't worry - there are plenty of tasty, healthy options to keep you fueled up for all-day snorkelling. Here I will present some of the local dishes you should try, the limited and aimed at locals, but active street food scene, restaurants we recommend and the curious local snacks available with hints what you should bring home. If you read until the end you will even learn what a "lobster dealer" is!

Things to do on Banda Naira

Some great news for the organic food fans and people on a budget - most of the ingredients come from the islands themselves, where food is grown in a traditional way, keeping the prices low even in the best restaurants.

Local specialties

Ulang Ulang

This was our favorite dish - a rich salad with mixed vegetables and kenari sauce, served slightly warm. The vegetable mix can change depending on what is in season.

Gado Gado

Another salad-like dish, mixed vegetables with kenari and peanut sauce, it is so filling that can be the main dish on its own.

Terong goreng

Eggplants, halved and fried, served with kenari sauce, similar to the sauce used in Ulang Ulang.

Interestingly, every restaurant we tried had their own, slightly different kenari sauce. They were all delicious, but by the end of our stay, we would choose where to dine based on which sauce was best.

Soup pala

Prepared with the nutmeg fruit, and a mix of locally grown spices, like cinnamon and cloves, this soup is full of balanced flavors and very delicious.

Aru-Aru - Bandanese yellow curry

Tasty and filling this traditional local curry is perfect for dinner after a long day of snorkeling or diving. It is served over roti - the flat bread pieces soaked in the rich sauce.

Rendang ayam

Rich stew with an intense exotic aroma - the pieces of tender, slow cooked, meat are tender are covered in rendang sauce with coconut milk and spices. Very flavorful and very tasty.

Grilled fish

Not a specialty per se, but the fish is fresh, caught not more than a few hours before being cooked, healthy and delicious. During the day you see so many fish in the water, why not have a grilled one for dinner? It's best to order it the day before or at least 3-4 hours in advance - fish is fresh, the restaurant will have to make sure to buy some during the day, then prepare it. It may be a simple dish, but you will not get the same one at every restaurant, depends on the catch of the day. We had a whole grilled fish at Delfika, a real treat, very nice presentation - the same as in the picture in their menu, while in Spice Cafe we had tuna with rich smoky flavour from the grill, both came with fresh spicy tomato sauce.

Nutmeg jam

If you will try only one local food, this must be it. The dark brown jam can be used to sweeten your tea and is even better on pancakes. It was our first time to try it and it has an unusual flavour, something slightly familiar, yet not easy to pinpoint at the first moment. I'll spoil the surprise for you - it tastes like Coke. Not just similar, it has the exact same flavour, just more concentrated, they can call it Coca Cola Jam. The reason is one of the flavouring agents in the popular carbonated drink is precisely nutmeg. Having a cup of tea and pancakes with nutmeg jam for breakfast, looking at the serene islands, anticipating a day of snorkelling and relaxing - that's a truly unique Bandanese experience.

Cinnamon tea

Local cinnamon is available at many shops around the islands

So simple, it actually has only one ingredient (and water) - cinnamon sticks. The journey of this refreshing drink begins mere kilometres from you - the cinnamon comes from plantations right there, on the Banda Islands. When dried, the aromatic "bark" just needs to be boiled in water to make this sweet, flavourful drink that can be enjoyed hot or cold. No need to add sugar! We loved it so much, that we bought a whole bag of cinnamon sticks to take back with us and enjoy this tea outside of Indonesia.

Restaurants

There is a very limited number of restaurants on Banda Naira, most of them are located on the two main streets. We noticed some were closed, maybe during high season, there will be more choices. Another observation - locals don't eat in restaurants, most likely due to the higher prices. This means the tried-and-tested strategy for finding a good place to eat by following the locals doesn't help here. Don't worry, here we share our experiences to help you find a nice place for dinner.

Spice Island Cafe

Let's start with the best! If you are lucky to get one of the tables on the small terrace you can do some people watching as an added bonus/entertainment to your dinner. Definitely our favourite dinner spot on the island (inside is nice too). All the food they serve is good, prices are average and the service did not disappoint us in more than 10 visits. It's best to ask for an ice cinnamon tea immediately, as choosing a meal, waiting for it to get ready at your table takes time.

Delfika 1

Centrally located, this is another great choice we recommend 100%. One of the oldest guesthouses on Neira has a lovely garden yard in which the restaurant tables are spread throughout the quiet oasis. If you are a guest in one of the back rooms the table actually is on your porch, in front of the room. For visitors, we recommend the tables around the small waterfall and the fish pond. Richly decorated, the whole yard feels a bit like a museum - spend some time to look at the tiny figurines, souvenirs and photos on display. All dishes we tried were very good, including the one thing that really stands out in the menu and is not available anywhere else on Banda - fish and chips!

Rumah Makan Nusantara

On our first visit we had to wait about one hour for the food to arrive, so we didn't go back, considering the better options available. Also, the atmosphere is not as pleasant as at Spice Island Cafe or Delfika.

Cilu Bintang

Far from both the lively part of town and the top of our list this was hands down the most disappointing dining experience on Banda. Misled by reviews praising Cilu as a fancier place with great food we decided to give it a go. The estate is a preserved colonial mansion right next to Nassau fort and the atmosphere is really nice and classy, with comfortable sitting and dim lights. Unfortunately, we were disappointed with the food, the portions were small and the dishes were more expensive than other places, which probably was to be expected but we loved Bandanese food and there it was just not that good. We did not go back for a second try.

Street food

In the evenings around 6 pm, some food stalls pop up at one of the central corners. Be sure to get there quickly because by 8 pm most of the food is sold out. The place is easy to find, just follow the dim lights and the locals. Usually, there are two or three tables with food and the menu doesn't really change.

Yellow rice

Very cheap at 10 000 IDR per portion, comes with a choice of salad, fish, some sauces and noodles. Surprisingly tasteless for a good looking mix of different foods. A great choice if you are after a whole meal for under $1.

Fish on a stick

10 000 IDR per stick. I really liked this one, it is not just grilled fish, but the meat has been dried and possibly smoked beforehand. Very rich taste, a bit dry but full of flavour and smokiness. Fills you up pretty quick, goes well with sauce or some side dish.

Meat skewers grilled over coconut charcoal

Just five steps up the street you will find a unique BBQ at the green stand. A very narrow grill is fueled by coconut shells and tiny skewers are cooked over this special fire. The choice is limited - ayam (chicken) or ikan (fish), both come generously soaked in peanut sauce (sata). The price of 10 000 IDR for 5 skewers makes the tiny meat bites the most expensive street food on the island, but it is totally worth it. The meat and sauce are good, but the coconut charcoal gives it a distinct and wonderful aroma. Even if you are not hungry just watching (and smelling) those while cooking will awaken your appetite!

Food cart / the tiny restaurant

A little bit further up the street on the right side, you will find Ale Rasa Fishball - a small, hole-in-the-wall (literally!) restaurant. Very cheap and popular with locals. The menu includes soups and 2-3 other traditional dishes, we chose nasi goreng with an omelette - 20 000 IDR for a big serving. The young chef is passionate and prepares the food with such care, it is a pleasure to watch him work. Sadly, the food was bland and we didn't come back to try other meals this time.

Snacks

If you are after a bag of chips or chocolate biscuits just head over to the nearest shop for local and global brands.

Surprisingly, fresh fruit and vegetables are very poor quality and variety is very limited - the best you can hope for is average bananas. I assume this depends on the season, but don't get your hopes up.

Nuts

Local nuts are sold everywhere and taste really great. Roasted peanuts for some unknown reason are sold in bottles and kenari (a type of almond) is something you must try, we recommend the skinless.

Almond dessert

Want something sweeter? Go for the halua kenari - the local version of the popular middle eastern desert halva, of course, made with bandanese almonds.

Dried fish

Bananas, dried fish, kenari nuts and local dessert

Walking in the village you can see many racks with fish drying in the sun - a very popular local snack food. It is not cheap - 100 000 IDR for 1kg, but that's a lot of fish jerky! Salty and fishy (surprised?) not easy to eat a lot of it at once, but a great snack to take to the beach or on a snorkelling trip. Just try to remove the skin, it doesn't taste good.

Dessert in a cup

There are many small stalls selling cups of colourful juice/cream concoctions. I'm not sure what exactly goes in all of those, but some are a green banana pancake cut into pieces and dunked in pink juice. Others have different types of jelly and juice or milk. At only 5000 IDR per cup, it's worth trying some, they all have ice, so it is a refreshing drink-dessert mixture.

Dried nutmeg

Dried nutmeg and halua kenari for sale

The world-famous nutmeg comes from the seed of the nutmeg fruit, but what about the juicy flesh around it? Indonesians dry it out in the hot air and it quickly turns into a candied dessert. Light orange in colour, it keeps most of its volume and shape, so even when dried it is easily recognisable. For me, the flavour is a bit weird combination of spicy, tangy and sweet. Like it or not - it is a very unique present to bring back home from the Banda islands.

Lobster dealers

This is worth mentioning but it doesn't really fit in any of the above categories. On several occasions, while walking around Neira we were approached by local men, speaking good English, offering lobsters. The offer didn't come right off, they first asked general questions like "Where do you come from?", "How was your day?" and eventually it led to "Would you like to have lobster for dinner?".

Let me explain the whole situation. Lobster fishing is not popular on Banda as transporting to more central parts of Indonesia is difficult and the local market is almost non-existent. When a local fisherman catches an unlucky crustacean he has two options - make it a family diner or try to sell it to a tourist and make some money. Most fishermen don't have the language skills and time to chat with tourists, so that's where the "lobster dealers" come in. They have other jobs around the busier streets, but enough skills to persuade tourists to buy the delicacy and make some profit from the deal.

You may ask to see the merchandise first and if you agree on a price can pick it up or have it delivered to your hotel or a restaurant so they will cook it for you. It's a win-win, as the price is lower than anywhere and the local people are happy to get some money. To be on the safe side, if you are up for some lobster, it might be best to organize this with your host or through one of the restaurants - they can make sure that you get what you are paying for and will probably negotiate a fair price for you.

Date Visited

December 2019

Destinations

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Banda Ai - how to get there and things to do

2hw — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 06:07:18 +0000

2hw Sun, 07/19/2020 - 09:07

Ai, sometimes spelled Ay, is one of the smaller islands in the Banda Islands group (general info here), a beautiful and relaxed tiny place without any restaurants, cars or even paths wide enough for a car.

Quick intro to Banda Islands

It is a perfect destination if you want to escape from the civilized world, a true paradise for those "tired of technology".

There are just 4 small guesthouses, so tourist numbers are very limited, we met only one other than us during the three days we spent on Ai. Some key things to note before deciding to visit Ai:

to get there you need to get to another island from the Banda group first, which may add a whole day/night to your travel, the same applies when leaving Ai
there is electricity for only 4-5 hours a day - in the evening
there is no Internet connectivity, except some areas of the beach facing Neira - there you may get some 3G/4G coverage, if you are lucky
guesthouse stays include all meals as there are no places to buy food on the island, which makes accommodation (and food) generally more expensive
the rooms are very basic, even the best ones don't have running water - shower means a bucket of water and a cup to splash yourself
mosquitoes potentially carrying malaria and other unpleasantness are present as everywhere on Banda, bring enough repellent
people are less used to tourists and cultural and religious aspects of life are more noticeable. This means no speedos for men and two piece swimsuits for women - when going into the water, boardshorts and rash vests/t-shirts are recomended, out of the water is best to make sure shoulders and knees stay covered.

The main reason people go there is snorkelling, and honestly, there is very little more than that to do there. Here I will give you a detailed list of things one can see and do on Ai, but let's start with...

Getting there

Regular boats connect Ai with Neira and Rhun only, and so, as the majority of tourists avoid sleeping on Rhun, you most probably will be arriving from Neira, as we did. There is a boat leaving Ai at 7 am, which gets to Neira around 8 am and heads back to Ai at an unspecified time during the day - may be as early as 10 am or as late as 4 pm. Speak with your landlord at Neira, he may have a better idea when the boat is going. Otherwise, just go to the pier and ask around, due to the small number of boats it is easy to find the one you need.

Our boat ride to Ai began with a funny scene - right after leaving Neira two people got cut-out plastic bottles and began throwing out in the ocean the water that has been collecting at the bottom of the boat. I joked about it, something like "Oh, they have it under control, we can relax now.". Then 5 or maybe 6 other people were given identical repurposed bottles and they all joined in the effort to have more water out than in the boat.

Always choose "Upper class"

The boat is relatively slow and I highly recommend riding on the roof or as I call it - "upper class". With some sun protection, one can enjoy more fresh air, better views and more leg space.

The ride takes one hour and we paid 50 000 IDR per person.

Accommodation

Choices are very limited and most people arrange their room before going to the island. Several guesthouses are located near the pier, two of those are directly on the water. There are also bungalows further on the island. We chose Green Coconut Guest House, the one you can't miss when arriving at Ai - yellow-white house with a big terrace. We were lucky to get the big room on the second floor, although 350 000 IDR per person we considered a bit steep for the spartan conditions. $50 per night for a very basic room is double the average price on Neira and on the larger island you get a better room with WiFi, running water and aircon. On Ai, the water was brought by hand in buckets to fill a big bucket in the bathroom and there were no mosquito nets on the windows.

View from the terrace on Green Coconut

Here is a quick summary of the options for sleeping on Ai:

Green Coconut Guest House - Top choice despite being overpriced, great ocean views from the terrace. They were building a large bungalow a bit further down the beach, probably will be ready by March 2020.
Green Peace - Right next to the pier, possible noise from there, basic and cheap
CDS Bungalows - Far from the pier, but another traveller we met said it was a nice and quiet place
Ardy Guest House - The only one not on the water, looked nice from outside

Snorkelling (off the beach!)

Don't forget your snorkelling gear when going to Ai, you don't want to miss the opportunity to enjoy a great snorkelling spot right in front of your accommodation. Mere meters away from the house you can see the first corals and going further into the ocean a minute or two later a colourful and diverse world unveils, still within shouting distance from the terrace. The water was very clear and one can enjoy beautiful views even in the shallows, but if you reach the dropoff, which is about 50 meters from the shore, this is where the best corals and most fish are. We saw our first Napoleon fish (Humphead wrasse) in the first five minutes there, many more followed. There aren't many places in the world where you can leave your room and 10 minutes after encounter those weird, but oddly cute giants.

We spent many hours at the reef "patroling" the sharp edge of the dropoff and saw numerous other fishes in addition to the famous Napoleon fish, including several small sharks. Don't worry, they are not dangerous and or interested in humans. Talking about danger, the real one is the currents. They change direction and strength without an obvious pattern, we were pulled left and right, sometimes very rapidly.

Sunset on the beach

The beach itself offers amazing views in every direction, with the pier to the left, vast empty ocean in the centre and Gunung Api (the volcano) and parts of Neira to the right. A walk along it is good at any time, but really a must at sunset.

8 best snorkeling spots on Banda Islands

Day trip to Rhun (Run) and Nailaka

This trip can be done from Neira as well, but combining Ai, Rhun and Nailaka in one day, in my opinion, is too much. This will mean almost 4 hours of travel time by boat, which leaves little time to enjoy the stops. Surely, it is worth doing, but we recommend doing it like us - sleep on Ai and have a full day to go to Rhun and its tiny neighbour.

Rhun is about 1 hour away from Ai and the history of the island is more interesting than the place itself. During the 17th century, Rhun was one of the very few islands in the world producing the precious nutmegs, and England and Denmark fought a series of wars for control of the region. This all ended in 1667 with a treaty, that left Rhun as a part of the Dutch empire and the English got another island as a compensation. Everybody was happy and battles in the region ended. Which island did England get? It's called Manhattan.

Approaching Rhun

Nowadays Rhun is literally at the edge of the world and offers very little to see. A slow walk around the island can take up to one hour and this includes time to walk all the main paths (two) and visit the fort, which is similar to the others on the neighbouring islands. Also take a look at the mosque, the only modern building standing above the small houses, with its bright yellow domes and deep blue ornaments it is the first thing to notice when getting close to the island.

Gunung Api viewed from Nailaka

Nailaka is a tiny piece of land on the north-east edge of Rhun, connected to the larger island, but reachable only by boat. Uninhabited, wild and empty, a great place for a day trip. Ours was the only boat parked there for many hours. We went snorkelling twice for more than an hour each time, the area around the island is quite flat and shallow, currents are not too strong and there is a lot to enjoy underwater - corals and fish are abundant. We also walked around the island, it takes less than 15 minutes for a lap, found shade under a small tree and had lunch there. A small army of hermit crabs was also enjoying the shade and we shared with them some of our nasi goreng, those little guys really love cooked rice!

Other things to do on the island

We enjoyed many long walks along the narrow concrete paths that act as streets. In the mornings one will surely see crowds of kids going to one of the two schools on the island, some locals carrying trays with homecooked snacks to sell, fishermen returning from the ocean with their fresh catch and villagers going to work on the plantations. Many houses have piles of nutmegs left to dry in the sun, some have small stands selling food and drinks, and everywhere curious locals, many of which will want to greet you. It is a pleasure to be a guest in such a small community and have the chance to soak in the atmosphere of rural Indonesia.

This family sells some baked goods

As I said above, Ai is a very small, remote and quiet island. The energetic walker can tick off all the attractions on it in less than two hours, but that's not the point of going to a tropical paradise, is it? Here I have highlighted the more noticeable stops one can make along the island, it is not easy to miss them. It is very easy to navigate the island - the two main paths are parallel to the beach and if you somehow manage to get lost, don't worry - all locals know where you are staying and will point you in the right direction.

Nutmeg drying in the sun

Fort Revenge (Benteng Revenge)

In the early 17th century, as a part of the British empire, the island prospered - they build the fort, trained and armed the locals to fight against the Dutch. Their combined forces successfully repelled several attacks, resulting in hundreds of dead Dutchman, but eventually, the Dutch bribed the English commander in charge, who moved his fleet to another island, the Dutch took control of Ai and slaughtered most of the locals. Since then the fort bears the sad nickname "Revenge".

Benteng Revenge

The main historic site on the island has been abandoned for a long time and now a single sign (in Indonesian) greets the very few visitors. The massive walls are crumbling, but if you look closely in the grass you can find several of the canons still lying there.

That's a souvenir I'd like to take home

The pier

The pier at sunset

The island has just one small pier, which is not even usable during low tide, the boats just "park" on the beach. Regardless, an afternoon or evening walk around the village is not complete without taking the sights from the pier. Locals use it for fishing and storing produce, like whole banana stems and sacks of cassava, to be loaded on the morning boat to Neira.

The generator

Making electricity from diesel fuel almost 5 hours every day

The sole reason the island has electricity from 18:00 to 22:30 every evening! One can hear the rhythmic throbbing of the huge Komatsu engine from quite a distance, it is positioned in a small shack next to the fort's gate and the chimney/exhaust bellows dark black soot on one of the ancient walls. The man looking after it was happy to let us inside the shack for a close-up view of the noisy machine.

The plantations

Nutmeg trees under the protection of taller almond trees

The high canopy of the huge and old kenari (type of almond) trees gives a nice shade, which is essential for the sensitive nutmeg trees. They grow better in the shadow of the taller trees, and we, just like them, enjoyed the cool, shady forest, a nice place for a walk. Some locals were taking care of their goats there or collecting harvest from the trees, a good opportunity to observe rural life on the islands.

The Kora kora boats

The Kora Kora shed on Ai

Kora kora is a type of a bamboo canoe typical for the Maluku island group, traditionally functioned as war vessels. Nowadays, they are used only for the annual celebration race, in which every island participates with its own fleet. Each island from the Banda group has several boats with distinguishable decorations kept in a shed, Ai is no exception. Alternatively, go to the beach or watch from the terrace in the late afternoon as kids in their small canoes race against each other, practicing for when the time comes to represent their island.

In 10 years he will be racing for his island

Remnants of nutmeg plantations

What used to be the main gate of the Matalenco Plantation

Several colonial plantations existed on the island, but now, are almost completely gone. What is left from the Matalenco compound is just the gate arch on the main street. A little more remains from the Welvaren Residence, a once sizable compound, with hundreds of workers, now just some of the old walls still standing. Locals living in the area are using those for their shacks.

Date Visited

December 2019

Destinations

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Things to do on Banda Naira

2hw — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 06:05:14 +0000

2hw Sun, 07/19/2020 - 09:05

It only takes about an hour to walk the whole length of Naira - from the picturesque colonial house of Istana Mini to the pebble beach Maloli, but there are many things that are worth seeing and places to visit on the small tropical island in Indonesia, plus a few that are just a quick boat trip away. From historical forts and colonial mansions, to snorkeling with sharks, you can easily spend a month without getting bored.

Quick intro to Banda Islands

Diving and snorkelling

Those are the main attractions on the island. There are quite a few spots around Banda that provide some of the world's best opportunities for diving and snorkelling, and boat trips are easily arranged through the local guesthouses.

8 best snorkeling spots on Banda Islands

The forts

Fort Nassau

There are two old forts on Naira - Belgica and Nassau. Both were built in the 17th century to secure the Dutch position on the islands. Banda, up until 19th century, was the only place in the world producing the extremely valuable nutmeg. The precious spice has spiked several conflicts between the Portuguese, Dutch and British over control of the plantations and trade and the old crumbling forts still standing guard on most islands of the group are a silent reminder of those times.

Fort Nassau is the smaller of the two - nowadays its dilapidated walls are mostly hidden in the greenery and the stone gate is easy to miss. Its main visitors are the local goats and cows.

Fort Belgica

Fort Belgica is much different - it stands up on the hill above town, overlooking the water. It is fully restored, its walls forming a distinctive star shape. You can walk around the rooms on the lower level and traverse the walls on the top, where a beautiful view of the area awaits. Belgica and its tall towers are a favorite sunset spot for both locals and visitors of the island.

Rumah Budaya Banda Neira

Rumah Budaya Banda Neira is the main museum on the island. Located opposite Delfika 1 guesthouse, it has some interesting artifacts in its 4 rooms. While not a big museum, it provides a glimpse into the past of the islands and is hosted in a beautiful colonial building.

The museum is not always open during its official working hours, best check with your guesthouse before going or you can inquire in the nearby Delfika guesthouse.

Market

A small lively market runs around the local jetty near Delfika 2 guesthouse. It makes for a nice morning stroll and provides a good opportunity to see people going about their everyday life.

Banda Islands food guide - local cuisine, restaurants, snacks and street food

Bandaneira airport

The airport is located on the northern side of Bandaneira. It has only one short landing strip with a small building next to it. It is easy to reach on foot, about 5-10 minutes walk from Dive Blue motion (along the "main road"). If you check the schedule you can catch one of the planes landing or flying out in the mornings and in the evening it is a good spot to enjoy the sunset and have a stroll along the strip.

Local jetty

Apart from the main harbor, where Pelni ships and fast boats from Ambon berth, there is a local jetty that services boats to and from the nearby Banda islands. Even if you are staying only on Naira, it is a good spot for some people watching. There are boats from Ai every day and some days you can see the regular boats from Hatta and Run.

Istana Mini

This old Dutch Governor's residence is very well preserved and renovated. The beautiful house still carries the colonial atmosphere, and makes for a good picture, however there is nothing worth seeing inside.

Colonial buildings

There are some old colonial buildings in Neira, most are not in great shape. Rumah Budaya - the local museum is well preserved and across the road is Delfika guesthouse, another beautiful colonial mansion, if you go inside and have a meal in their restaurant you can enjoy the really nice inner garden.

Off the shore snorkeling

Best snorkeling spots on the islands are reachable only by boat, but Naira offers some nice ones near the shore.

Maloli beach

Maloli beach is about 40 minutes walk from the town center, or 10-15 minutes on a motorbike, located on the northern side of the island. The beach itself is nothing to write home about, it is not sandy beach, but is covered in pebbles and is quite small, but the reef that is only 40-50 meters away from it offers some nice corals and plenty of fish.

One thing to note if snorkeling there, is that leaving your stuff unattended at the beach is not a good idea, as having it stolen is a real possibility. Either make sure you have one person on land to watch your belongings at all times, or you can do as we did - take only what you need to snorkel and leave only your clothes on the shore.

Wearing wet shoes is recommended as the beach is not easy on the feet.

During the weekends and in the evenings it can get crowded with locals - after all, it is the best beach on the island, but on weekdays, during the day you would most likely have the whole place to yourself.

Snorkeling near the air strip

The spot is north of the east side of the airstrip. The reef is close to shore and can easily be reached by swimmers. Same as Maloli beach - don't leave valuables unattended and wearing wet shoes is going to be good for your feet.

Mandarinfish

There are Mandarinfish that get active before sunset along the rock wall of the shore from Vita guesthouse up to Dive Blue Motion and to the small local harbor above it. Pavel spent one hour in the the shallow, muddy and full of garbage water hoping to see them, but there were none at that time. We only looked for the Mandarinfish one time for our 3 weeks stay on Naira - the sea is disgusting so close to the town and we could not find motivation to take a second dip there.

If you decide to give it a go, any of the owners of the hotels along the water would be able to point you to a spot where you would have a chance to meet some Mandarinfish.

8 best snorkeling spots on Banda Islands

The temples

Mosques

There are several mosques on Banda, the biggest one, Mesjid hatta-Syahrir, is located opposite the harbor. It was undergoing construction on our visit in December 2019.

San Tien Kong Chinese Temple

This 17th century Chinese temple mostly stays closed. The small yard with the distinctive main building are visible through the round windows on the wall surrounding it. If you want to have a look inside it is best to ask at your guesthouse, they can find someone with a key to let you in for a while.

Gereja Tua Banda Church

The only church on the island, Gereja Tua Banda is a restored Dutch church, built in the mid 19th century. Easily recognizable with its white columns, it is open only on Sunday.

Api - the volcano

A stone throw away from Naira, the tall Api volcano rises from the water. A hike up the mount is not for everyone, but if you are feeling adventurous and confident in your physical abilities, the views from the top are nothing short of amazing.

Climbing the Banda Api volcano

Besar - largest plantations

Besar is the biggest island of the Banda group and is less than 10 minutes boat ride from Naira. There are several small villages on it, an old Dutch fort, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves plantations. A boat can be arranged through one of the guesthouses or you can take your chances with the boat men at the local jetty.

Delfika guesthouse offers tours to the island - they include a walk through the village and plantations, visit to the Holandia Fort. They are very informative and interesting, a great way to spend half a day and to learn about the local culture and the spice harvesting and drying process. We really enjoyed our tour with Ayu, she was a great guide.

Day trips from Naira

All of the Banda Islands can be easily reached by boat on a day trip. The public boats cannot be used for this as they berth for the night on the smaller islands and then, during the day, make a single trip to Naira and back, but a private boat can be easily arranged by any guesthouse.

Date Visited

December 2019

Destinations

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Quick intro to Banda Islands

2hw — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 06:00:27 +0000

2hw Sun, 07/19/2020 - 09:00

Banda Islands in Indonesia are a group of 11 small islands in the Banda Sea in the Pacific ocean, some 2000 km east of Java.

Up until the mid-19th century, they were the only place in the world where the nutmeg tree grew. This fact made them quite valuable real estate and several small, but bloody wars were fought, most recently between the Dutch and the British, with the locals more of a collateral damage.

Nowadays the islands are rarely visited by tourists and offer amazing diving and snorkelling opportunities, with beautiful corals, sea life and clear water. There are a few nice beaches, but if you are after a beach vacation it is better to choose another location, like the relatively closeby Key islands. For the history-oriented, each island holds a piece of the old colonial times, be it a fort, old houses, or just interesting stories.

How to get there

Organizing a trip to Banda Islands is not as easy as taking a single plane ride. Depending on the season, there are various modes of transport available, with varying degree of reliability - flexibility of travel plans is important. Best is to have at least a week's time and to leave a few days to reach Banda and then a few days for the way back.

The most direct way to Banda is in two steps:

Reach Ambon - there are scheduled flights every day from most major cities in Indonesia
From Ambon take a plane, a fast boat or a slow ferry to Bandaneira

Getting to Ambon is relatively easy - there are regular flights from Jakarta and Surabaya several times a day, as well as from other big cities in Indonesia. Once in Ambon you may have to spend a day or two in a hotel while organizing the rest of the trip.

Bandaneira, the main town of the Islands, located on Banda Neira island, is the place you will reach from Ambon - the fast and slow ferries stop at its harbour and the only airport for the Banda Islands is on Neira. If your final destination is one of the other islands, you will have to organize another boat to take you there.

One of the diving companies and accommodation on Banda Neira - Dive Blue Motion keeps their website up to date with information about travel to the Islands, I highly recommend to check their web site before travel: https://www.dive-bluemotion.com/travelhere

Plane from Ambon to Bandaneira

The only airline that connects Banda is Susi air. And when I say it "connects", I mean this very loosely. They may operate in the high season October-November and then February-March. Or not. This is something to check a week before your travel. The schedule is done week for week, flights are unreliable - slightly bad weather will ground them.

Even with this in mind, flying is the best option, if available. Usually, there are 2-3 flights per week, going to Banda in the morning and back to Ambon in the afternoon. It is quick - less than an hour - and comfortable. Susi operates from the main airport in Ambon.

Ticket prices are around 400 000 IDR, with 10 kg luggage included (checked and carry-on), everything over that is charged 20 000 IDR per kg.

Buying tickets is a bit tricky - they can be purchased over email, but payment is done only via local bank transfer or local credit card. International cards are not accepted. The only ways to organize this are:

find a local travel agent (contact us for the details of the person we used)
have someone send the money locally (ask at your accommodation, they may be able to do that)
organize yourself once in Ambon - it will require a day or more extra stay in Ambon

Ambon - a full guide to the island and the city

Fast boat from Ambon to Bandaneira

There is a fast ferry that takes around 6 hours. It leaves from Tilehu - which is 2 hours by car from Ambon airport and Ambon itself. The ferry runs during high season October-November and then February-March, usually two days a week.

Regular tickets are 400 000 IDR, with VIP ones 650 000 IDR.

Slow ferry from Ambon to Bandaneira

The most reliable mode of transport is the slow ferry - Pelni ships. It takes 12-16 hours, depending on the season runs around 2-4 times every two weeks. It is slow, not as comfortable as the other two options, can be late 4-6-10 hours, but it does run according to the schedule and you can be relatively sure it won't be cancelled last minute. It is also, the only option in low season.

Tickets are cheap, starting at just over 100 000 IDR, once onboard one can get an upgrade for a cabin depending on availability.

The Pelni ships run from Ambon main harbour - very close to the city center. The exact schedule changes every month.

Naira island

This is the main island of the group. The main town of Bandaneira has the only airport in the region, as well as the main harbour. The main harbour gets the traffic from the fast ferry from Ambon and the slow Pelni ships, it is close to the central mosque. Smaller boats to and from the neighbouring islands use another, smaller jetty, within 5-10 minutes walking distance, close to the market and Delfika 2 guesthouse.

The town center of Bandaneira has an array of lovely Dutch colonial buildings, some better preserved than others. At the top of a hill, visible from the sea is the big Belgica fort, its two-storey main building and the walls nicely restored. Several of the original cannons still line the edges. Closer to the water is what remains of a smaller fort - fort Nassau. For the history buffs, the town museum offers an insight into the past of the area.

There are many accommodation options available in Bandaneira, but don't expect anything too fancy. Most offer running water, electricity and WiFi, unlike the other islands around. There are a few restaurants, food is not expensive and the local cuisine is very tasty. A lively market with fresh produce and spices, clothes and household items is next to the local boat jetty.

If you come to Banda for diving, it is best to base yourself here - there are few dive centres in town. Diving and snorkelling day trips to spots around the neighbouring island can be easily arranged. In addition, there a couple of good off the beach snorkelling spots on the island itself.

Things to do on Banda Naira

Api island

The towering volcano can be seen from all islands in the group. Api has very limited options for food and accommodation and is mainly visited by enthusiasts climbing to the top of the mount. Getting there is easy - it is 50-100 m away from Neira and a boat charter can be easily arranged through your guesthouse or face-to-face on the local jetty.

Climbing the Banda Api volcano

Besar island

Besar is the biggest island in the group, and it holds the major plantations of nutmeg, kenari (almond), cinnamon and cloves. There aren't any hotels and guesthouses there, only a few basic homestays.

The island is a short boat ride from Neira, but there are no regular boats - it is best to organize it with your guesthouse to avoid waiting and haggling at the jetty.

Delfika guesthouse in Bandanaira has tours to the plantations, which are very informative and enjoyable, with great opportunities to see how spices are harvested, buy them fresh and learn about the life of the local people.

Ai island

Ai is around an hour away by boat from Neira. The boats leave from the local jetty once a day - sometime in the late morning or the afternoon.

Banda Ai - how to get there and things to do

There are limited options for accommodation here and don't expect running water, electricity or WiFi. Electricity is on for a few hours a day thanks to the lone diesel generator in the village. There are no restaurants on the island and every guesthouse stay has 3 meals a day included. Mobile coverage is spotty at best. A perfect place to get away from civilization and spend relaxing days at the beach reading and enjoying the view.

There are great off the beach snorkelling opportunities as the drop off is just 50 m away from shore. Just put on your snorkelling gear and dive. Day trips to the other islands can be arranged, and it is especially good to visit the nearby Rhun island - it is less than 40 minutes away, a lot shorter trip than from the main island.

Most of the island is covered in nutmeg plantations. The big kenari trees needed for the proper life of the nutmeg provide nice shade and a walk in the forest is a nice way to spend an afternoon.

The overgrown ruins of the fort leftover from the Spice Wars is now visited mostly by the local goats, some walls of plantation compounds are still visible around the village.

Hatta island (Rozengain)

Conditions on Hatta are even more basic than Ai and the boats to and from Neira depart 2-3 times a week. Again, there is no electricity, except for a few hours a day, and no restaurants.

The biggest attraction on Hatta is the snorkelling - the drop off is a meter away from the beach, few other places offer such spectacular views with so little effort.

Rhun (Run) island

The small settlement on Rhun is more isolated compared to the other islands. Very few tourists set foot on here, and even less stay for longer than an hour or two. Again, a lone fort is losing the battle with time on the hill above the village, and the biggest building is the brightly coloured mosque.

The most interesting thing about Rhun lays in its history - valued for the precious nutmeg plantations, it was exchanged for Manhattan in the 17th century Spice wars.

Nailaka island

The tiny island of Nailaka is located next to Rhun and during low tide, one can swim between the two, if feeling adventurous. Easier access is by boat on a day trip from one of the bigger islands. There isn't much to do here, 15 minutes is enough to go around the island and the main attractions are underwater - beautiful diving and snorkelling spots, with an abundance of fish and good corals.

Keraka

A small rock with some jungle, Keraka is located between the north ends of Api and Neira. Only 10-15 minutes by boat from Neira, it is surrounded by a good, healthy, shallow coral reef, perfect for snorkelling.

Banana Island (Pisang Island)

Banana Island is located to the east of Neira. It's one and only beach attracts mostly local tourists and can get too noisy and dirty. Good snorkelling spots all around the steep cliffs that form the islands can be reached by boat.

Capal Island

A few hundred meters away from Pisang, this single huge rock, its shape reminiscent of a ghost ship drifting through the ocean, is an island of itself. It is of particular interest for divers, with great diving spots all around it.

Swangy (Suanggi) Island

Swangy is a little further out from the other islands of the group, to the north of Rhun and Ai and visible from both as a small dot rising over the horizon. For some reason, it is not marked on some newer maps. It is supposed to have the ruins of an old lighthouse and several undisturbed bird colonies.

Date Visited

December 2019

Destinations

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Papeda - a unique Indonesian dish

2hw — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 05:44:44 +0000

2hw Sun, 07/19/2020 - 08:44

In our many years of travelling, we have tried a large variety of foods - most were delicious new tastes, but some were quite unusual in preparation and ingredients. The papeda is a dish we had in Indonesia and its gooey substance with milky-translucent colour and barely any taste of its own won it a solid place in the list of the weirdest things we have ever eaten. If you ever travel to Amobon Island, it is the perfect place to try this traditional treat from the Moluku region.

Ambon - a full guide to the island and the city

The journey of this staple food begins with the sago trees - a type of palms. Sago starch is extracted by processing the soft substance found inside the sago tree trunks. Papeda is then made by boiling the sago starch with water into a sticky mixture.

Traditionally, the starchy paste is served with yellow fish soup and/or grilled fish. The idea is similar to mixing rice with curry - you combine the relatively tasteless papeda with a rich dense flavourful dish to make a complete meal.

The soup is rich in taste and delicious

I have to admit - we did not know exactly what papeda was when we ordered it for the first time. We had only heard it was a traditional food and was worth trying, hadn't done any research on it and did not expect to be anything too unusual.

We arrived at the restaurant (Cili padi restaurant in Ambon city centre area) and after browsing the menu, ordered papeda and yellow fish soup. We thought we would get a small bowl of whatever papeda was on the side, considering it was not expensive at all. To our surprise, they brought us a giant clay pot - it was probably 5 l in volume, and full of sticky white paste. Later, we noticed a table of six next to us were sharing a single serving of papeda - good thing we did not order two!

Two giant wooden chopsticks were jabbed in the dense mass to be used for serving. "OK", we thought, "How hard could this be, just take a portion and put it in your plate". Have you tried eating gelatin pudding or jello with chopsticks? The slippery slimy stuff just slid off and it seemed like getting any of it out of the pot was an impossible task.

At this moment, we knew we would not be able to figure it out on our own, we looked around but the waitress had disappeared in the kitchen. No worries, we had internet on the phone, so we opened YouTube and searched for videos explaining how to eat papeda. There were a couple of helpful videos on the topic and armed with the newly gained knowledge we were able to start dinner.

Very sticky!

After a bit of arguing "You do it" - "No, you do it", we decided to take turns and aside from some fumbling with the gigantic chopsticks, we managed to successfully serve us some papeda. The trick is to quickly wrap the sticky porridge around the wooden sticks, then plop about a cup-sized chunk of it in your plate. Then you pour some spicy soup on top of it and you get a slime island in the middle of tasty soup on your plate. You take a spoon, and mix a bite of papeda with the full of flavour soup and transport it to your mouth - it is very slippery and you must be careful or it will just slid off your spoon. You can use your fork with this task - spoon in right hand, fork in the left, the South-Asian way. On one of the videos we watched, the guy just grabbed his plate and sucked some of the mixture directly off of it, which also seemed like a good way to do it.

The papeda itself had no discernable taste, but surprisingly, its slimy texture combined very well with the warm spicy soup and the result was a very delightful and memorable meal. And once we got the hang of handling the starchy porridge, it was not that difficult to consume. We could not finish the giant bowl of papeda, but enjoyed dinner and the experience was well worth it .

Date Visited

December 2019

Destinations

Comments

Exploring Ambon on a bike in 3 days - Day 3: Sacred eels, fading history and beaches

2hw — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 05:24:14 +0000

2hw Sun, 07/19/2020 - 08:24

Note: This post is a part of our adventure in Ambon, you can jump to the other days here: Day 1: Museum and beaches and Day 2: Historic sites and snorkelling, or if you haven't already - read this first:

Ambon - a full guide to the island and the city

The third day started with the disappearing remains of a fort, then continuing north-east we met an eel, sacred to the local people, and completed the day with some more nice beaches.

Our route for the day on Google Maps.

We had a very early morning start of the day because we wanted to snap some photos of the mosques and the cathedral in the city centre at sunrise. After that we continued south-east through the city, past the Commonwealth War Cemetery, we just took a look at it from the road and moved on, it seemed like a nice park and a good place for a walk.

Fort Middelburg (Benteng Middelburg)

Finding it was a bit of a challenge, mostly because Google Maps presents a narrow stairway as an actual street and we couldn't follow the route. A friendly local saw us looking confused and knew what we were trying to find. He took us to the fort through several backyards, filled with piles of scrap and some farm animals.

Middelburg was built in 1626 and re-built several times over the years after earthquakes severely damaged it. Initially, the fort was of some importance, overlooking the bay and during its best years was armed with four cannons and housed about 20 soldiers. What is left of the once-solid two-storey building with brick walls finished with stone now is just a sad pile of bricks. A badly damaged sign reassures that this is an actual historic site, not a generic ruin. Some of the houses next to it literally lean against the remaining walls and somebody has installed an orange water tank over a piece of the foundations. The man who led us there tried to give us some information about the fort, from his gestures and individual words we gathered that the building used to be a lot bigger and was actually on the water long time ago, not like now - hundreds of meters away. I can't even call it a tourist attraction, it is more of a mildly depressing curiosity that will soon vanish.

The sacred eels of Waai

On the way to Waai, we stopped at the popular Natsepa Beach, just to take a look and have a short break. Early in the morning, it was low tide, nobody there and everything was closed. Decided to come back later and headed towards Waai, choosing the more direct, inland route via Teluhu. We didn't expect finding the eels to be easy, but it was - Google Maps led us to a sign pointing in the right direction, a short walk along a narrow canal where women were washing clothes.

The eels are considered sacred by the local people, who believe that they are reincarnations of their ancestors. The pond itself is unremarkable, and at first, unable to see any eels, we wondered if this is the right spot. Soon a local lady sent her 10 years old son with a couple of eggs. He jumped in the pool and an eel came right away, just like a puppy happy to see his master. The show was cute and funny, the boy led the eel by flicking the water and the eel got to eat the raw eggs after some jumps and water play. Nobody asked for money, but we offered 20 000 and the woman said to give it to the boy - he accepted it and both looked happy.

Liang Beach

Continued north to Liang beach which is close to a local ferry terminal. The last kilometre or so the road runs parallel to the beach and once there has been a wall separating the scenic area from the road. Now the wall is badly damaged and people have used bricks from it to fill the potholes in the road, an amusing example of creativity.

Liang Beach - not in it's best shape, but still attractive

The beach was beautiful, with bright blue water and fine sand. We met just one person there - the groundskeeper, who told us that most of the restaurants on stills and piers have been recently destroyed by a tsunami, whatever was spared by nature just got abandoned. Despite the lack of facilities, the beach is a good place to relax, not so great for swimming - sharp rocks can be seen for quite some distance, probably a lot of sand got wiped out too by the disaster.

Not good for tourism, but great for the crabs living at the beach - we walked it for a while and saw many ten-legged guys, big and small.

Along the route today

The beautiful Masjid An Nima, towering over the tiny village of Tengah-Tengah

Heading back to Ambon, but this time in Teluhu, we turned left, opting for the sea route. This was a great choice with nice views and colourful small villages. It is one of those roads that despite a lack of top attractions is an experience in itself, very picturesque.

Barely passable, luckily we were on a motorbike and squeezed through

In one spot, the road was eaten by a landslide, leaving only a narrow path, enough for a single motorbike to pass. Any larger vehicles had to do a long detour.

Natsepa Beach

Natsepa Beach - waiting for visitors

More lively in the afternoon, with people bathing in the water and many stalls and cafes open for business. There is a huge line of tiny restaurants that cater to both beachgoers and people travelling the road in need for a break. Maybe it's a good strategy to target both groups, as many of the tables were occupied. We managed to find an ocean-facing one and had a coconut and a fruit salad.

Fruit Rojak (Rujak) - Indonesian fruit salad with sweet and spicy sauce

These salads are something you should definitely try when visiting Ambon, they are very popular and easy to find. Just choose the fruits and opt for the full package - palm sugar with peanuts and fresh chillies get beaten into a sauce to garnish the fruit pieces. Admittedly, unusual at first, is quite delicious, especially combined with fresh fruit.

Date Visited

December 2019

Destinations

Comments

Exploring Ambon on a bike in 3 days - Day 2: Historic sites and snorkelling

2hw — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 05:22:40 +0000

2hw Sun, 07/19/2020 - 08:22

Note: This post is a part of our adventure in Ambon, you can jump to the other days here: Day 1: Museum and beaches and Day 3: Sacred eels, fading history and beaches, or if you haven't already - read this first:

Ambon - a full guide to the island and the city

Day two is the central north where some of the oldest temples in the region can be found just minutes from a well preserved Dutch fort. We spent the afternoon snorkelling at a quiet little bay, mistakenly called a beach.

Our route for the day on Google Maps.

We headed to the small town of Hila, home of three worthwhile attractions - Fort Amsterdam, an old church and an even older mosque, all within walking distance. Hila is located on north side of Ambon island, about 35 km from Kota Ambon. Heading north and going over the bridge crossing Ambon Bay offers great views in every direction. After this, there are about 5 more kilometres of city traffic, then leaving the busy streets is a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively. The rest of the way is a quiet country road going through small villages and towns nestled between the hills and then follows the north coastline very closely. We reached Hila in about an hour and a half and headed to the main attraction.

Fort Amsterdam (Benteng Amsterdam, Blokhuis Amsterdam)

The fort was built by the Dutch in 1637 as part of their efforts to strengthen the defences of their newly colonized territories. Used for centuries, it was abandoned in the 1940s, neglected for decades until its restoration in 1991.

Some of the original elements have been preserved to this day

Now, the white, almost-cube shaped building stands proudly, still keeping an eye on the ocean through its tiny windows. All three floors inside are open for visitors offering a glimpse into a bygone era.

Gereja Tua Immanuel (The Church of Immanuel)

Just a hundred meters from the fort is the oldest church in the Maluku Province, which was built in 1659. Very simple, yet charming, the rectangle building is covered by a thatched roof, a popular approach in the area.

An interesting sight can be found right by the entrance - some of the original tiles are left there, showing clear signs of fire damage - the church was almost completely destroyed by a fire in the 18th century.

Wapauwe Old Mosque (Masjid Tua Wapauwe)

Another case where Google Maps does not match the real world, but a friendly local pointed us in the right direction and we found the place in minutes. The oldest mosque in the region and probably the oldest in Indonesia dating back to 1414.

Such a long history has some interesting moments, for example in 1614 the local imam decided to move the mosque from its original place to where we can find it now. This was a journey made by the whole community, leaving more distance between them and the Dutch in hopes of avoiding conflict. The whole construction was dismantled, transported 6 km and re-assembled exactly the way it was - from the wooden pillars to the palm tree leaves roof. In the 18th century, the modest building was upgraded with the spire, but no minaret has ever been added. Multiple renovations have been done over the centuries, luckily didn't involve structural or material changes, giving us the opportunity to see a very authentic, over 600 years old house of worship.

All the treasures from the mosque, old religious texts and artifacts were moved to a museum a long time ago, but on our visit the windows were open and we got a chance to peek inside.

Kept in great condition, despite being made of such frail materials, it just makes you think about the countless generations of villagers who have been using and taking care of the mosque.

Along the route today

The world is full of unremarkable shops and stalls, this one, however caught our attention

The largest mobile carrier in the country has some tiny stalls

This impressive bridge spanning over Ambon Bay was completed in 2016 and now connects the two parts of the island. Locals are so proud of it, it is actually the official landmark of the city. Crossing is now mere minutes using the wide and smooth road, a great improvement over the slow ferries and huge detours from years ago.

Merah Putih Bridge

Lubang Buaya Morella Beach (Not a beach!)

Driving east along the coast through small villages with colourful markets, it took us less than an hour to reach the next stop. If you are after any popular form of a beach, Lubang Buaya Morella will disappoint you, it is, in fact, a small bay surrounded by a bunch of small cafes on stilts - a very nice snorkelling spot. The whole area was almost empty, but on weekends might be a different picture altogether.

A friendly lady led us to her restaurant/cafe/hut, where she showed us a room in which we can change into our swimsuits. Interestingly, it was obvious that at night, this was actually somebody's bedroom - there was a mattress leaning against the wall and some personal belongings in one of the corners. They also had snorkelling gear for rent and offered drinks and snacks.

Wooden stairs lead into the water, where the beauty was waiting. We went along the right-side wall for several hundred meters - it is a very sharp drop and the clear water allows you to enjoy awesome views of colourful corals and countless types of fish. We even saw a couple of reef sharks, plus a curious-looking thing that looked like a fish, but had legs and walked along the rocks.

After an hour or so we got tired and got back on the platform. Relaxing on the chairs was nice, and sitting on the edge of the platform we watched the active sea life several meters under us. Schools of fish "patrol" the area, probably used to finding food from the people visiting. It was fun watching them jump out of the water, they do it often and one even hit my foot!

We spent our afternoon there, but a whole day would also be an enjoyable experience for anyone who loves snorkelling. Everything was cheap, for example, parking for the motorbike was 2000 IDR ($ 0.14).

Date Visited

December 2019

Destinations

Comments

Exploring Ambon on a bike in 3 days - Day 1: Museum and beaches

2hw — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 05:20:24 +0000

2hw Sun, 07/19/2020 - 08:20

Note: This post is a part of our adventure in Ambon, you can jump to the other days here: Day 2: Historic sites and snorkelling and Day 3: Sacred eels, fading history and beaches, or if you haven't already - read this first:

Ambon - a full guide to the island and the city

On our first day of discovering Ambon Island, we went to the south-west part of the island and visited the strange but cool Siwa Lima museum and plenty of beaches including the iconic Pintu Kota arch.

Our route for the day on Google Maps.

Happy to have our bike ready we left early in the morning to have enough time for all the stops we had planned. First one along the way was...

Museum Siwalima (Siwa Lima)

About 15 minutes after leaving the city, we reached the museum. It turned out the main-looking building is not where they sell tickets and entrance, this is actually at the top of the hill. After paying the nominal fee of 10000 IDR ($ 0.7) per person, a friendly guide walked us to the first building. He went around with us to all of the buildings, gave us a quick intro for each exhibition and left us to explore on our own, which was a very pleasant experience.

The first building holds a collection of traditional wedding dresses, which may sound a bit boring, but was the exact opposite! With more than 17 500 islands, the nation has a multitude of ethnic and religious groups. This diversity, combined with various external influences (Chinese, Middle Eastern, Arabic, European) results in an amazing array of motifs, colour schemes and patterns for the ceremonial dresses. Short notes give context and point out the details visitors should pay attention to. For example, almost European looking gowns from North Sulawesi are easily explained by their long and strong friendship with the Dutch. In other regions, lotus-shaped motifs reflect centuries of practising Buddhism. Colours have meanings too, like yellow for example - traditionally associated with royalty.

The highlight for us was the second building, which can best be labelled as "Idols and beliefs". This is the first museum we've been to, dedicated to pagan beliefs, pre-Buddhism/Christianity, black magic and voodoo. Our guide, a young man, seemed to consider the topic as factual rather than folklore. This was also in line with the museum's exhibit tone, presenting magic and spirits as real aspects of life. The small hall was very educational and entertaining - reading about the good and bad forces and how people interact with them. Protectors like the "walut", simplified human figures made of wood, guard homes and gardens for the small price of the occasional gift, like a cigarette or some tobacco. You can also see a small magic boat, used to instruct one's ancestors to torture and kill an enemy.

Third and last is a large hall dedicated to marine life and techniques for catching it. Several skeletons of whales grab the visitor's attention immediately, the largest one is a blue whale, 23 meters long. Around them is a wide array of fishing contraptions and boat types on display, interesting and informative. This is also the home of a huge taxidermied crocodile, who terrorized a fishing village and managed to eat 10 people before getting caught.

We loved the museum, spent almost 2 hours there and recommend dedicating one hour as a bare minimum to enjoy it. Don't forget the outdoor exhibits - there are some kora-kora boats and guns from colonial times.

Pantai Tanjung Nusaniwe and Santai Beach

Pantai Tanjung Nusaniwe - the south edge of the island

Heading south-west we reached the corner of the island - Pantai Tanjung Nusaniwe, which is a slightly underwhelming scenic area. Not much to do there except relax in the palm trees shadows and watching the water relentlessly trying to smoothen the sharp rocks.

Pulling back north-east we stopped at Santai Beach. It is a small beach and there were just a couple of local kids splashing in the water, but judging by the size of the parking lot and the great number of picnic tables and gazebos, I assume on weekends, it is very popular with the locals.

Along the route today

This part of the island has the highest concentration of Christians, so travelling there in December was interesting. I got the feeling that every Christian family had some kind of a decorated tree on a very public display - some in the yards, but many out on the roads. Old tyres, mosquito nets, traditional decorations or just anything shiny and colourful that can be used was turned into what felt more like a statement than anything else.

Pintu Kota Beach

Continuing in the same direction we reached one of the main highlights of Ambon, the famous arch of Pintu Kota.

Pintu Kota - the arch

Totally worth a visit, the place is beautiful and everyone will be tempted to snap some (or lots) of photos. Strangely, there was nobody else at this popular stop, so we made the most of it. There are a lot of rocks in the water, but after getting past them one can enjoy a good swim. The tree line is very close to the beach and the thick shade makes it great for relaxing.

"C'mon dude, I'm a sea-hedgehog-mouse-shell-thing... just take me home!"

After an hour of swimming, we climbed the path to the top where we drank the classic beach refreshment - fresh coconut. The small cafe sells some seashells hand made souvenirs, that can be called both kitsch and cute.

Namalatu Beach

Next stop along the coast was Namalatu Beach, or that's what Google Maps told us. Dead wrong, couldn't even head back to Ambon from there, because part of the road shown on the map doesn't exist. The location on Google Maps for Namalatu beach is wrong, the real beach is actually at Namalatu Beach Resort, close to Santai. Very rocky stretch with no sand, Namalatu is far from attractive, but the detour gave us the opportunity to buy some banana pancakes for a quick snack before heading back to the city.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the two big mosques in the city centre - The Green Mosque and Al-Fatah Mosque, both are very impressive on the outside and inaccessible for non-muslims on the inside.

Date Visited

December 2019