THE MOLUCCAS

AMBON

Ambon, the capital of the Moluccas, the spices islands of historical fame, is an hourglass-shaped island noted for its harbor and lovely coral gardens. One can visit several interesting old churches and the ancient Portuguese fort on the island.

HOW TO GET THERE

Ambon is served daily by Garuda and Merpati flights from Ujung Pandang. There are connecting flights to and from Irian Jaya and Ternate/Menado. The airport is 36 km, over a small road from town. So this is not a good place for an overnight stop. Bemos meet passengers at the plane.

SIGHTS

Latuhalat : fine coral gardens; best visited between September and December, when the sea is calm.

Beaches : the favorites of the residents of Ambon are on the road to Waai.

Hila : on the north coast, accessible only by jeep or truck. The site of the Portuguese fort and first Dutch church on the island.

The Kei, Aru, Tanimbar, and Banda island groups : can be reached by small boat from Ambon, but one must allow at least 10 days round-trip for a voyage to any one of them. Before traveling anywhere in the Moluccas, one should read Alfred Russel Wallace’s the Malay Archipelago, still the most complete book in English on the area.

TERNATE AND TIDORE

One can still smell clove and nutmeg being dried on these two islands, the original spice islands. The Portuguese first settled in ternate to trade in cloves, but when they double-crossed the sultan and murdered him, his son besieged them for five years and expelled them. They then built their trading post and fort on Tidore, and the Dutch moved in on ternate. Both islands are perfect volcanic cones, part of a chain of seven such islands that rise majestically out of the sea. The view flying in is spectacular. Today, the economy of the islands is based on copra and the timber trade through ternate harbor, but spices are still very much in evidence.

SIGHTS

Coral : found everywhere along the coast

Volcanic Crater : which collapsed, forming a lake. On the north side of Ternate. The vertical sides are several hundred feet deep

Portuguese Forts : remains ring both islands. Kastella and Kayu Merah are the most important on Ternate.

Kraton Regalia : can be seen in both Ternate and Tidore upon request to the Bupati’s office.