Lonely Planet Indonesia

by Lonely Planet

  Amahai (Pulau Seram) Tulehu Bahari Express economy/VIP 91,000/150,000 9am, 4pm daily

  Bandaneira Tulehu Bahari Express economy/VIP 300,000/400,000 2 weekly

  Haria (Pulau Saparua) Tulehu Bahari Express economy/VIP 50,000/75,000 8am daily

  Haria (Pulau Saparua) Tulehu-Momoking speedboat 30,000 when full

  Papus Kota Ambon Pelni varies 2 weekly

  Tual Kota Ambon Pelni varies 2 weekly

  Waipirit (Pulau Seram) Hunimua car ferry varies 3 daily

  8Getting Around

  To/From the Airport

  Pattimura Airport is 37km round the bay from central Kota Ambon. Hatu- and Liliboi-bound bemos pass the airport gates (10,000Rp, 70 minutes from Mardika). There is a ferry (per person/motorbike/car 2000/5000/20,000Rp) across Teluk Ambon to the airport side of the bay. If you time it right and use the ferry and an ojek, it would be comfortable and inexpensive (80,000Rp), so worth considering. A taxi costs up to 200,000Rp to/from the airport. A new bridge is expected to connect the airport directly with the city centre; at research time it was still incomplete.

  There is also an airport bus ( GOOGLE MAP ; per person 35,000Rp) that leaves from landward side of the Peace Gong four times daily (4.30am, 5am, 10am and 1pm – timed to feed airline departures). It departs from the airport for the city centre after the inbound flights land (approximately 7am, 8am, 1pm and 4pm).

  Bemo

  Green bemos circulate within the city centre and blue bemos head out of town. Traffic jams near Mardika Market (the terminus) can be bad – consider getting off 200m away.

  Ultrafrequent Lin III bemos (mobils) head southwest down Jl Pantai Mardika and either Jl Dr Sam Ratulangi or Jl AY Patty, swinging around the Trikora monument onto Jl Dr Latumenten. After 2km they loop back via Jl Sultan Babullah and Jl Yos Sudarso.

  Tantui bemos run northeast from Mardika, passing the Commonwealth War Cemetery and Tantui Seafood, then looping back past the tourist office.

  Southern Leitimur

  Latuhalat straddles a low pass culminating in a pair of popular, well-shaded ‘Sunday beaches’ – Santai ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; admission 2000Rp) and Namalatu ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; admission 2000Rp). Neither offers great swimming but both have hotels. Walk between the two in 15 minutes or take a becak (bicycle-rickshaw). No dive operations are based here anymore, but coral sites off the southern coast can be reached with Maluku Divers or Blue Rose, both based on Teluk Ambon.

  8Getting There & Away

  Green ‘Lt Halat’ bemos from Kota Ambon (5000Rp, 40 minutes) run to Namalatu along a pretty waterside road through Eri.

  Eastern Leihitu

  Teluk Baguala and Natsepa beach are two of eastern Leihitu's beauty spots, popular with the locals for weekend swims and roadside rujak (fruit salad in a spicy chilli, tamarind and shrimp-paste dressing).

  Waai is famous for its 'lucky' bulut (moray eels). For 10,000Rp, a 'guide' tempts the eels from dark recesses in a concrete-sided pond (Jl Air Waysikaka) by feeding them raw eggs. To find the pond, take a Waai bemo and get off one block before the thatched baileu (open hut), and head two blocks inland.

  Bemos from Mardika (Kota Ambon) run frequently to Waai and Tulehu, via Natsepa (5000Rp to 10,000Rp).

  2Activities

  Dive into AmbonDIVING

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; http://diveintoambon.com; Maluku Resort and Spa; 3 dives with lunch US$160; hSep-Jun)

  Based at the Maluku Resort and Spa, Dive into Ambon has more direct access to the coral sites of the island's southern coast than Ambon's other operators. It also takes its big, covered, wi-fi–equipped boats into the bay to get into the muck with the critters.

  4Sleeping & Eating

  Baguala Bay ResortRESORT$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0911-362 717; www.bagualabayresort.wordpress.com; Jl Raya Waitatiri; deluxe r 350,000, cottage 450,000Rp; ais)

  Family-friendly Baguala Bay Resort is set around a swimming pool in a lovely waterfront palm garden, especially enchanting at night. Rooms are outwardly nice with close proximity to the sea, though they can be musty; cottages are larger and fresher. Baguala also has a good-value seafront cafe serving Western and local food, and runs a superb retreat in Seram.

  It was closed for renovations at the time of research.

  oThe NatsepaRESORT$$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0911-362 555; www.thenatsepa.com; Jl Raya Natsepa 36; r/ste 890,000/1,800,000Rp; aWs)

  With a stylish lobby big enough for local birds to take exercise, big modern rooms tricked out in custard and apricot decor, and carefully-tended lawns meeting a stunning bay location, the Natsepa is Ambon's best hotel. It also has the in-house Dive into Ambon dive centre, open to outsiders and well placed for the limpid coral waters of southern Leitimur.

  Some rooms can smell damp, and the four-star polish is a little worn in some corners, but those seeking an international hotel experience, complete with satellite TV, wi-fi (LAN in the rooms) and an endless (if slightly lacklustre) breakfast buffet shouldn't be too disappointed.

  Gaba GabaINDONESIAN$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Propinsi; mains 20,000-35,000Rp; h10am-10pm)

  The friendly, spanking-new Gaba Gaba 'resto-cafe' makes great use of stunning bay views, serving good Indo-Chinese grub in a scattering of wooden pagodas shaded by coconut palms. The menu of grilled fish, rice and noodles may be familiar, but the setting, complete with kids' play equipment and a view of fishermen casting their nets in Natsepa bay, is delightful.

  DIVING AMBON

  Ambon's wide urban bay – as deep as 500m in some places – and abundance of underwater life make it a celebrated muck-diving location. There are as many as 30 dive sites within the bay alone, plus 16 reef dives around the coast and nearby Tiga Islands.

  Highlights include coral-crusted volcanic pinnacles off Mahia, the blue hole at Hukurila, a huge underwater arch at Pintu Kota, and the Duke of Sparta shipwreck, which was allegedly sunk by the CIA in 1958. Also, during action-packed drift dives between the Tiga Islands you'll meet bumphead parrotfish, Napoleons, dogtooth tuna, vast schools of fusiliers, dolphins, sharks and turtles. You can also glimpse the big stuff at Tanjung Sial Timur (Bad Corner), where strong currents attract pelagic fish off the southern tip of Seram.

  But as special as those sites can be, it's the muck that draws the crowds for such oddities as the psychedelic frogfish, 15 varieties of rhinopia, manta shrimp, zebra crabs, banded pipefish, pygmy squid and seahorses. Plan your trip between October and April.

  Northern & Western Leihitu

  Western Leihitu is home to some of Ambon’s most picturesque and archetypal coastal villages.

  Laha is a cute, quaint, almost prim little town. It has small concrete houses brushed in pastels, fenced-in front yards blooming with flowers, and a mangrove-shrouded natural harbour right in front of Pondok Patra guesthouse. It's also the hub of muck-diving in Ambon, and is handy for the airport. If you're here to dive, and seeking an alternative to the Kota Ambon bustle, this is it.

  In Alang, at the southern tip of Leihitu, a traditional thatched baileu, rebuilt in 2004, sports a carved crocodile. In photogenic Wakasihu village, elders while the day away at seaside platforms, with views of an offshore, tree-topped mini-island.

  A sharper rock shard appears at the roadside beyond Larike, where there are 30 to 40 massive eels living under a big boulder in the river. Before you arrive, buy some sardines in the market, so you can lure them to the surface. Compared to the concrete pool and raw-egg feeding in Waai, this is a much more beautiful and natural setting in which to observe them, and you can even walk in the river beside them. The village charges 5000Rp per person for the eel tour.

  In north Asilulu there are multiple boat racks and fine views across to Seram’s Tanjung Sial. Offshore lies Pulau Tiga, a trio of islands around which lie several diving and snorkelling spots.

  In Hila, the 1649 Benteng Amsterdam ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 20,000Rp; h8am-6pm) is an impressive, old, walled fort. Though the walls are obviously rebuilt with concrete, t
he inner tower, with its brick floors and thick walls, is fluttering with resident swallows. Gates were open when we visited but you may have to seek out the key master in town. About a block from here you'll find Gereja Tua Hila, an ancient, all-wood, thatched Catholic church, built by the Portuguese. It's closed to the public but is still a good photo op. A five-minute walk further inland, and then across a school football field, is Kaitetu’s pretty little thatch-roofed Mesjid Wapaue. Originally built in 1414 on nearby Gunung Wawane, the mosque was supposedly transferred to the present site in 1664 by ‘supernatural powers’.

  2Activities

  Dive BluemotionDIVING

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0812 3871 9813; www.dive-bluemotion.com; Laha; 1 dive/1 day's equipment 330,000/150,000Rp; hSep-May)

  Banda's Bluemotion has now set up shop in Laha, lured by Teluk Ambon's critters and the folks who'll pay to see them. With perhaps the Bay's best dive site on its doorstep, Bluemotion gives its divers greater freedom to come and go at their leisure. The more you dive, the less you pay.

  Blue Rose DiversDIVING

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0852 5462 3354; www.bluerosedivers.com; Jl Laha; 1 dive 350,000Rp; hSep-Apr; a)

  Blue Rose has relocated to Laha in Ambon Bay, although it will still take groups to visit the coral south of Leitimur, weather and fuel surcharge permitting. It's a local operation, the cheapest way to dive Laha, Pulau Tiga, the WWII wreck off Waiame, and the other delights Ambon has to offer. It also has basic, clean accommodation (standard/deluxe room 300,000/400,000Rp).

  Maluku DiversDIVING

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.divingmaluku.com; Jl Air Manis, Laha; 2/3 dives US$115/155; reef/island surcharge US$15/20; hSep–late May)

  Maluku Divers is the most professionally run operation in Ambon, and is largely responsible for embedding Ambon into the greater scuba zeitgeist. Its local and expat divemasters know the spots intimately, and its brand-new resort, geared to serious divers and underwater photographers, is marvellous. It isn't cheap, however it does accept day trippers.

  The private deck out front offers capacity for 20 divers, with a maximum of seven per dive boat. It also now has a private jetty, once the only thing missing from the slickest diving operation in Maluku. Non-guests can pay per dive (from US$65).

  4Sleeping & Eating

  Several simple options cater for travellers taking early flights from Pattimura Airport, or diving in Ambon Bay.

  Penginapan MichaelHOMESTAY$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0813 4302 8872; erenst_michael@yahoo.co.id; Jl Propinsi, Laha; r 100,000Rp)

  Opposite the runway, this homestay is run by the ever warm and welcoming Michael, Ambon's finest tourism ambassador. In addition to his duties at the tourist info desk in baggage claim, he offers three tidy rooms just a short ojek ride, or longer stroll, to the terminal. Rooms share a bathroom, and include breakfast.

  Pondok PatraGUESTHOUSE$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0813 4323 0559; Laha; r 150,000-300,000Rp; a)

  Hidden in quaint Laha village, Pondok Patra has a pleasant little rear sitting area on stilts, overlooking a boat-and-mangrove-filled inlet. You can stay here and dive with one of the three operations based in town.

  oMaluku DiversRESORT$$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0911-336 5307; www.divingmaluku.com; Jl Raya Air Manis, Laha; all-inclusive per person US$285; bungalow US$145; garden-view r US$95; hSep-Jun; aW)

  Snuggled on a palm-dappled sliver of coastline near the mouth of the bay in Laha, Maluku Divers offers quality chalets and 'garden-view' rooms with timber ceilings, ceiling fans, air-con, turbo hot-water showers and two desks. The price includes three dives per day.

  In addition, there are professional-grade camera and equipment rooms, excellent dive photography throughout, and lovely lounge and dining areas with dangling lanterns, icy beer, tasty cuisine, and excellent service.

  8Getting There & Away

  Bemos (5000Rp) leave from Hunut to Hila and from Kota Ambon to Liliboi. To close the loop, charter an ojek from near the airport. The road is mostly new asphalt, but landslides are relatively frequent in monsoon season, which means circumnavigation doesn't always pan out.

  Lease Islands

  %0931

  Pronounced ‘leh-a-say’, these conveniently accessible yet delightfully laid-back islands have a scattering of old-world villages, lovely bays, and a couple of great-value budget beach retreats. Foreign tourists remain very rare and little English is spoken, but Saparua has some existing tourism inroads.

  Pulau Saparua

  Saparua is the island escape of choice for the Ambonese, and it's easy to see why. Blessed with good coral- and muck-diving, significant historical remains, white beaches and dense forests, it's also only 90 minutes from Tulehu.

  8Getting There & Away

  Predawn speedboats run from Itawaka (50,000Rp) to Tulehu-Momoking (Ambon) and from Ihamahu (50,000Rp, one hour) to Namano near Masohi (Seram). Arrive from 4.30am, get your name on the passenger list, and then pay for the ticket when your name is called.

  From Haria to Ambon, Bahari Express runs an 8am kapal motor (economy/VIP 50,000/75,000Rp, two hours) and during the dry season there are also several speedboats (mostly early morning, 30,000Rp, leave when full). During monsoon months there is just the one daily boat, and waves do crash over the bow, so get that VIP ticket.

  PATTIMURA & TIAHAHU

  In 1817, the Dutch faced a small but emotionally charged uprising led by Thomas Matulessy, who briefly managed to gain control of Saparua’s Benteng Duurstede. He killed all the fortress defenders but spared a six-year-old Dutch boy. For this ‘mercy’ Matulessy was popularly dubbed Pattimura (‘big-hearted’). The rebels were rapidly defeated and dispatched to the gallows but have since been immortalised as symbols of anticolonial resistance. Today their statues dot the whole of Maluku and Pattimura even features on Indonesia’s 1000Rp banknotes.

  A much-romanticised heroine of the same saga is Martha Christina Tiahahu, whose father supported Pattimura. After his execution on Nusa Laut, Martha was put on a ship to Java but, grief-stricken, she starved herself to death. Her remains were thrown into the sea but her memory lingers on.

  Kota Saparua

  Suffused with durian musk, the ramshackle, jungle-island town of Kota Saparua has an extremely friendly countenance, and charm aplenty. Along Jl Muka Pasar are a few rumah makan, the market ( GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Muka Pasar; hWed & Sat) and a Telkom building, directly behind which is the bemo terminal (Jl Belakang).

  1Sights

  Benteng DuurstedeFORTRESS

  ( GOOGLE MAP )F

  The low-walled 1676 Benteng Duurstede, famously besieged by Pattimura in 1817, has been refaced with mouldering grey concrete, but the (locked) gateway is original and the cannon-studded ramparts survey a gorgeous sweep of turquoise bay.

  4Sleeping & Eating

  Penginapan MandiriGUESTHOUSE$

  (%0931-21063; Jl Muka Pasar; r with fan/air-con110,000/132,000Rp; a)

  Adjacent to the market, and on the 2nd floor, Mandiri is the town's newest choice. Rooms are all cheerily painted and have spotless mandis and Disney cabinetry. No, seriously. Its greatest asset is the gorgeous terrace overlooking the fort and the bay beyond.

  Penginapan Lease IndahGUESTHOUSE$

  (%0931-21069; Jl Muka Pasar; d 120,000-220,000Rp; a)

  The Penginapan Lease Indah is a sleepy garden guesthouse haunted by chickens and butterflies the size of bats. Opt for a basic, clean and fan-cooled, tiled room in the old wing, over those in the gaudy, columned new building (unless you must have TV, air-con and hot water).

  RM Dulang RadjaINDONESIAN$

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Muka Pasar; mains 15,000-27,000Rp; h10am-10pm Mon-Sat)

  Fronted by by an ornamental longboat, this open-sided rumah makan doesn't stray from the repertoire of Indonesian staples, but does those well. The nasi ikan telur (rice with egg, fresh tuna, tempeh and beans) is a good, healthy option.

  8Getting There & Away

  Kota Saparua’s access port is Har
ia (where you'll find an interesting baileu). From Kota Saparua ojek fares include Haria (10,000Rp), Itawaka (15,000Rp), Ouw (20,000Rp) and Kulur (35,000Rp). If you can manage to find a bemo, it will cost 5000Rp for most places.

  Mahu

  There's good muck-diving off Mahu in Saparua’s north.

  4Sleeping

  oMahu LodgeLODGE$

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0811 977 232; mahu_lodge@yahoo.com; per person half-board 175,000Rp; s)

  The 15-room Mahu Lodge, set in the mangrove fishing village of Mahu, offers basic, tiled and very clean rooms. The price includes breakfast and dinner, and the concrete jetty offers easy swimming access in a placid bay. There's no coral, but good muck-diving (two tanks 800,000Rp to 1,000,000Rp), and the chance to see dolphins, sharks and (in January and February) sperm whales.

  It also has a full-fledged dive operation (September to April), a dive boat that will get you to the stunning reefs of Nusa Laut, Itawaka and Pulau Molana, a pool for dive instruction and snorkelling gear for hire (30,000Rp to 50,000Rp). The resort is owned by an English speaker born locally, though he lived and worked for much of his life in Jakarta. Check its Facebook page for information.

  Around Pulau Saparua

  Nolloth in the island's northeast has Saparua's most impressive baileu, and some beautiful beaches with views to Seram

  On the southeastern flank, Ullath also has a traditional baileu, while Ouw boasts a small tumbledown fort, and is famous for its elegantly simple pottery (sempe). None is obviously on show but any local can lead you to a workshop, where 10,000Rp to 20,000Rp is a reasonable donation to watch sweet ibu throw pots in back-porch studios, serenaded by the surf. Their clay comes from Saparua's mountain, it's spun on a wheel, sculpted with a thick chunk of green papaya, and tamped at the rim with a bamboo rod.