SPICE ROUTES/SPICE WARS WITH IAN BURNET

The Moluccas (better known as the Spice Islands) have been a magical destination for over ten centuries. The first seafarers to explore the region, as early as the 8th century, were the Arabs. In fact, the name is thought to have been derived from the Arab traders term for the region Jazirat al-Muluk, The Islands of the Kings and an ancient Arab text places the islands rather precisely Fifteen days east of . What the Arab traders brought back to their home ports were exotic spices: cloves, mace and nutmeg. These were sold to Venetian merchants and became known in Europe as The nuts from Muscat. Because of > the high value of these spices in Europe and the large profits they generated, many adventurers followed in the wake of the Note: Guests will meet the Ombak Putih in . Airfares to Arabs; initially the Portuguese, then the Spanish, and later the Ternate and from Ambon are not included in the tour package. Dutch and the English. Our 12-day voyage aboard the Ombak We will be happy to assist you with any information and flight Putih will depart from the fabled , with its reservations. historical clove plantations, and retrace the marine spice route through the Moluccan islands, visiting the remote Banda ITINERARY islands, the original source of nutmeg, where we will wander through the nutmeg plantations. We will finish in Ambon, the Day 1 - Ternate You and your party will be met at the airport on the island of bustling capital city of the Moluccas. Ternate by a seasoned tour operator and crew-members, who will escort you to the port where you will have your first view of the Ombak Putih. There will be time for you to settle into your cabin as well as meet the other passengers and crew-members while we enjoy an alfresco lunch together on the main deck of this beautiful, traditional . Your tour operator will brief you on all the activities of the cruise. The afternoon is for sightseeing in the city of Ternate, a vital spice-trading outlet, which has retained its commercial and political importance as the administrative centre and main trading hub of the North

01432 507 280 (within UK) info@small-cruise-.com | small-cruise-ships.com Maluku province. Of the four historically powerful spice island into two, and forced the temporary evacuation of the sultanates, Ternate is the only one where the institution of the entire population, which was then about 15,000 people. sultanate has survived uninterrupted. We will visit Fort Toluko has palm fringed white-sand beaches and crystal clear built by the Portuguese, Fort Oranje built by the VOC (Dutch waters. We will make a stop here and visit some natural hot East India Company), and the Kedaton, the palace of the Sultan springs. Later, we will cruise towards Payahe Bay on the of Ternate, with its rich collection of heirlooms. If we are lucky, mainland of . Here, we will go ashore for an we may be privileged enough to enjoy the presence of the afternoon trek towards a lovely waterfall. Sultan and his family. Day 4 - Bacan Day 2 - We will awaken at our first southern-hemisphere anchorage off Today we will visit the island of Tidore, another perfect volcanic Bacans north shore, another seat of historic spice cone rising from the tropical seas. Over breakfast, cruising sultanates. This island is just to the west of the large Moluccan around the northeast coast of Tidore, we will have a magnificent island of Halmahera, a paradise for rare-bird watchers. After view of the extinct Kiematabu volcano that dominates the breakfast we will go exploring ashore at the village of Geti. The island. Its slopes feature plantations of graceful clove trees, island is very rich in bird and insect life, so we will enter the once found only upon this and a few adjacent islands, and so rainforest in the hope of spotting some of the endemic species valuable in world trade that European nations fought for of parrots, cockatoos, lorikeets and perhaps even the elusive centuries to monopolise them. When we reach the old town of cuscus or a rare black macaque. These macaques are the only Soa Siu, local vehicles will bring us high up the slope of the monkeys in Maluku; they were introduced here from North volcano to visit the age-old plantations. Here too, we can visit Sulawesi. The island is also home to the worlds largest bee, the the palace of the Sultan of Tidore a one-time rival to Ternates giant mason bee or chalicodoma pluto. sultan near a Spanish fort undergoing restoration. A seashore monument marks the 1521 visit of Magellans battered fleet on Day 5 - Doworas the first circumnavigation of the world. The afternoon will be Our destination today is the Doworas, a group of islands on the spent snorkelling and exploring the vicinity around one of the eastern side of the south entrance of the Patientie Strait. Here, adjacent islands. we will stop at Doworalamo Island for a few hours of swimming, snorkeling and beach-combing. The Ombak Putih will then take Day 3 - Makian a southerly course for an overnight passage across the Ceram When we wake at sunrise, the view will be of picture-postcard Sea towards the Obi Islands. variety. The three sharp volcanic cones of Ternate, Tidore and Makian lined up in a row makes for an unforgettable image. Day 6 - Obi Latu Island Makian Island is dominated by the volcanic Mount Kiebesi Today, our destination is Obi Latu Island, where mountains clad (1357 metres). In 1988, a series of eruptions nearly split the in forest and clove plantations plunge spectacularly into the

01432 507 280 (within UK) [email protected] | small-cruise-ships.com sea. We will go ashore to visit the village of Manatahan, whose staple food for the native villages on the island, and the local people are migrant Butungese from Sulawesi Tenggara people will show us how they extract the flour from the tree and hundreds of miles to the west. Migration is not unusual in this make bread out of it. In the early afternoon we will make the island world where people are accustomed to moving by boat, crossing to the Banda archipelago. and many islands are little-populated. The picturesque channels around Obi, like all of those we have just cruised through, were Day 9 - once were dotted with the sails of local spice traders, Should the breezes favour us, as we approach Run, the first of Portuguese , Spanish , Dutch jachts and the Banda Islands, we will experience the delightful fragrance of English pinnaces. Now we will encounter communities of nutmeg in the air. The islands have had a long and fascinating friendly fisherfolk and their little craft, or quaint timber history, including being among the most expensive real estate in island-trading craft. the world. Spices, foreign traders, wars, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions have all featured heavily in their chequered Day 7 - past. An amazing historical footnote is the fact that in 1667, Today we will arrive at the mysterious island of Manipa which is under the Treaty of Breda, this small island was ceded by the said to have magical powers because the seafarers on the English to the Dutch in exchange for Manhattan. The Bandas Portugese, Dutch and Japanese ships never landed here despite have attracted regional and international traders for more than occupying all of the surrounding islands. We will stroll through 3,000 years. Prior to 1500, no European had ever landed on the village and visit a distillery for kayu putih oil (similar to their shores, but there had always been Asian traders. After eucalyptus oil and known for its antiseptic qualities) for which rounding Run, we will reach the Island of Ai. Here we will go the area is famous. In the late afternoon, we will spend some ashore on a beautiful beach to meet with the villagers. A short time snorkelling before cruising towards . walk brings us to Fort Revenge, which was built by the English before being captured by the Dutch. Behind the fort we will Day 8 - Saparua explore our first nutmeg plantation, where the evergreen nutmeg This morning is dedicated to exploring Saparua, a former Dutch trees will be identifiable by the hundreds of ripening yellow stronghold in colonial times. The historic Fort Duurstede, fruits that hang from their branches. During lunch, the Ombak located in the heart of Saparua, was established by the Dutch Putih will move to the main Island of Bandaneira. This charming East India Company in 1691. In the early 19th century, it was and quaint little colonial outpost on the island of Neira is the attacked and conquered by Thomas Matulessy, also known as capital town of the Banda Islands and is full of relics of the Pattimura, an Ambonese soldier and national hero of . colonial era: forts, cannons and Dutch-colonial homes. With the This story is told in the museum inside the fort in a realistic Ombak Putih tied up to a palm tree on the waterfront, we will diorama. Later, we will pay a visit to a local earthenware-pottery enjoy an afternoon strolling through the old town viewing the maker. The island is filled with clove trees, sago palms and fruit restored planters mansions, fortifications and churches and get trees. The sago palm produces a flour that has become the

01432 507 280 (within UK) [email protected] | small-cruise-ships.com a feel for its incredible history. We will find that Fort Belgica We will wake to find the Ombak Putih anchored in the harbour built by the was an early blueprint of on the island of Ambon where the Portuguese arrived in 1513 the Pentagon. The population here is an interesting mix of to establish their regional authority. The Portuguese never Malay, Arab, Dutch and Melanesian. At the end of the day, we managed to control the local trade in spices and failed in their will spend a quiet evening under the stars in the lagoon. attempts to establish their authority over the Banda Islands, being driven out by the Dutch in 1605 when the Dutch set up Day 10 - Banda Islands the headquarters of the VOC. Ambon therefore has a rich and Over the course of the morning we will cross over to Lonthor, the colourful history having been within the centre of the largest island in the Banda chain. We will visit the fortress world-altering . After breakfast, depending upon Hollandia and the nutmeg plantation of the last perkenier on flight departure times, we may have a morning programme to the island. The perkeniers were the small land-holder farmers see the town, the markets and explore Ambons history. A timely who managed the plantations for the Dutch; each land parcel departure in the provided transportation will transfer everyone to was known as a perk (plural: perken). We will have lunch on the the Ambon Airport for their selected onward destinations. boat, and in the afternoon there will be time to go snorkelling over the black lava stream that was caused by the eruption of Please Note: Gunung Api. Every effort will be made to carry out our cruise itinerary as planned; however, our itineraries are subject to change at the Day 11 - Banda Islands captains discretion. When touring at sea, weather, currents, and The morning is free to spend at our leisure in Bandaneira. We even harbour masters dont always co-operate with our planned invite the fit and ambitious to make an early morning ascent of itinerary, which sometimes make our planned schedules the Gunung Api volcano. While this is a challenging climb up a challenging or even impossible to carry out. For that reason, our narrow track to an elevation of about 600 metres, the reward written itineraries must be approached with reasonable when reaching the top of the Fire Mountain it is well worth the flexibility. We reserve the right to make alterations due to effort. Revel in a stunning and unforgettable view over the circumstances beyond our control and/or other factors, in the Banda Sea, the surrounding islands, and the crater itself. When best interests of all. Its all part of the adventure. it is time to depart, we will navigate through the Sonnegat (suns gap) between Bandaneira and Gunung Api, most likely under the escort of one or more Kora-Kora, which are long sea canoes, rowed by over a dozen muscled men and used in ancient times to attack the invading colonists. We will then proceed from Banda northeast to Ambon.

Day 12 - Ambon

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The Ombak Putih is a traditional Indonesian custom built from Iron wood by Buginese ship builders. The Ombak Putih is 42 metres long and provides accommodation for up to 24 guests in 12 comfortable cabins. With approximately 400 square meters of public space divided over 2 main decks, the conditioning Ombak Putih offers both open and covered space in Towels and beach towels that are regularly changed abundance, allowing for privacy and serene relaxing. All cabins Valuables and travel documents can be stored in the ship's safe are located below deck and offer private bathroom, portholes, Dining in spacious air conditioned lounge individually controlled air conditioning, and ample storage Teak wooden furniture in lounge, cabins and on deck space including safety deposit box. Led by Captain Feri, 14 Spacious sun and semi-covered decks dedicated crew members coming from all regions of the Free tea, coffee and mineral water archipelago make your stay with us a memorable experience. Excellent food and snacks (vegetarian food on request) Spacious twin shared cabin with twin bunk beds or double bed A selction of wines, cold beer and other alcoholic drinksare Each cabin has a private bathroom with toilet and hot shower offered for sale Washbasin and soap toiletries in your cabin Fresh water on-deck shower Cabins have individually controlled air Outdoor sleeping facilities Professional cruise director Unlimited use of our snorkeling equipment and 2 sea canoes Television, DVD and music center in lounge

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