MALUKU almost toogoodtobetrue. Indonesiaandrevelwind downmanygears,learnBahasa inatropicaldiscovery thatseems rightinfrontofyourguesthouse,thisistheidealplacefortravellerskelling prepared to islands andexplore visa. allwellwithinthelimitsofatwo-month ruinedDutchfortresses, Maluku’smesmerisingvolcano Bandas, explore North thebeach-strewn Islands,survey Kei prove infuriatinglyinconvenient, thebrilliant withflexibilityandpatienceyoucansnorkel welcoming cultures can envelops visitorswithanalmostPolynesiancharm.Whiletransport has longsincereturned tothisscattering ofidyllicislandswhere thecomplexwebofeffusively ries ofabriefyettragically destructive periodofintercommunal (1999–2002).Butpeace conflict and Maluku(formerly‘theMoluccas’)hasdroppedoutofglobalconsciousness. whole processofEuropean colonisationinAsia. Todayspiceshave minimaleconomicclout ‘grow ontrees’. Incredibly, the itwasthesearchforMaluku’svaluablespicesthatkick-started were globalcommoditiesthatgrew nowhere else, Maluku wasaplacewhere moneyreally did Welcome totheoriginal ‘spiceislands’.Backinthe16thcenturywhen nutmeg,cloves andmace Maluku 724 With picture-perfect desert-island beaches at backpacker pricesandworld-classsnor beachesatbackpacker desert-island With picture-perfect The region isprotected andmemo frommasstourismbydistance,unpredictable transport HIGHLIGHTS
POPULATION: 2.1 MILLION Unwinding at
est white sand undiscoveredvirtually sweepsofthepur Pasir Panjang ( p767 ), twostunningyet tered around islandsscatWWII remnants onthedesert Discovering idyllicempty beachesand neighbouring volcanicconeof onto thejungle-furred as thesunsetburnishesgoldenhighlights Dining atFloridason Banda Islands someoftheworld’sfinestaccessiblecoral Snorkelling gardens inthehistoricallyfascinating diving potential beaches, friendlyvillagesandextensive tourism discovers the island’swhite-sand Pulau Saparua ( p751 ) before mainstream Staying atoneoftheoffbeatgetaways on
Morotai ( p740 ) Ohoidertawun Ohoidertawun Pulau Tidore
( p756)
Pulau Ternate
( p735) 77) or ( p767) LAND AREA: 85,728 SQKM LANDAREA:
( p733)
Pulau Ternate Pulau Tidore
Pulau Saparua HIGHEST PEAK: GUNUNG HIGHESTPEAK: BINAYA(3027M) Morotai
Islands Banda Pasir Panjang Ohoidertawun P AU
lonelyplanet.com MALUKU •• History 725
0 200 km MALUKU (THE MOLUCCAS) 0 120 miles
Pulau Morotai C E L E B E S S E A Soasio Berebere Daruba Bitung (Galela) Manado Tobelo Ibu Jailolo Lolobata P A C I F I C Kao Kota Ternate H A L M A H E R A Sidangoli SULAWESI Pulau Ternate Buli S E A O C E A N Pulau Tidore Sofifi Soa Siu Kobe Pulau Moti Patani Weda Equator Pulau Makian Pulau Equator Pulau Kayoa Pulau Waigeo Halmahera Pulau Gebe Saketa
M A L U K U Babang Pulau MALUKU S E A Bacan Batanta Manokwari Islands Labuha Sorong Gebe Pulau Pulau Fala Pulau Salawati Taliabu Mangole Laiwui Pulau
Dofa Mangole PAPUA Pulau Obi Misool Sanana Selat Bobong Lambelu Kioiwui Sula Islands Manaf Pulau S E R A M S E A Sanana Teluk NORTH MALUKU Pulau Berau Seram Wahai Pulau Taniwel Jikumerasa Kobi Fak-Fak Airbuaya Buru Piru Sawai Hatumetan Bula Masohi & Fogi Namlea Amahai Manusela Kaimana MALUKU Wamsisi Kota Saparua Tehoru National Park Leksula Pulau Pulau Saparua Geser Urung Namrole Ambon Kota LEASE Pulau Ambon Bandaneira Runduma ISLANDS Banda Islands Pulau Kei Islands Moromaho B A N D A S E A Pulau Tual Elat Lucipara Langgur Dobo
Benjina Aru Pulau Islands Teun Tanimbar Larat F L O R E S Pulau Pulau Islands Pulau Damar South-East Aru S E A Nila Pulau Marine Reserve Pulau Romang Yamdena Wetar Pulau Sangliat Dol Tepa Iliwaki Babar Tumbur Pulau Pulau Kisar A R A F U R A Alor Saumlaki Wonreli Pulau S E A Serwaru Pulau Sermata Pulau EAST TIMOR Leti Selaru HISTORY and the Persian Gulf. This made them vastly Precolonial Times expensive. Eventually, Europeans figured out The name Maluku probably originated as that they could save money by seeking the Jazirat-al-Muluk (Land of Many Kings). The source of the spices for themselves. ‘kings’ in question ruled Ternate, Tidore, Bacan and other Maluku ‘spice islands’. Their The Portuguese majestic fleets of kora-kora war canoes po- The Portuguese showed up in 1510. Their liced empires that sometimes extended as far intercontinental expedition incurred awful afield as Sulawesi and Papua. Their fabulous losses of lives and ships but still managed to wealth came from a global monopoly of clove prove financially profitable. The Portuguese and other spice production. Spices preserved cheekily tried to reduce their costs by demand food in a world without refrigerators. And ing a trade monopoly. Without any intention they complemented leeches to offer the best to respect such terms, Ternate’s sultan agreed available medical hope against an array of to a Portuguese clove monopoly in return medieval ailments. By the 1st century AD, for help against arch-enemy Tidore. Tidore Maluku spices were reaching Europe via tor- responded by enlisting Spanish military as tuous and risky caravan routes through India sistance. Consistently committing cultural