©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd MalukuPOP 2.6 MILLION Includes ¨ Why Go? Pulau Ternate ............. 410 Welcome to the original Spice Islands. Back in the 16th cen- Pulau Tidore ................417 tury when nutmeg, cloves and mace were global commodi- Pulau Halmahera ....... 418 ties that grew nowhere else, money really did ‘grow on trees’. Pulau Ambon .............423 It was the search for the Moluccas’ (Maluku’s) valuable spices that kick-started European colonialism and, thanks to a se- Kota Ambon ...............424 ries of wrong turns and one auspicious land swap, shaped Lease Islands ..............431 the modern world. When the islands’ monopoly on cloves Pulau Seram ..............433 and nutmeg was broken in the 18th century, Maluku settled Banda Islands ............435 into gentle obscurity. Bandaneira................. 437 What remains is a scattering of idyllic islands where the complex web of cultures envelops visitors with an effusive, Pulau Ai ......................443 almost Polynesian charm. While transport can prove infuri- Kei Islands ..................444 atingly inconvenient, with flexibility and patience you can ex- Pulau Kei Besar ..........449 plore pristine reefs, stroll empty stretches of powdery white sand, book idyllic overwater bungalows, scale 16th-century fort walls, snap endless photos of perfectly formed volcanoes, and revel in a tropical discovery that seems almost too good Best Places to to be true. Eat ¨ Floridas (p415) When to Go ¨ Cilu Bintang Estate (p440) Ambon ¨ Delfika Cafe (p440) °C/°F Te mp Rainfall inches/mm 40/104 20/500 ¨ Savana Cottages (p448) 16/400 30/86 ¨ Beta Rumah (p426) 12/300 20/68 8/200 10/50 Best Places to 4/100 Stay -0/32 0 ¨ Cilu Bintang Estate (p440) J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨ CDS Bungalow (p443) Nov–Mar The dry Apr–May & Sep– Jun–Aug Mon- ¨ Bela International Hotel season is the best Oct The shoulder soons prevail dur- (p413) time to visit, with seasons are a good ing the wet season, consistently spec- alternative, espe- upsetting transport ¨ Coaster Cottages (p448) tacular diving. cially for the Banda and shuttering dive ¨ Maluku Divers (p431) and Kei Islands. shops. 408 Pulau 0 200 km Morotai 0 100 miles C E L E B E S S E A Soasio Berebere Manado Bitung (Galela) Daruba P A C I F I C Ibu Tobelo O C E A N Kao Lolobata Jailolo Kota Ternate H A L M A H E R A Pulau Ternate Sidangoli Buli Pulau Tidore Sofifi S E A SULAWESI Soa Siu Kobe Pulau Moti Patani Equator Pulau Makian Weda Equator Pulau Kayoa Pulau Pulau Halmahera Pulau Waigeo Saketa Gebe M A L U K U Babang Pulau S E A Bacan Batanta Manokwari Labuha Sorong Pulau Islands Gebe Pulau Taliabu Fala Pulau Salawati Mangole Laiwui Pulau PAPUA Dofa Mangole Pulau Obi Misool Selat Sanana Lambelu Kioiwui Sula Islands Manaf Pulau S E R A M S E A Sanana Teluk NORTH Pulau Berau MALUKU Seram Wahai Pulau Jikumerasa Taniwel Kobi Airbuaya Buru Bula Fak-Fak MALUKU Piru Sawai Namlea Masohi & Hatumetan Fogi Manusela Kaimana Wamsisi Amahai Kota Saparua Tehoru National Park Pulau Saparua Geser Pulau Urung MALUKU Namrole Ambon Kota Lease H Ambon Islands Bandaneira I a G Pulau Ai Pulau hli Hatta Banda G Kei Islands oromaho Islands hts Pulau Tual Elat Lucipara B A N D A S E A Langgur Dobo Benjina Aru F L O R E S Pulau Islands S E A Teun Tanimbar Larat Pulau Islands Pulau Pulau Damar Nila Pulau Pulau Romang Yamdena Wetar Pulau Sangliat Dol Tepa Babar Iliwaki Pulau Kisar Tumbur Saumlaki A R A F U R A Wonreli Serwaru Pulau Pulau Pulau S E A Alor Pulau Sermata EAST TIMOR Leti Selaru Maluku Highlights 1 Snorkelling and diving sweeps of the purest white mainstream tourism discovers some of the world’s finest sand. the island’s white-sand accessible coral gardens in the 3 Finding a beachside beaches, friendly villages and historically fascinating Banda homestay with coral at your extensive diving potential. Islands (p437). doorstep on Pulau Hatta 5 Plunging into the muck 2 Unwinding at (p442). with Maluku Divers (p431), Ohoidertawun (p447) or 4 Staying at one of the Pulau Ambon’s finest dive Pasir Panjang (p448) in offbeat getaways onPulau operator and most appealing the Kei Islands, two stunning Saparua (p431) before resort..