MALUKU & PAPUA TRAVEL GUIDE
Papua and Maluku make up the true “Wild East” of Indonesia. This is a region that feels far, far away from civilization but makes up for what it lacks in creature comforts with diverse culture and incredible wildlife. Most of the islands in this region are sparsely populated and there is limited infrastructure but in many ways that makes them some of the most authentic and unique places to visit in the entire country. In this blog I’ll divide the region into North and South Maluku and Papua to try and give an overview of some of the highlights of one of my favorite regions in Indonesia.
Most travelers come here for the remote highlands that are still filled with indigenous tribes and ancient rites like the popular Baliem Valley, trekking through tribal villages and also for the exotic jungle of Lorentz National Park which has the highest mountain of Indonesia, the Puncak Jaya (Cartensz Pyramid). The flora and fauna found here are a myriad of species that are similar to those found in Australia but well adapted to the mountainous rainforest of Papua.
To the west of Papua, lies the Maluku Islands, also known as Moluccas or Spice Islands, which is to the east of Sulawesi. Wedged in between these two large area, these many tiny islands are largely unexplored and very much on the list as off the beaten tracks of Indonesia travel. The gateway here is via Ambon, its largest city with airport. Most travelers come here to experience the interesting historical and cultural sites, snorkeling and diving off the coasts and also hiking and trekking.
Ora Beach
Home to some incredible bird life, dense jungles and one of the most spectacular bays on the planet. Ora Beach Resort is the most well known hotel in the area but there are a few cheaper guesthouses in the same bay if you don’t want to pay the price for Ora Beach Resort. Of course, you get what you pay for so expect a very basic stay if you stay in one of the guesthouses. We loved our simple over the water bungalow at Kakatua Guesthouse but since this is a remote region I would not recommend staying at a guesthouse unless you have some understanding of Bahasa Indonesia so that you will be able to communicate with your hosts. Sitting on our balcony with the cool ocean breeze watching the mist rise over the jungle clad mountains was an amazing experience. Walking through the jungle looking for unique birds and insects on this lush island was also fascinating. The whole thing is basically bursting with life, especially compared to the quiet degraded jungles in most of the national parks on Java near Jakarta (with the exception of Ujung Kulon National Park which is amazing).
Going to Seram is like going back in time to the Garden of Eden and while the trip out there is difficult and isn’t particularly cheap the journey is 100% worthwhile for anyone interested in going to a pristine natural environment or with even a passing interest in birdwatching. If you stay at Kakatua Guesthouse it’s worth paying for the guide to take you to the “Butterfly Garden”. While this sounds underwhelming and his price is pretty high that is because you are actually hiring him to be your private guide for the afternoon to trek up into the jungle and he will happily show you unique insects and birds along the way as well as the amazing butterflies that nest in the garden of flowering plants in the jungle. I only wish I’d been able to hire him to take me birding on another day, he was an excellent and knowledgeable local guide.
Seram has more than just birdwatching and trips into the jungle. You can arrange snorkeling trips to Pulau Tuju from Ora Beach or Kakatua and this is a trip that is very worthwhile. The water at Pulau Tuju is spectacularly clear and the reefs are in great shape. You can do some simple snorkeling around the resorts but Pulau Tuju has much nicer reefs as well as some very nice sandy beaches to relax and eat lunch on. Seram is also known for it’s many species of Butterflies including some unique and beautiful endemics.
Banda
The Maluku’s hold one of Indonesia’s historic treasures: The Banda Islands. A few hundred years ago these were the most valuable and sought after islands in the world. They were the only place on the planet where nutmeg grew and it was the most valuable spice in the world. The early Indonesian kingdom of Sriwijaya drew it’s power from controlling the spice trade from these islands. When Columbus accidentally discovered the America’s he was looking for the Banda Islands. When Magellan circumnavigated the globe (well, his crew did, he died on the trip) he was looking for a route to the Banda Islands. The entire European age of Exploration (and colonization) was driven by the quest to find and control the spice trade in the Banda Islands. Wars and massacres occurred in the battle to secure control of these tiny remote islands which even today are difficult to get to and remnants of those wars and the history behind them litter the islands themselves even today.
A trip to the Banda Islands begins with a flight from Jakarta to Ambon and a transfer to a ferry at the same port you head to in order to get to Seram. The difference is the fast ferry to the Banda’s is 5-6 hours long instead of 2, only leaves twice a week instead of daily, and is actually quite unreliable on whether it will leave or not. When we got to the port and asked to pay for a ticket they put us in a waiting room and began giving us a bunch of different answers about whether the boat was going to go that day. Then we received multiple different excuses about why it was not going (not enough passengers, the army commandeered it, the boat wasn’t actually there). We had to figure out how to salvage our trip since we were on a tight schedule and the options were limited. There is a flight from Ambon that can only be booked at the airport and is even more unreliable than the boat schedule. There are regular Pelni slow boats, but they run on their own schedule and one wasn’t departing that day (although this is probably the surest way to make sure you would actually get there if you planned your trip around the Pelni schedule).
We finally asked around and were told we could charter a speed boat to the islands. Since there were 10 or so of us that had wanted to go that day the price when split 10 ways was about 2x the normal price of the fast ferry and the weather looked great so we decided to give it a shot. It was a 6+ hour journey in our small speedboat and since the sea was glassy smooth we had a pleasant trip eventually seeing the volcanic shape of Banda Api appear out of the water and sea birds begin to join our boat on our journey as we approached the islands. I could only marvel at what it must have felt like to do this journey on an old sailing vessel. At that point I realized just how far we’d come in our small speedboat and how dangerous it was. There is NOTHING between Ambon and Banda but the open sea and if a big storm had blown in while we were on that crossing it could have been incredibly dangerous. FOR THIS REASON PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS IF THE WEATHER IS ANYTHING BUT PERFECT (and even then, think twice before doing it). Hiring a speedboat worked out beautifully for us but should only be done as a last resort and in perfect weather. Since the weather turned while we were in the Banda’s we didn’t even think about using this route as a way to get back.
The restored old Dutch Fort Belgica dominates the main town of Banda Neira and makes an imposing landmark. You can see it from your boat as you head through the channel and easily imagine how hard it would have been to attack it. It is an enduring symbol of the Dutch grip on these remote islands and a great example of a piece of well preserved history. Go for a walk to explore the fort and take in the stunning views of the surrounding islands from it’s walls and towers. This is also a great spot to try and catch the sunset in the late afternoon.
The remnants of history in the Banda’s go well beyond Fort Belgica. There are numerous other forts scattered around the islands, old colonial manors and literally cannons lying around rusting in the streets. On top of that if you wander around you will find ruined old buildings with inscriptions that are hundreds of years old. A great way to spend an afternoon in Banda is just walking around Banda Neira to find the surprising little bits of history that dot the town.
Raja Ampat
If you are looking for world class diving, exotic birdlife and beautiful landscapes look no further than Raja Ampat. The “Four Kings” region of West Papua offers some of the most pristine nature remaining on earth and is home to a number of endemic species. There are a number of quality dive resorts in the region and this probably the best place in Eastern Indonesia to find truly comfortable high quality resorts. We decided to spend our delayed honeymoon in Raja Ampat in 2015 and splurged on an unlimited diving package at Papua Paradise Eco Resort.
It was worth every penny and more. Papua Paradise is by far the nicest resort I’ve ever stayed at and they paid attention to every detail of our stay. They made all of the transfers smooth, organized a cake for us to celebrate our anniversary and provided us with excellent, personalized service. The resort is situated on it’s own private island with two fantastic coral reefs, over the water bungalows and a wide variety of local bird life including King Fishers, Cockatoos, Parrots, Frigate Birds, and Hornbills.
One of the real perks of Doberai however, is the island itself, it is just stunning. The over the water bungalows are situated in a calm bay with stunning views in every direction and bird filled forest out back. They have kayaks and some good snorkeling around the island itself as well as arranging trips all throughout Raja Ampat. Doberai added really good value for their trips by tacking on extra stops for snorkeling in order to make the most of your time if you pay for a boat rental to head out to something like the must see viewpoint at Pianemo. On our way there we went through the passage and on the way back we took a different route to our resort, making a giant circling and enabling us to stop off and snorkel at Arborek as well all in one trip and for one price.
Another highlight of this second trip to Raja Ampat for me was the chance to finally see the Red Bird of Paradise! In 2015 the forest fires had driven them away, in 2016 we went looking for them and failed and finally on the third time I got a glorious hour of sightings with about 5 different birds dancing in their display tree! If you are interested in birding for the birds of paradise Doberai can set you up with Benny who is an excellent bird guide who lives near Sapokren village and speaks good English. If birding is your main goal and you are tight on cash you could just stay at Benny’s homestay, Yenkangkanes Homestay as a budget option. I did a morning trip over from Doberai which is about 20-30 minutes away by boat. They have the Wilson’s bird of paradise there as well and Benny can take you to see it as well but unfortunately I didn’t have time on this trip. If I go back that will be on the top of my list.
For most people, however, it is the incredible diving that draws them to Raja Ampat. There is an utterly amazing quantity and variety of fish in the region as well as the opportunity to small things like pigmy sea horses and big things like Manta Rays and sharks. One of my favorite experiences during our time in Raja Ampat was getting surrounded by a tornado of fish on one of our dives and just swimming through a swarm of them. It was unreal!
If you are visiting Raja Ampat you will want to include a day trip to the Fam Islands (Pianemo) to see and take pictures of the amazing viewpoint there. It is one of the icons of Raja Ampat and is like the miniature version of the Wayag viewpoint. Fam is much easier to get too but if you are really adventurous and have the budget go for the Wayag viewpoint as well! These are day trips you will always remember and you should be able to combine your trips out to the viewpoints with some diving or snorkeling along the day. One of the best spots that we saw pigmy seahorses diving in Raja Ampat was out near the Fam Islands.
Getting to Raja Ampat takes some time and effort but is pretty straightforward these days. There are flights from Jakarta to Sorong in Papua. Once you get there you can either try and catch the Express Bahari ferry to Wasai, the main town in Raja Ampat and get picked up by your resort there or some of the nicer resorts will arrange more expensive direct transfers from Sorong. Some resorts even package a direct pickup in with their normal weekly prices. It is often a good idea to spend a night in Sorong on each end of your travel so that you can rest and fully enjoy Raja Ampat while you are there.