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Pro
Friendly people, cheap accommodation, amazing snorkelling
Con
Transport to the islands can be difficult but....
In a nutshell
Well worth the effort, some of the best snorkelling ever
Daihappydai Says: Take a trip over to Lonthoir on Banda Besar for a chance to see a very relaxed village and some great views. Up the steep main street and then a turn right, you will find 'Kuching' well, a cat-shaped well with crystal clear water fit to drink. Further east you reach Benteng...
Meeting the locals on Pulau Ai
Daihappydai Says: Pulau Ai is a one hour trip on a public boat from Bandaneira and it is here I had the chance to chat to some of the friendliest people I have ever met. Take a stroll down Jalan Pelabuhan and you're sure to be met with many 'Selamat Pagi' or 'Selamat Siang'. Many of the...
Roaming the plantations of Pulau Ai
Daihappydai Says: If you have the opportunity to stay on Pulau Ai for a couple of days, take the time to walk through the plantations on the hills south of the village. Start by walking west along Jalan Pelabuhan. When you walls of Welvaren Plantation House, turn left. You can follow tracks...
Daihappydai Says: There is a small entry few to the fort and you can walk around at your leisure, but for a better understanding of the history, it is worth paying a little more to one of the local people to act as a guide for you. Fort Belgica has been restored somewhat and the white-washed...
Daihappydai Says: Just had lunch and needing to fill in some time before more snorkelling - pay a visit to the 300 year old Chinese Temple on Jalan Pelabuhan. The temple may look closed, but gates are usually open, just push and enter. If you are unsure, just say 'boleh' to one of the local...
Playing football at the cemetery
Daihappydai Says: If the weather is not the best for snorkelling, take the time to explore a little of Bandaneira with a visit to the cemeteries. Both the Chinese and old Dutch cemeteries highlight some of the history of the island - they are easy to find, a pleasant ten to fifteen minute...
Daihappydai Says: While there is limited accommodation on Pulau Hatta, it is easy to arrange a day trip to go snorkelling and explore the amazing coral-laden reefs. Trips can be arranged through guesthouses with a day trip costing around 500,000 rupiah which can be shared amongst fellow...
Daihappydai Says: While snorkelling or diving are the usual highlights of a trip to the Banda Islands, there are plenty of other things to do and sights to see. You can't go to the Spice Islands and miss the opportunity of seeing a nutmeg plantation - after all, they were the reason for all...
Helpfulness
There were very few restaurants open in Bandaneira when I visited in January 2011 - but it didn't matter at all. Delfika, Mutiara and Vita guesthouses all prepare meals if you tell them in advance. I was staying in Vita but one day a group of us decided we would eat at Delfika, another night at Mutiara and a few at Vita - all were terrific - with prices between 50,000 and 60,000 rupiah. Its a great opportunity to eat with friends from your guesthouse and to meet travellers staying in other guesthouses. It gives you a perfect chance to arrange a shared boat for snorkelling adventures for the following day.Just notify the guesthouse by midday and you can be sure of a great evening meal. At Mutiara, they are even willing to let you watch and learn how to cook the local favorites.
Favorite Dish: There is fresh fish in abundance but perhaps my favorites were the nutmeg flavored soups and the eggplant. Mutiara served an amazing salad - I was disappointed I didn't get a chance to write down the ingredients for the dressing.
Written Feb 26, 2011
Catching a ferry to Bandaneira
Daihappydai Says: Pelni ferries travel from Ambon to Banda, Banda to Tual (in the Kei Islands), Tual to Banda, and Banda to Ambon. There are a number of classes on the ferries 'ekonomi', 'kelas tiga', 'kelas dua' and 'kelas satu' depending on the ferry. If travelling on a budget, the ferry is...
Travelling between the Banda Islands
Daihappydai Says: It is easy to catch a public boat to take you to several of the Banda Islands from Bandaneira. Boats for Lonthoir and other places on Banda Besar leave frequently. There are at least two boats per day to Pulau Ai, and it is easy to get across to Pulau Gunung Api at most...
Flying NBA from Ambon to Bandanaira
Daihappydai Says: Nusantara Buana Airways (NBA) have been given another governement subsidised contract to fly Ambon - Banda - Ambon two days a week - Saturday and Wednesday. The plane is an 18 seater and price was 320,000 rupiah in January 2011 (the price will depend on how large the...
lotharscheer Says: New private airline, NBA, from Ambon to Bandnaira: Wednesday and Saturday, from Masohi, Seram Wednesday only. Office is in front of the Marina hotel in Ambon.
lotharscheer Says: Pelni web site is a bit limited and gives only the next departures, there are 2 boats from Ambon to Banda Km. Nggapulu and Km. Ciremai (coming from Makassar, Surabaya...going to Kai islands, Sorong...) running every 2 weeks.
Rent the Boat or Join The Cruise
aj03 Says: If you have extra money you can always rented speedboat. One medium boat for 10-15 people can be rented for 25 million rupiah or around $250 (if 1$=RP10,000). Contact two dive operators in Ambon Blue Rose www.bluerosedivers.com or Maluku Divers www.divingmaluku.com to...
What to buy: Nutmeg candied. It is dried nutmeg fruit's flesh with sugar. taste of sweet and bitterness. Really nice and excotic taste. The more valuable seed is sold for cosmetic, pharmacy etc.
What to pay: Rp10,000 ($1) for three small plastic bag of nutmeg candied
Written Jan 30, 2009
Helpfulness
A short walk from central Bandaneira past Hotel Maulana and adjacent to the turtle conservation farm, there is a steep line of stairs that will take you to the top of a hill, the highest point on Bandaneira, where you will find a cave opening. The cave is in fact a tunnel that was cut through the hill to western side of Bandaneira to transport goods during the World War 2. It is now called 'crying mountain' as the Japanese herded large numbers of the local population into the mountain and executed them. You will need a torch to explore inside the tunnel - slippery when wet!
Written Feb 26, 2011
Snorkelling the Lava Flow of Gunung Api
Daihappydai Says: Gunung Api, right opposite Bandanaira, erupted in 1988. The lava flow is now home to some amazing coral gardens and an abundance of fish. I was amazed that there has been such incredible growth in such a short period of time. Ask a boat driver to take you around to the north...
Snorkeling on Pulau Ai, Banda Islands
Daihappydai Says: There are some great places to snorkel off Pulau Ai and all within walking distance of Ai village. There is some fair snorkeling in calm waters in front of the homestays south of the jetty. There is very good snorkeling off Long Beach on the north east tip of the island...
aj03 Says: Banda has two dives seasons. Once centered around April the other in October. Some prefer November as the best month ever. I dove on January, but still enjoy 30-40 meters visibility. Some of diving sites offfered almost clear crystal water visibility. For nice and close...
Banda Islands - Snorkelling Paradise
The Banda Islands may be difficult to get to but if snorkelling is your thing, it is well worth the effort. There are an abundance of great snorkelling locations, all slightly different from each...
Bandaneira is really small. You can easily walk the entire island within a day. The people in the villages are very warm & friendly & will most likely invite you to take a rest & have a chat with them...
Bandanaira is a realy nice place (old duch buildings and forts, snorkeling, great landscape), diving was both times (2004 and 2007) not possible for technical problems in the only diveshop (hopefully...
One of Indonesia's top destination for divers.
Bandanaira or often dubbed as Banda Neira is the capital of Banda Islands. In this charming little Island where I stayed are full of old Dutch houses and fortresses, despite their isolation. This was...
Bandaneira: The Capital of the Banda Islands
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