Pulau Saparua Travel Guide

Luggage and bags: In special the bag(s) should be ready to transport with a ship-
dont forget the islands are reached only with a ship.
With ferry special the new speed ship is no such great problem -
but a great problem if there are only the places out or upperdeck are free and it is a sea spray in luv area.
If there is it at speedboat you can congratulate if it is packed it with to think at this.
Ever is the baggage shold be handle easy and the best if it is a little waterproof.
Remember you must over the plank ore the ladder on and offbord.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: 1. Shoes: Sandals for ever! It is a hot area and so as I am know, not greater dangerous deers there.
I guess good tied sandals. Ankle socks (in Bahasa Indonesia: kaos kaki) are useful.
Dont forget the special open sandals for the mandi!
Only for travel overland - I mean in the bush or in the forest:
Good traveller shoes - cause the Sago Palms have merciless spikes and prickles.

2. Clothing: The usual clothing you need in Indonesia.
Cotton shirts (more than 5 -cause usually very quick wet from heat!).
Long trousers (celana panyang).
For bathing or if you tour with canoe better long shorts too.
And at least a warm pullover. Special if you to drive with an "ojek" or so -
in the the driving wind even only 40 km/h it can be cold special in the morning maybe at the way to ferry start. (Hati2 masuk angin- be careful not to catch cold.)

3. Weather: Have the "Payung" - the Umbrella EVERY time with you. From full sun within 15 Minutes can come a tropical rain in Saparua!

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: Not other than usual for Indonesia.
Mosquito net is recommended but only in rain time real need.
An good Apotheke is in Kota Saparua. For first aid an "Hospital umum". But for special medical (for instance allergy) it is better to take it with you.
Special recommended is a ANTIBIOTIC CREME to treat moskito bites. A good creme like Nivea or Florena are a good protection agains little and greater ants (semut).
I myself NOT RECOMMEND insectizides like "Autan" and so on- the Side Effects(Nebenwirkungen) for the skin and the body are in the end to great- and most Moskitos seems to be not disturbed by that.
For the weather is very hot so 30 (+/-5) degrees Celsius and the humidity is usually quite hight it is good to have an little traveller weather station with you.

Cause Saparua (if I `m right from the ground is a coral bank) the water is very hard- it should be remember when washing with soap and so on.

Photo Equipment: More than two cameras!
If you have an old film camera, take it with (films are not developed in Indonesia).
Be careful in wet area and weather at any time.

Camping/Beach/Outdoor Gear: At unknown beach bathing only WITH sandals! Sea urchins! Sharp coral shells!

Miscellaneous: Don`t forget a little surprises (oleh-oleh) for your friends.

And last - but not least....
Have sufficient free time!
Special if your 30 day visa in near the end, have 3 days or more as buffer for return to Airport Jakarta. There are much difficulties on the way back from outer Indonesian islands- bad weather or the delay of the plane or the delay of the ship or maybe the sunday and no ship goes- so it is unable to plan exact. If the 30 days of "visa on arrival" are over, there will be difficulties at airport gate with the immigration!

4 more images

Favorite thing: Some of my favorite places I should name here-
it is a nice little Island under the sun,
and shure a traveller will find out ever new his special favorite places!

From my last travel here I like to remember...

- walking around the wall of the old Fortress "Duurstede" near Kota Saparua in the wuthering wind from Banda sea to south beach, watching out to island roundup, to the blue Banda See waves, the near coast wall over the bay to Paperu and the far shimmering blue island "Nusa Laut" at horizont - all this in remembering history of this place,

-at the "Jembatan", the sea bridge in the northern village Ihamahu at sunday morning, while the young people of village like fishing, or at evening the fishery boats, all that with view to Saparua north coast and "Nusa Ina" the white clouds over near Seram Island,

-at wall of the "Baileo" of the nice northern village in the sun of late afternoon,

and last but not least-

- the nice place for "Siesta" at hight noon, siesta at hight noon, or sitting at the shadowed desk behind the house of bapak family, with the wind whispering storys in the yellow green leaves of banana garden, under the hight "Pohon Kenari" tree...
(a very little impression may be given by the two photos here - and some othere photos at VT there)

Fondest memory: Nice fare Island under the equatorial sun,
remembering peoples and places of pulau Saparua,
the eastern island of the two central Maluku "Pulau Lease",
"naik terus atas ombak-ombak tujuh laut biru"-
rolling home over blue waves of the Seven Seas.