Maluku Islands – Indonesia

Maluku Islands, also known as Mollucas or Molluken, an archipelago that lies between Sulawesi Island and Papua Island. Consists of approximately 2896 large and small islands and 2030 of them have not been named and there are hundreds of uninhabited islands. Administratively, the island is divided into two provinces, North Maluku and Maluku.

Maluku Islands is endowed with the richness of spices. In the past, Europeans recognized Maluku Islands as “Spices Islands”. And this was the main cause for Europeans to come and to dominate this area. Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and English competed to monopolize the spices trade from these islands. Later, Japanese occupied this islands during World War II.

The relics of the colonial primarily is fortress. There are so many fortress which had been established in the islands. Even some islands have more than one fortress, like the island of Neira.  There are 2 famous fortress, Fort Belgica and Fort Nassau. Fort Nassau was built in 1609 and Fort Belgica in 1611. Both were built by the VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie / East Indies Trading Company) to control the trade of spices, especially nutmeg, in Neira Island. In addition, as a defense against local communities who oppose the monopoly of the spice trade.

There is also a Fort Victoria in the city of Ambon and Fort Amsterdam is located 42 km from the city of Ambon.

Almost all of the VOC fortress came from the fortress of the Portuguese or the Spanish who then expanded and reinforced by the VOC. And its function is to control the spice trade and defense against local communities who oppose the monopoly of the spice trade .

In addition, there are also many heritage buildings from the empire that once ruled in the Maluku islands, such as Ternate Sultanate, Tidore Sultanate and Bacan Sultanate.

Each still has the sultan and the palace that stands today. However, the function of the current sultan is the successor of the sultanate culture and they do not have any more political power because they are now incorporated in Indonesia Repubilk.

Therefore, sometimes they do not live in his kingdom, for example, the 21th Sultan of Bacan is a computer specialist who lives in Ohio, USA. Actually, there are still Sultanate Jailolo, however its history is still in traced.

Nowadays, the rest of their heritages, especially fortresses dan palaces,  become a wealth of history in the Maluku Islands.

Maluku is also endowed with beautiful nature. There are many islands that have beautiful beaches. In addition, there are many fascinating underwater world and become a popular dive site.

Ora Beach on the Island of Seram, Central Maluku, is one of the beaches that worth to visit. There is a resort that provides 6 wooden cottage with a thatched roof. The  background is the hills of the National Park Manusela. Imagine, a combination of wooden cottages on the clear turquoise waters and green hills of Manusela that makes Ora Beach scenery is so fantastic. Also the underwater world so fascinating and a good dive sites.

Ora beach is just one of the beautiful beaches in the Maluku Islands. There are many more beautiful beaches are stunning.

If you love the history of World War II, then visit the Island of Morotai. Morotai is an island that became the basis for the Japanese Army's defense against the Allied attack. Then, after the Japanese left the island, the Supreme Commander for the West Pacific, General Douglas MacArthur, find that the island is very strategic to be a military base to reclaim the Philippines from the Japanese.

So then, there were  built several airfields and a large hospital with a capacity of 1900 beds. There is also a naval base. At some point, Morotai became the basis for the 60,000 allied troops.

Today, the remains of military bases that can still be found even though most of them have been damaged and destroyed.

In 1974, an ex Japanese Army of World War II, called Teruo Nakamura,  was found still hiding in the forest Morotai. He does not know that the war ended a long time ago.

Maluku Island has been granted with natural beauty, both above as below the sea and of course, this islands attracts divers, sailors and cruise ships from around the world. People say that its beauty can only be matched by Raja Ampat, Papua, which also has an ultimate underwater adventures.

One of the most popular destinations for divers is Banda Islands. Divers, both experts and beginner, will find an amazing diving experinces here. This diving spots have vary the shallow lagoon between Bandaneira and Gunung Api, to the vertical walls of Hatta Island. And some of the globe's most pristine, biologically diverse coral reefs also can be found here.
Besides banda islands, and the islands of Ambon Islands Saparua also has several dive sites with a high rating. You will find everything from sharks, large turtles, schools of Napoleon Wrasse, giant groupers, dogtooth tuna, rays mobula, redtooth triggerfish, various species of whales, spinner dolphins, large lobsters and also endemic Ambon scorpionfish.

Come to Maluku Islands, the best kept secret in Eastern Indonesia.

Indonesia – Beautiful Archipelago Country

Indonesia Archipelago lies between latitudes 11°S and 6°N, and longitudes 95°E and 141°E, in Southeast Asia region, between two continents, Asia and Australia and two oceans, the Pacific and Indian oceans. It is the largest archipelago country in the world with more than 17,508 islands and about 6,000 islands of them are uninhabited. There are 5 major islands, Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Kalimantan and Papua and also some archipelagos,  such as Riau Archipelago, Bangka-Belitung Islands, Maluku Archipelago and Nusa Tenggara Islands.

Indonesia is one of the most popular tourist destinations. Each island and archipelago in Indonesia has its own charm. The beauty of Indonesia is shown in its beaches and natural forests that have been the main attraction for travelers who want a beautiful atmosphere. The arts and culture is a magnet for the tourists who love the expression of soul. And friendliness of people make tourists feel welcome to enjoy the beauty of Indonesia.

Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia  and the sixth largest island in the world at about 480,847.74 km2. It is an elongated landmass spanning a diagonal northwest-southeast axis with the island chain of Simeulue, Nias and Mentawai bordering the southwestern coast and the islands of Bangka and Belitung at the eastern side.
In Sumatra you can pay a visit to Lake Toba in North Sumatra. This lake is a volcanic crater which erupted 75.000 years ago. The landscape is very beautiful with the island of Samosir in the middle. There are several other lakes in Sumatra such as, Lake Maninjau, Lake Singkarak, Lake Kerinci etc. You can also visit the Lagundri and Sorake on the island of Nias, an island in the western  of Sumatra. Sorake and Lagundri are known for very excellent waves for surfing. In West Sumatra, you can visit the town of Bukit Tinggi. There you will enjoy  a very beautiful valley scenery, Ngarai Sianok. If you like hiking, you can hike Mount Kerinci (3,805 ms) , the second highest mountain in Indonesia. You can also visit Weh Island, the most northwest island in Indonesia, to have a beautiful diving spot.

Java is the smallest island  but the most populous one in Indonesia. Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia,  is in this island. Although It is the center of government, business, finance and trade in Indonesia, there are also many attractions you can find here, especially in the “Old City”. You can also come to Bandung in the mountains of West Java. Bandung is known as the shopping city because there are a lot of shopping places. There are many tourist attractions in Bandung such as Mount Tangkuban Perahu and Kawah Putih (White crater). Formerly, Bandung had earned the nickname Parisj van Java.

 Take your time to visit Yogyakarta, a Sultanate that still stands to this day. You can visit the "Keraton", the palace of Sultan,  and Kota Gede as the center of silver craftsmen. Around Yogyakarta, there are many ancient Budhist and Hindhuis Temple, such as the famous Borobudur and Prambanan Temple. Do not forget to go to Mount Bromo while you are in Malang, East Java. Find a very beautiful sunrise there. And for those who love surfing, try G-Land, Banyuwangi or Panaitan Island, Banten. Beat the waves and enjoy the sunshine.


Kalimantan, formerly known as Borneo. In this island, Indonesia shares the land with other countries, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, at the north part.
For adventurers, Kalimantan will became a great experience. There are still a lot of dense forest. Although there already are quite a lot of highway, but the use of water transport is still very closely in daily life. No wonder, because in this island there are a lot of large rivers. On this island, you can visit the Orang Utan rehabilitation center in Tanjung Puting, where they will be trained to become wild again. You can also visit the floating market in Banjarmasin. For divers, try to dive in Lake Kakaban in Kakaban Island.  The lake is unique and there are only 2 in the world, while others are on the island of Palau, Micronesia Islands.


Sulawesi, known to the Portuguese as Celebes before, is an island which its shape almost like the letter of “K”. This island has dense forests and lot of them are still virgin. This will be a good choice for you who like adventuring.
When you travel to Sulawesi, do not forget to visit to Tana Toraja which is famous for their cemetery on the cliffs of stone. You will find a very unique customs there. Also visit Bunaken in Manado. Bunaken is one of the best dive sites in the world. Its underwater life is pristine and very beautiful. There are also Togian Islands, Banggai Islands and Wakatobi  Islands for the options for you to dive.

Papua Island, formerly known as Irian Jaya. This is the second largest island in the world after Greenland.
If you are an adventurer, then a visit to the island of Papua will be able to give you an great experience.
A lot of pure wilderness forests and beatiful virgin beaches are waiting for you. There are many wild predatory animals can be found there and also many tribes that still live isolated from the modern world.
If you love climbing, then Puncak Jaya is waiting to be climbed by you. It cannot be easy to climb since it has snowy peak. This snowy peak is unique and only 2 mountains in equatorial that have snowy peak, Puncak Jaya and Kilimanjaro. Unfortunately, the global warming starts to reduce the snow.
And if you like diving, then your place in the Raja Ampat Islands. Waters of Raja Ampat has a wealth of fauna and flora that are truly extraordinary. The researchers said that the waters of Raja Ampat is on the top position in terms of the diversity of marine life.

In the Riau Islands, you can visit the Island of Bintan. Bintan Island is known for its eco-tourism that encompasses exotic beaches, stunning landscape, aquatic life and nature's marvels. Or you Visit Penyengat, a major landmark of the Bintan Island, for its historical monuments and interesting relics of the past. Adjacent to the Riau archipelago, there are islands of Bangka-Belitung. Bangka island and Belitung Island are the two largest islands in this archipelago.
If you've read the novel Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Troops) by Andrea Hirata, then on the island of Belitung, the story began. In this island you will find a lot of beautiful and unique beaches such as, Matras and Parai Tenggiri Beaches. You can also find Tin Museum of Indonesia that will tell the story of the glory of Bangka and Belitung as a producer of tin in the past.

Maluku is a tropical paradise located in the eastern Indonesia. It consists of many  small and big islands, approximately 353 of them, which spread out surrounding the ocean and not all of the islands are inhabited. However, all of these islands offer magnificent tropical beach. White sand and clear water attract us to do a lot of exciting activities, such as swimming, sunbathing and diving. Well, Maluku is blessed with incredible sea gardens, idyllic, tropical beaches and rugged.
These are the famous ‘spice islands’ which drew Indian, Chinese, Arab and eventually European traders in search of cloves and nutmeg. Portuguese, Dutch and British competed to occupy Maluku Islands. And indigenous peoples struggling against the occupation.
Banda Islands, Halmahera Island, Ternate and Tidore, and also Ambon are a few attraction of Maluku Islands.

Nusa Tenggara Islands, located to the east of Java. Divided into two provinces, West Nusa Tenggara with 2 big islands of Lombok and Sumbawa, and Flores with 3 big islands of Sumba, Flores and Timor. However, there are many small islands in this archipelago.
Terawangan Gili, Gili Meno and Gili Air, Senggigi Beach, Moyo Island and Mount Rinjani National Park are some of attractions of West Nusa Tenggara. While, Mount Kelimutu, Alor Island, Labuan Bajo and Komodo island are become tourism spot in Nusa Tenggara Timur.
You can also enjoy the sensation of a liveaboard in this archipelago.

Bali Island, Indonesia's famous tourist spot and is one of the tourist destination for foreign tourists. The natural beauty, unique culture and beautiful beaches the main attraction of this island. There are many activities to do to spend your holiday on this island.

This is a glimpse of the tourist attractions in Archipelago of Indonesia, I'll tell you more about it. And hopefully could be a reference for you.