Maluku Hotels

The Maluku Islands, also known as the Moluccas or the Spice Islands, are a region of Indonesia lying between Sulawesi and Papua. In the Dutch era, the Moluccas were known as the Spice Islands and were the only place on earth where nutmeg, mace, cloves and several other valuable spices were grown. The over 632 islands Maluku are sprawled across a vast expanse of ocean, sitting astride one of the world's most volatile volcanic belts. Maluku is blessed with incredible sea gardens, idyllic, tropical beaches and rugged, forest-coated volcanic mountains. These are the famous ‘ spice islands' which drew Indian, Chinese, Arab and eventually European traders in search of cloves and nutmeg. In 1511, the Portuguese built their first fort in the area on the island of Ternate, and cornered the clove trade. The Dutch, who arrived in 1599, mounted the first serious threat to Pourtuguese control of Maluku's treasures. Armed conflicts broke out, taking a heavy toll from the island populations as well as the rival European powers. When the Dutch finally emerged as victors they enforced their trade monopoly with an iron fist. Whole villages were razed to the ground and thousands of islanders died, especially on the island of Banda. The British briefly occupied Maluku during the Napoleonic Wars, but Dutch rule was restored in 1814 and it wasn't until 1863 that the compulsory cultivation of spices was abolished in the province. Now fish and other sea products are Maluku's major sources of revenue, but nickel, oil, manganese and various kinds of timber also contribute to the province's wealth. The main gateway into Maluku is through the provincial capital Ambon, which is served by regular flights to most parts of the archipelago. Air and sea transportation connect the islands with 79 seaports and 25 airports. Roads on many of the islands provide acces to the more remote places of interest. The beautiful and unspoilt historic Spice Islands of Maluku have great beaches, old forts and good diving. Ambon is the main gateway to southern Maluku, where the Banda islands are the most popular tourist destination with their colonial architecture, great coral reefs and active volcano. The Kei Islands to the South-East have the best white-sand beaches in all Maluku, if not the World! Closer to Ambon, the Lease Islands have more colonial relics and fine beaches, while mountainous Seram offers great trekking possiblities and a scenic sea-side resort at Sawai Formerly known as ‘the Moluccas', these petite little morsels of paradise are a dream-come-true for seekers of superb snorkelling and picture-perfect white-sand beaches. Protected from mass tourism by distance and a (now outdated) reputation for civil unrest, this is one corner of the world where dreamy desert islands remain remarkably hospitable and inexpensive. In Maluku everything still moves delightfully slowly, except perhaps the lilting sound of Poco Poco, the home-grown answer to line dancing. With rustic but acceptable facilities and not another tourist for miles, this is somewhere to wind down a few gears, to learn Bahasa Indonesia and to revel in a tropical discovery that seems almost too good to be true. Maluku also offers a thrill for history buffs. The Moluccas were the original ‘Spice Islands'. Indian, Chinese, Arab and, later, European adventurers all came here in search of cloves and nutmeg. Until the 16th century such spices were worth their weight in gold and grew nowhere else. Thus in Maluku money literally ‘grew on trees'. Today it's incredible to reflect that the search for this wealth began the whole process of European colonialism. Maluku is remote and timetables aren't always convenient. Nonetheless, with regular flights into the region, and some flexibility and planning once here, it's possible to snorkel thebrilliant Bandas, explore the beach strewn Kei Islands, survey North Maluku's mesmerising volcano-islands and explore ruined Dutch fortresses all within the limits of a one-month visa.