Getting to the Banda islands can be challenging. But then, in the words of Anthony Bourdain: You don’t take the A-train to Mecca.
Reaching the Banda islands is challenging. Still, you should go! You’ll be rewarded with the best snorkelling reefs in the world, as well as unique cultural and historical sights of Indonesia’s colonial era.
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The Ambon-Bandaneira Ferry
Chaos surrounds me.
It’s not unlike catching a train during the morning rush, except the morning rush is more organized, dignified even compared to this. The mosh pit of humid bodies is durian flavoured, and the only way out is through.
“Forget your manners, put your chin down on your chest, and use them elbows,” I tell myself as I push forwards, trying to get off the ferry. Masochists would love this.
Somewhere in a forgotten corner of my mind Celine Dion is giving a heartbreaking performance of that Titanic song, while around me, dreams in boxes and plastic-wrapped cheap luxuries push towards the exit. Meanwhile, more oversized cargo is hoisted up and down the side of the ferry with pulleys.
Visually representing disembarking an Indonesian state-run Pelni ferry is a daunting task. A bowl of instant noodles turned upside down would do. No, instead, smashed against a wall would be more accurate. As I said, chaos surrounds me.
Just like us getting off, the boarding passengers have only one way in -through us.
“Hello, mister“, the man squeezing past me going up carries what looks like a headboard for a bed. His face tells me that he must be going home to Papua. Immediately my brain retrieves a file from my cortex.
It reads NatGeo/Cannibal.
“Hello to you too.” I shuffle forward.
One more floor.
One more stairwell.
Many more Hello, Misters.
The heat. The chaos.
Then…
Light and air, down the plank and when my feet finally step on land, it takes a few seconds to sink in…
I HAVE ARRIVED IN THE BANDA ISLANDS
Seeing the Banda Islands today, you’ll be excused for assuming it’s just a collection of ramshackle tin roofs fighting a battle with the tropical vines and downpours, just like many other towns in Indonesia. But it is no other town in Indonesia.
It’s the Bandas!
Rewind a couple of hundred years, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. See, the Bandas’ claim to fame is nutmeg. Yes, that brown spice you sprinkle over pancakes or in your latte when your inner hipster is on the loose.
Nutmeg, schmutmeg, I hear you say.
A Short History of the Spice Islands
Well, back in the day, nutmeg was worth its weight in gold and nutmeg trees only grew on this tiny archipelago, nowhere else on Earth. When the plague broke out in Europe, nutmeg was considered a cure, and the Dutch were the proud owners of a colony where money grew on trees. As a result, nutmeg could be sold at 300 times the purchase price back in Europe. These are the Spice Islands.
This small archipelago was actually a big game-changer in modern history. The spice trade led to Columbus going on a voyage in search of a shortcut. Instead of finding spice, he stumbled upon the Americas.
The Dutch VOC decided to start a pit stop, a B&B if you will, in Cape Town at the foot of Table Mountain. This allowed the VOC ships a place for R&R on their way to and from Batavia (Jakarta). The owners of the B&B are my ancestors. As a result, I was born with a pale skin and a Dutch name under the scorching African sky.
Later, the Dutch panicked when the British wanted in on the lucrative business (as they always did). The Brits had control over nearby Run Island, which is only 20 km away. But Run had no nutmeg. To keep the pesty Poms away, the Dutch traded Run island for another obscure Dutch island to protect their monopoly on the trade. The name of the other island?
Manhattan.
Yes…that Manhattan.
Long story short, somehow, the Brits managed to smuggle a few nutmeg saplings out, which were transplanted in Sri Lanka. As a result, the Dutch lost control over the monopoly, the VOC went bankrupt and, eventually, Indonesia became independent, and the Bandas were forgotten.
Banda Neira
Standing there on the dock, I want to high-five myself for making it here. But more than that, I want, no need a shower. And sleep. Travelling nonstop for almost 3 days, first flying from Seoul to Singapore, connecting to Jakarta before a midnight flight to Ambon, and then overnight on that fucked up challenging ferry, getting to the Banda islands is not easy. More so in July, which is the middle of the rainy season.
Walking to my guesthouse, the scenes confirm that I had indeed arrived in the spice islands. Cloves and cinnamon bark are laid out to dry in front of almost every house. Meanwhile, big bags of nutmeg are hoisted onto the Pelni ferry before it departs again.
After a short and fragrant walk, I reach Vita Guest House. At 100 000 IDR a night (pancake breakfast included), it is hard not to instantly like Vita Guest House.
My ensuite room is right on the water. Open the door, and I can spot mandarin fish swimming around. Vita is actually one of the most accessible places to see these beauties.
I have an unobstructed view of Gunung Api, or fire mountain, across the narrow straight when I look up.
After a much-deserved shower, I hear the ferry horn blowing, and when I look out, I see the fucked up dreadful ferry sailing off into the sunrise. I picture it being loaded to the rafters carrying people in every available space, even in the lifeboats. There are piles of bananas and dreams in boxes and a headboard for a bed for a cannibal’s wife in Papua.
It will be 10 days before the next ferry arrives. And then I give in and surrender to that sweet, sweet thing called sleep.
Colonial Heritage of the Banda Islands
Today Banda Neira, the main town, is crumbling away most beautifully. Here nature is in a manipulative, maybe even abusive, relationship with all this history. The lushness often massages too firmly.
The roots and vines hug too affectionately, and the pouring monsoon doesn’t know when enough is enough. I can just imagine what would happen to these old colonial mansions and forts over time without outside intervention.
But that’s the beauty of it. How it’s slowly falling apart but kept from disappearing. Call it couple-therapy in the tropics, if you will. There is no restoration for the sake of restoration. But things are simply being kept from completely disappearing.
The pentagonal-shaped Fort Belgica, built in the 1620s, is in fairly good condition and offers a sweeping view over Banda Neira and towards Gunung Api.
Walking the streets of Banda Neira, you’ll probably stumble upon one of the many VOC cannons lying around. The streets are lined with gracious colonial mansions, and one doesn’t need a vivid imagination to get an idea of how life must have been here during its heydays.
Another fine example of colonial architecture is the Governor’s palace, now called the Istana Mini. Huge wooden doors with heavily carved beams and shuttered windows hide opulence and shiny marble floors inside.
Outside in the garden is a bust of the Dutch King Willem III rusting away.
The Dutch Reformed Church is another fine colonial building with its tombstone floor.
The architecture and heritage of the Bandas are unique cultural landmarks of Indonesia from the colonial era.
A Guide/Fixer for the Banda Islands
Meeting Maga was a blessing in disguise. July is the middle of the rainy season, and during a downpour of cats and Great Danes, Maga and I end up sheltering under the same roof.
“Hello, mister“, a voice behind the sweet smell of a clove cigarette. A mouse with big eyes. Sharp nose. “After rain, we go see nutmeg trees? Not far“
“OK“, I say, thinking how much I hate being guided around. “Why not” trying to sound optimistic. I have no other plans anyway. And I actually do want to see some nutmeg trees… But I still hate being guided around.
Nutmeg
Maga proves to be a great fixer. He takes me to the spice farmers on his scooter. The farmers cut open the apricot-sized fruit to reveal the fragrant nutmeg wrapped in intricate bright red mace. They showed me how to strip cinnamon bark from a tree and when cloves were ready to be picked.
Racing down the airport runway
Having Maga unlocks the gates of the Benteng Belgica fort. Without him, I wouldn’t see the Dutch names on the tombstone floor inside the church because I wouldn’t have known that the key was 3 doors down at a cousin of someone’s brother. When old buildings don’t excite me anymore, we go racing down the airport runway on scooters with his mates.
Say what? Airport?
Yes, there is an airport. I was getting there, but since you’re asking. During my 10 days in the Bandas, not one single airplane landed at or left this airport. The ferry is still the most reliable way to get to the Banda Islands.
The Real Reason to Come to the Banda Islands
So you are asking: “All that way on a fucked up demoralizing ferry in the middle of the monsoon to ooh and aah over crumbling buildings and some old spice?”
As fascinating as the Bandas are on land, it’s even better once you put your head underwater.
This place will give Jacques Cousteau wet dreams.
Sir David Attenborough will use very un-sir-like words to describe the magnificence of the Banda sea.
I, well, the snorkelling left me speechless. Smack bang in the middle of the coral triangle with crystal clear water and an abundance of sea life-this is the reason why you will want to get to the Banda Islands.
Where to Snorkel in the Banda Islands
Arguably the best place to snorkel is on the side of the volcano where the recent lava flow drops into the sea. Taking a ketingting (motorized canoe) takes about 30 minutes and 50 000 IDR.
Coral gardens, no forests, await. It’s a whole new world once your head is underwater.
The fish are like paintings made by kindergartners on acid. You’ll drift over flat coral the size of your dining table and coral tubes grown men can disappear into. All the usual suspects are here: Nemo, trigger and parrotfish, moray eels, you name it. The sheer number of fish is astonishing.
Nearby, tiny Karaka island lacks the amazing coral seen at the lava flow but makes up for it in big fish. It also has a small sandy beach compared to the rocky shore at the lava flow. Here I see huge napoleons and barracudas as well as an enormous sea snake.
On one side of the island, I see all the smaller fish in the shallows, and then as you swim around the tip of the island, it drops off into the abyss. It is like floating in a humongous cobalt blue pot of everything and nothing simultaneously -utterly surreal and quite hard to explain.
Get some Nasi Goreng or doughnuts from one of the women in the market and bring them with you. All that swimming works up an appetite.
Visiting Pulau Ay/Ai
I go to nearby Pulau Ay (also spelt Ai) for 2 nights. Just like in Banda Neira, I am the only tourist on the island.
“We are full from November to March”, says Ardy from Ardy’s homestay, and he takes out his guestbook to show me. “People from Italy, Germany and Slovenia come here for weeks, sometimes a whole month,” he says proudly.
During my two nights here, I didn’t get to see Ay’s fabled snorkelling sites. Cats and Great Danes are coming down again, and the sea is rough and murky. Between rains, I look for chards of Delft on the beach and walk dwarfed between giant Kenari (almond) trees.
These almond trees are hundreds of years old and were planted to provide shade for the shade-loving nutmeg trees.
Ardy’s is the only place open during my visit. The Green Coconut right on the beach looks fantastic but is unfortunately closed.
Ardy is a solid choice with very comfy beds, good food, and an endless flow of coffee and fried bananas over good conversations. When I’m here again, I wouldn’t mind staying at Ardy’s for a couple of weeks. Perhaps even a month.
Climbing Banda Api
Back in Bandaneira, I still want to do one thing.
“Just walk. Straight up. Maybe 2 hours up.” Maga’s smoking hand points to the top. And with these directions, I set out to climb Gunung Api (Fire Mountain).
Halfway up, still between the ferns and lushness, the heavens open and starts pouring. I am cold, soaked and miserable.
Turning back is no option, so I soldier on until the trees fade away. Meanwhile, mother nature hates me as the rain keeps soaking me.
There is no view when I finally reach the top. Nothing but grey, wet, doom and gloom. Feeling sorry for myself, I sit down on top of that fire mountain to catch my breath before making my way down. There is no reason to hang around. I just need some rest.
Sitting there, defeated, I take off my shoes to dry out my socks. At first, I think my mind is playing tricks on me. But no… the ground IS hot. The loose gravel is steaming hot. I buried my feet under it, then lay flat on my back to soak up the heat. I can’t help but smile while the rain keeps pounding my face.
Not long after, the rain briefly stops, the clouds roll out, and life is perfect.
Gunung Api is over 600 meters in height, but the path goes straight up, and the incline is quite steep. It should take you 2 hours each way.
The Pelni shows up again 10 days later (and 12 hours behind schedule.)
Sitting somewhat comfortably outside on deck 3 on bags of onions, I watch the Bandas disappear. I think about what a struggle it was to get here. And what a struggle it is to leave.
PELNI Ferry to the Banda Islands
You first need to get to Ambon, the capital of Maluku province. Direct flights from Jakarta or Makassar will get you to Ambon.
PELNI ferry is the cheapest, most reliable, yet most uncomfortable way to get to the Banda Islands. They run twice a month, starting in Ambon and stopping in Banda Neira before continuing towards Tual in the Kei Islands and farther East to Papua.
Take a look at the Pelni ferry schedule and plan your trip to the Bandas to fit the ferry schedule. Remember that these schedules are not set in stone, so leave at least a day before and after your stay open to make up for possible delays. My ferry leaving Banda Neira to the Kei islands arrived 12 hours behind schedule.
Ekonomi class will get you space anywhere you can find, even in the lifeboats. While this is the cheapest, I will not take Ekonomi class ever again. Ekonomi it’s a great experience, and EVERYONE will come and talk to you and try to help you, but I suggest getting a cabin. You can lock your cabin and leave your bags inside while still hanging with the commoners outside on the decks. Food ( Fried chicken, Nasi goreng and snacks) are also for sale.
When looking at the schedule, you want to go from AMBON to BANDA NAIRA. I did not book the ticket online, but it sure is handy for seeing the schedule. I booked my ticket a few hours before departure at the Pelni office at the harbour in Ambon. The journey from Ambon to Banda takes between 8 and 14 hours.
The port in the Kei islands is shown as TUAL. The Kei islands have perhaps the best beaches in Indonesia, so definitely head that way while you’re in the region.
Flights to the Banda Islands
In theory, there should be regular flights between Ambon and Banda Neira. In reality, these flights are fickle and not reliable. Susi Air (https://susiair.com/) operates “regular” flights on small 15-seater planes.
The baggage allowance is only 10 kg. Flights should take about an hour and cost around 330 000 IDR. These flights can’t be booked online, only at their office at the airport.
Fast Ferry to the Banda Islands
There used to be a fast ferry between Ambon and Bandaneira on Tuesday and Saturday, returning to Ambon the next day. However, readers report that this service is no more. So it seems that the slow boat remains king!
Please let us know if you have any updates on the fast ferries.
Where to Stay in the Banda Islands
Vita Guest House: I stayed at Vita Guest House and was very happy with everything. Vita has 7 clean rooms, beds are comfy, comes with western toilets and cold showers (you won’t need hot water in this weather) and overall offers excellent value for money. Fan room is 100 000 rupiah per night, and rooms with aircon are also available.
Breakfast is included and consists of bread or pancakes, nutmeg jam, fruit, tea and coffee.
Set around a courtyard with a wooden jetty overlooking Gunung Api, Vita is a great place to relax.
Snorkelling gear (masks, snorkels, fins) are available for rent. The quality isn’t that good, so it’s better to bring your own. They can also help with boat charter.
You can contact Vita on +62 812-4706-7099, or email allan.darman@gmail.com
Delfika: Delfika 1&2 are at two separate locations but have the same owner.
Delfika 1 oozes ambience and has a fantastic cafe. You should definitely come here to eat.
Delfika 2 is just down the street from Vita and also has a waterside location. The rooms look modern and clean. Fan and aircon rooms are available and go for 250 000 – 300 000 rupiah per night, including breakfast.
You can contact Delfika by email at delfika1@yahoo.com.
Where to Eat in Bandaneira
Breakfast will probably be included in your room. If not, the daily market has lots of options. The doughnuts and sweet sago pancakes and treats are superb. When going snorkelling or hiking for the day, it’s a good idea to get some food packed to take with you.
Delfika 1, set in a former perkenier mansion, looks like an excellent place to stay. Even if not staying here, you should really come here for dinner. The eggplant in kenari (almond) sauce and garlic bread are highly recommended. The grilled fish is a solid choice too.
Best Time to Visit the Banda Islands
Maluku province, and the Banda islands, have the opposite weather pattern to the rest of Indonesia. While June-August are great months for the rest of the country, these months are the wettest in the Bandas. When I went at the end of June, it rained every day.
According to Maga, the best months to visit the Banda Islands are months with an R in them: January, February, March, April, September, October, November and December.
Rain tends to come down in HEAVY tropical downpours, which last just an hour or two. Rain falls mainly early in the morning, late afternoon or at night. As a result of the rain and choppy seas, small boats to nearby islands are often cancelled during the rainy season.
No boats were running to Hatta Island at all because of this, which was very disappointing.
I’d say that days were 60/40% between rain and sunshine.
What to Do in the Banda Islands
- Snorkel Snorkel Snorkel!
- Climb to the top of Gunung Api for a breathtaking view of the Archipelago
- Go to Banda Besar. Stop at the pearl farm before heading up to Lonthoir for another great view
- Go to Pulau Ay for a few days
- Look for mandarin fish under the deck at Vita Guesthouse
- Chat with the fishermen at the market. They love showing off their catch
- Watch the sunset from the runway
- Go to Pulau Hatta for a few days if boats are running
How I Shot This Guide
Every photograph in this article was taken with the exact same gear I carry on every journey. It is a setup refined over years on the road to keep travel light without compromising the final image.
- Camera: Sony A7 V
- Lens: Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art
- Storage: SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD
- Software: Adobe Lightroom Classic
- My travel essential: Ray-Ban Wayfarer
Have a good time in the Bandas! Good luck with THAT ferry, and let us know in the comments below if there is a better place to snorkel than the Bandas ✌️
Hello!
As a Slovenian reading this article, I am really surprised to hear us mentioned as customers on Pulau Ai since I cannot seem to find any kind of information on our slovenian forums.,but I guess a dive club is organizing the whole thing and keeping it undercover….haha will have to ask around. I always seem to find a fellow slovenian traveler on the other side of the world even though there is only 2 millions of us :-).
But you have confirmed that maybe my plan for Indonesia in November, I will have to continue from Raja Ampat to Banda Islands and Sulawesi to try to avoid the rainy season in Bali, Borneo and others lesser Sunda Islands, but I am worried that even though i will be there in the dry season, that the Covid Situation will yet again make my transits and travel a P*** in the a**. Thank you for your blogs, it always comes in handy reading your impressions and informations on travel.
Regards, Laura
The Bandas, Raja Ampat and Sulawesi sounds like a fantastic trip. I took the ferry from the Bandas to the Kei islands and then flew to Makassar in Southern Sulawesi. September shouldn’t be too wet, but then it is the weather so no one knows. Have a great trip, and hope Covid gives us all a break.
Great travel article as well as excellent and informative photos! (‘A picture is worth a thousand words’). Thank. you. One question though. How in the heck does one get in touch with either Ardy’s Homestay and/or the Green Coconut Resort? I haven’t had any luck finding email or telephone #s on the internet. My wife and I would like to go to Pulau Ai during the upcoming dry season. If the snorkeling is anything like Raja Amat (we were there 5 years back) it would certainly be worth any hassles getting there.
Again, thank you for such a helpful travelogue.
Hi David. We are glad that you found it helpful. I assume that these places don’t have emails or Facebook pages. I have this number for Green Coconut, maybe give it a try on Whatsapp: +62 812 424 106 67. For Ardy, which was fantastic, I have nothing. Once you get to Bandaneira, ask your guesthouse about accommodation on Ai.
I’m just a little jealous of your Banda trip 🙂 Enjoy!!
Thanks for this great and at times quite intimate travel guide.
Will consider Banda islands
Hi. Love this blog post. It’s convinced us to go to Banda Islands next month. Do you have the WhatsApp for Maga?
Sam Air is now flying from Ambon to Banda, presuming rain allows, one-way 380,00 rupiah.
Pemda ferry is a new ferry option in addition to Pelni. Pemda leaves Mondays and Thursdays from Ambon at 21.00, arriving in Bandeira at 06.00, Not sure about the return leg. It’s a new ship. Rp150,000 for an airline-type seat that you can sleep in; Rp190,000 for a bunk bed in a dormitory (single gender) and Rp600,000 for a bunk in a cabin for 4 pax.
Thank you so much for the new information on transportation to the Bandas, Deidra.
Unfortunately I don’t have contact details for Maga. He will probably find you, other wise ask your guesthouse about a guide/fixer.
Great article. Just arrived Ambon and looking for a guide to take us to the food markets. Any tips? We are headed out on a dive boat for 10 days so only have a short time in Ambon.
Hi Cynthia,
I didn’t see much of Ambon besides the ferry terminal. Get an ojek ( motorbike with driver) or a taxi and ask them to take you around town. Someone is sure to know someone who can take you around.
Have a good trip and I hope the food is good!
Try the English fish and chip shop. It’s amazing that they have set one up here but they don’t understand that “fish and chips” are two items. We ordered chips as well as portions are small and they just didn’t understand what we wanted. It had the history of chip shops in Britain all over the wall!
What a really great post – informative, interesting and great photos. Thanks.
Thanks for the information .
Access to the Bandas has changed .
There is no more speed ferry, so it ´s either Pelni ferries or flights .
Sam Air operates 2 flights / week from Ambon to Bandaneira .
Nicolas, thank you for the update. I’ll update my post to reflect your valuable information. Thanks again
Hi there, I am interested in visiting Banda Neira next month and would love some advice! I will be finishing a retreat near Jakarta on the morning of Sunday 15th of September and would like to travel straight to Banda Neira to stay as long as possible but still giving me enough time to return to Jakarta for a flight on Thursday 26th at 18:20. How might the current flight schedules from Ambon line up with a trip here?
Many thanks,
Jasper
Hi Jasper
There should be a few daily direct flights between Jakarta and Ambon. From there you might or might not be able to get a flight to Bandaneira. The Bandaneira flights are not reliable and as far as I know can’t be booked online.
Check the Pelni website for the ferry schedule and see if the schedule works for you.
I suggest arriving back in Ambon at least two days before flying out from Jakarta. The ferry I took from Bandaneira was delayed with 12 hours.
With only 10 days you’ll be cutting it very close but it’s doable with a bit of luck.
Hope it works out for you
I was there fifteen years ago. I was a young 64year old going there on a story from a young lady I met in the Philippines from the USA. She told me about this place and I went the next year. From Bangkok, Thailand it was a journey to say the least. These stories Ive been reading on these blogs lays it out pretty good. Ive backpacked over a lot of this planet and I agree the Bandas was and still is my favorite spot in the world. It would be hard to over sale this place. I will only say buy a ticket and go, you will not regret it.
Hi David,
Wow, Bangkok to the Bandas 15 years ago must’ve been an unforgettable trip. It is indeed a very special place, and every so often I dream of returning there. Perhaps I should just follow your advice and buy a ticket already!
Thank you for a great article. I found Makassar 9 years ago and love Sulawesi. I since married a lady from Makassar and have visited family in Sulawesi and Java. I am turning 74 next year and hope to visit the Banda Islands next year with my daughter. I will not have 10 days to spend there so I will need either a flight or fast ferry to get me back to Ambon. I’m also hoping to do Balikpapan from Makassar and spend a few nights in the jungle with orang-utans. Great post, thank you. Abi
Hi David,
Glad you found it inspiring. I’ve only been to southern Sulawesi (Makassar and Tana Toraja) and liked it a lot. It felt very different from the other Indonesian islands.
I’m sure you have some local knowledge and family to rely on for the most up to date info for your trip to the Bandas. Have a great trip and let us know how you did it when you’re back.