Visit Saparua Island

Saparua is a small island east of Ambon. It takes two hours by ferry from Tulehu (Ambon) to Haria, the main harbour of Saparua. There are also speedboats going up and down, it takes less time but it is less comfortable.
Saparua is a coral island and has the shape of a butterfly. It is quiet and small, the main "town" Saparua is the center of the island. Outside Saparua town are the sago palm, nutmeg and clove plantations. The harvest of the cloves is from august till January. During the harvest the air is filled with the smell of the drying cloves. It is nice to see, all the mats full of cloves laying in the gardens and on the streets. In early days there were some bloody fights because the property of some trees was disputed. Since the goverment has transmigrated hundreds of families to Ceram, there is less tension.

On market days, Wednesday and Saturday, the sleepy town is full of life. It starts early in the morning and from all over the island and from the neighbor islands: Pulau Haruku and Nusa Laut, sellers and buyers are coming. It is also the only time that the mini-buses are going up and down to all the other villages on the island. Special is the variation in smoked fishes. Early in the afternoon the market is over and Saparua is as quiet and empty as always.

In Saparua-town is Benteng Duurstede (an old Dutch fort) a few years ago the restoration of this fort has started. Next to the fort is a museum, which shows the history of the rebellion of Thomas Matulessy alias Pattimura. The rebellion was a reaction on the return of the Dutch. After an incident in Porto and Haria in May 1817, the population under the leadership of Pattimura stormed the fort and killed all the people there, except the 6 years old son of the Dutch resident. The saving of this child gave Matulessy the name Pattimura which means "big of heart". In December 1817 after the Dutch has send a large number of soldiers from Java to break the resistance, Pattimura was executed. the saved boy named himself later on "Van den Berg from Saparua". His descendants still have the same family name.
Other places to visit on Saparua are Booi, a village in the southwest, you can only go there by foot because you enter the village by large stairs.

The village Ouw, 4 kilometers southeast of Saparua, is the center of pottery, they don't use a potters wheels but make everything by hand.

Kulor in the northeast is close to the only spot on the island where there still is a piece of tropical forest. Also around Saparua the coral reefs has been destroyed by fishing with explosives, but still there are some unspoiled spots to snorkel and to dive. Near Kulor, Booi and the uninhabited island Molana you can enjoy undamaged coral and various tropical fishes.

Source:malukutourism.com

Read more...

Maluku Tourism: Diving in Ambon

Diving in the waters of Indonesia is surreal and as you slip into the depths, a whole new world encircles you, enthralls you and each dive is an experience never forgotten. The waters around the Maluku Islands is no exception and probably provides some of the best diving in the archipelago although some will dispute this.

Diving in the waters of Indonesia is surreal and as you slip into the depths, a whole new world encircles you, enthralls you and each dive is an experience never forgotten. The waters around the Maluku Islands is no exception and probably provides some of the best diving in the archipelago although some will dispute this.

The Maluku islands are a string of islands stretching between Sulawesi and Papua in the eastern part of the Indonesian archipelago. Ambon is a tiny island in the middle of this group of island and consists of two peninsula’s connected together in their eastern tip. Most of the diving and snorkelling in Ambon is done along the southern coast. Ambon has a multitude of dive locations. A cluster of tiny islands in the western tip of Ambon called Nusa Tiga is spectacular and in the bigger island of Seram located in the north is another. Other dive locations can be found in Saparua, Molana and Nusa Laut islands to the east of Ambon, about an hour and a half speedboat ride from Latuhalat. A day trip option is the site at Molana island.

Hukurila Cave and Lehari are both outstanding dive sites and in front of Ambon harbour there is a good diving in a wreck of a cargo ship from the Second World War. The ship is still more or less intact. You have to be aware of the tidal situation because at times the current can be quite strong. However in Nusa Tiga, Seram, Molana and Nusa Laut when the current is strong are the best sites for viewing bigger fish, the fish are also abundant.

Although some say the best time for diving in Ambon is around November to January, diving here is all year around. For muck diving, Laha I and Laha II in the southern part of Ambon’s northern peninsula are shallow dive locations with low visibility. Pulau Tiga is a small group of islands found on the Western Coast of Ambon and the number of fish that inhabit the slopes of these small islands is stunning.

A dive operator called Maluku Divers has opened in Latuhalat in the southern part of the island and this small outfit gives good service to divers. Accommodation is provided in the dive center or in the house next door. The rooms are basic but clean, with hot water and air conditioner.

Best Time to Visit :
It is possible to dive Ambon year around. The best months however are from September to May. During the months from May to August diving is the best on the northern side of the islands and also the quite bay of Ambon, but prior arrangement is necessary to ensure divers understand what to expect at this time of year.

Read more...