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Maluku

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Ora Beach Maluku.

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Overview

The idyllic islands of Maluku once played an unlikely but hugely important role in global geopolitics and economics. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Maluku was the world's only source of nutmeg, cloves and mace, then vital and very valuable commodities. The search and subsequent fight for control of the Spice Islands (known then as the Moluccas) helped kick-start European colonialism and, thanks to a series of wrong turns and one auspicious land swap, shaped the modern world.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Benteng Belgica

    Benteng Belgica

    Banda Islands

    A classic star fort, the Unesco-nominated Benteng Belgica was built on the hill above Benteng Nassau in 1611, when it became apparent the lower bastion…

  • Pantai Ngurtavur

    Pantai Ngurtavur

    Maluku

    The most popular Instagram and selfie destination in the Kei Islands for domestic tourists, Pantai Ngurtavur is a stunning and slender strip of sand –…

  • Gunung Api

    Gunung Api

    Banda Islands

    The 656m-high still-active volcano of Gunung Api can be climbed for awesome views (especially at sunrise) in two to three hours if you are fit, but the…

  • Benteng Nassau

    Benteng Nassau

    Banda Islands

    Quietly crumbling among tropical foliage, Nassau was the scene of the Banda Massacre, the greatest obscenity in the violent history of Dutch Banda. The…

  • Rumah Budaya

    Rumah Budaya

    Banda Islands

    Bandaneira’s little museum displays colonial artefacts including coins, silverware, crockery, pipes, swords and flintlock pistols and muskets. There's…

  • Hatta’s House

    Hatta’s House

    Banda Islands

    Of three early-20th-century ‘exile houses’ in Banda, Mohammed Hatta’s house is the most appealing. It’s partly furnished and photos of the dissident, his…

  • Istana Mini

    Istana Mini

    Banda Islands

    This grand, atmospheric yet empty 1820s mansion gives a sense of the scale of the Dutch enterprise in the Banda Islands. Once the residence of the…

  • Benteng Hollandia

    Benteng Hollandia

    Banda Islands

    One of Banda's best views is from the chunky, overgrown ruins of Benteng Hollandia. Built in 1624, this was once one of the biggest Dutch fortresses in…

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