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…
Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images
Banda Islands
Combining natural beauty, a warm local heart, and a palpable and fascinating history, this remote cluster of 10 picturesque islands isn't just Maluku’s choice travel destination, it's one of the best in Indonesia. Particularly impressive undersea drop-offs are vibrantly plastered with multicoloured coral gardens offering superlative snorkelling and diving. The central islands – Pulau Neira and Pulau Banda Besar (the great nutmeg island) – curl in picturesque crescents around a pocket-sized tropical Mt Fuji (Gunung Api, 656m).
Attractions
Must-see attractions
-
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…
-
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…
-
Banda Islands
Bandaneira’s little museum displays colonial artefacts including coins, silverware, crockery, pipes, swords and flintlock pistols and muskets. There's…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Banda Islands
This massive columned house, owned by the daughter of the last Banda king, has a leafy courtyard, high ceilings and, in the the master bathroom, a stone…