The Banda Islands by public ferry

The Banda Islands are ten specks of volcanic rock in the Banda Sea, about 200 kilometres southeast of Ambon. Until the seventeenth century they were the only place on earth where nutmeg grew. That fact made them wealthy, then contested, then depopulated, and eventually forgotten. The Dutch forts, the Chinese shophouses and the nutmeg groves are still standing, in a town of a few thousand people.

There is no package needed to get here, and no resort strip when you arrive. The route is a flight to Ambon and a ferry across open water. The ferry is the part that decides the trip.

Getting there is the first chapter

Fly into Pattimura Airport (AMQ) in Ambon, then make your way to the ferry terminal. The fast boat to Banda Neira takes roughly six hours in good weather; the overnight ferry is slower, cheaper and considerably more social. Schedules are not published with the reliability of a European rail operator, so build in a spare day on each side and ask at the harbour the moment you land.

There is a small airstrip on Banda Neira, but flights are infrequent and weather-dependent. Most travellers arrive by sea. Bring cash from Ambon: there is no reliable ATM on the islands, and cards are not accepted in homestays, warungs or on boats.

A short history of a spice

Nutmeg was worth more than gold in early modern Europe, and Banda was its only source. Arab, Indian, Chinese and Javanese traders had used the islands for centuries before the Portuguese arrived in 1512. The Dutch followed in 1599, and the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) decided that control of the trade required control of the islands.

In 1621 the VOC, under Jan Pieterszoon Coen, conquered Banda and deported or killed most of its population. The islands were repopulated with enslaved people and Dutch planters. Fort Belgica, begun in 1611 and rebuilt in its current form later that century, still overlooks the harbour. The 1667 Treaty of Breda ended a war between the Dutch and the English: the English gave up their claim to Run, the westernmost Banda island, and received Manhattan in return.

What to do with four days

Banda Neira is small enough to walk in an hour. Start at Fort Belgica, then follow the waterfront past the old governor’s house and the Chinese quarter. The nutmeg groves are on the hillside above town; a local guide can explain the harvest and the difference between nutmeg and mace, which are the seed and the aril of the same fruit.

Climb Gunung Api if the trail is open. The volcano rises about 650 metres straight out of the sea, and the path is steep, hot and loose. It takes three to four hours up and down, and the view from the rim is worth the early start. Check with your host about conditions; the trail is sometimes closed after eruptions or heavy rain.

Across the harbour, Lonthoir and the larger islands have villages, churches and more nutmeg. A local boat can take you across in twenty minutes. On the water, the diving is the other reason to come: walls, drop-offs, turtle grass and, in season, hammerhead sharks. The coral is healthy because the islands are remote and the fishing pressure is low.

Where to sleep and what to eat

Accommodation is mostly homestays and small guesthouses in Banda Neira and Lonthoir. Rooms are simple, fans are standard, and breakfast usually comes with the room. Book ahead in the dry season, when divers arrive for a week at a time. There are a few dive resorts on the outer islands, but the town is the better base if you want to walk.

Food is fish, rice, sago and whatever the boat brought in. The local market is small and starts early. Nutmeg appears in sweets, jams and a very sweet syrup; try it once. Coffee is strong. Alcohol is limited and expensive; do not expect a bar scene.

When to go

October to April is the calm season, when the crossing is most comfortable and the dive sites on the exposed side are accessible. July to September is windier, with rougher seas and occasional cancelled boats. The islands are quiet year-round; the busiest weeks are around Eid and the school holidays in July.

Banda is not a place to tick off. The pleasure is in the scale: a town you can cross in ten minutes, a volcano you can climb before lunch, and a history that explains the shape of the harbour. Stay long enough to see the ferry leave without you.