RegionUsable guide

Maluku

Region and archipelago in eastern Indonesia

Photo: A. Rabin, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The Maluku Islands, also known as the Moluccas or the Spice Islands, are a region of Indonesia lying between Sulawesi and Papua. They are divided into North Maluku Province and Maluku Province.

Getting there and around

Getting there

By ferry
Several ports, such as Ambon, Banda Naira, Ternate, and Tual are served by either Indonesia's national ferry company PELNI, or private companies such as ASDP Indonesia Ferry.

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Getting around

By road
Ambon and Seram island in particular has a decent network of roads reaching all of its villages. Buses, bemos and ojeks are the main forms of public transport, though taxis could also be hired.

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Airports and nearby hotels

Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.

Namniwel Airport

Namniwel · Regional · NAM

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Cities

Ambon

Ambon is an island in the Maluku region of Indonesia and also the name of its largest city: Ambon City. The island consists of two regions: Ambon City and Central Maluku Regency.

Masohi

Masohi is a town of 38,000 people (2020) on the shores of Elpaputih Bay on the south of Seram Island in Maluku. It is a gateway to Manusela National Park and Mount Binaya, the highest mountain in Maluku.

Tobelo

Tobelo is the capital of the North Halmahera district in the Maluku islands of Indonesia. It is also the second largest town in the province of the North Maluku after the provincial capital, Ternate.

Ternate

Ternate is an island in the province of North Maluku, part of the Maluku islands of Indonesia.

Kei Islands

This small group of islands is a must when visiting Ambon and Maluku. Visitors typically spend their time getting massages on the beach, snorkelling, fishing, going for long walks on the beach, going to the caves, or learning how to cook the Maluku way.

Banda Islands

A small group of ten volcanic islands in the Banda Sea. Until the mid-19th century, the Banda Islands were the world's only source of the spices nutmeg and mace, produced from the nutmeg tree. The main town is the historic city of Banda Naira. Banda is a popular destination for scuba diving and snorkelling.

Buru Island

An island with a history of Dutch colonialism and Indonesia's new order. It also has spectacular natural sites.

Morotai Island

Forested island lying to the north of Halmahera. The island has relics of World War II.

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Tidore

Tidore is one of the Maluku islands. Tidore is in many ways similar to Ternate; the islands are about equally big, are both volcanoes rising up from the sea, were the once only places where cloves grew, and sultanates on their own.

Read before you go to Maluku

Articles and travel topics about Maluku and Indonesia.

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Full travel guide

Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.

UnderstandThe 632 islands of Maluku are sprawled across a vast expanse of ocean, sitting astride one of the world’s most volatile volcanic belts.

Get inThere are no international airports in Maluku province. The two main airports of Maluku are in Ternate (North Maluku) and in Ambon:

Get aroundFerries connect major cities and islands in Maluku and are arguably the easiest way (but not the fastest) to travel across the archipelago. For example, a direct trip from Ambon to Ternate may take 18 hours.

SeeSince Maluku is an archipelago, there are lots of white sand beaches and corals islands to explore. Some are locally famous, most are either hard to access or unheard of.

EatThe Maluku islands cuisine is rich with seafood. Some dishes look like ordinary Indonesian dishes (with savory taste and a lot of spices), but some are quite unique both in taste and ingredients.

DrinkMaluku as a region doesn’t have a lot of places specifically designated for nightlife. You might find cafés in bigger city such as Ambon, but that’s about it.

Stay safeMaluku experienced interreligious violence and rioting between 1999 and 2004, with up to 5000 dead, however the region has been peaceful since then.

Stay healthyMalaria is a problem, not only in Maluku but also in many parts of eastern Indonesia; most travellers take preventive drugs.

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Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Maluku" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Maluku Islands", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: A. Rabin, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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