Leaving Raja Ampat gave me some headaches and struggles because my original plans just wouldn’t flow. Papua didn’t want me to come there yet (too expensive, too much time, and too complicated), so I let the Universe guide me. This is how I ended up in Maluku. My entry point was Ambon, which seemed like a very good first step.
Ambon is a UNESCO city of music and is true to its name. You can hear music wherever you go. No matter if it’s a mosque (of course, not only one), a singing traffic lights or random people with guitars at the food courts. Music is life, and Ambonese people truly live it. And I like visiting well-tuned cities.
I only stayed here for a weekend so couldn’t explore everything, but as the island is not too big, I tried my best.
Getting there and around
I flew with Wings Air from Sorong, and these short-haul flights mean ATR planes (low riders rulz). This was my first time flying this plane, and I love it already.
The airport is out of town, so you need a transfer. You can order a Grab or just agree on a price with one of the taxi drivers courting customers outside. Grab and ojek (taxi) work well in Ambon. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try the (motor) becak or jump on a bemo (I’m too tall and have lived in Indo too long for these things). However, you will spend a lot of money on taxis, and to get out of the city you will need your own transport. So get a scooter!
I rented mine from Ambonise Rental (the first result on Google). They speak English, the hog was in good condition, and I also got a good helmet (this is something really rare in Indonesia). The only flaw of the story is the price. 150k IDR/day is more than high, but this was still less than what I could have spent on ojek. You can probably get a better deal for long-term rentals, but I only needed a bike for 2 days which didn’t leave me too much room to bargain. The fun part is that I paid for a 110cc scooter, but its battery died in a few hours, so they upgraded me to a 125cc one (without extra charge). I think it was a good deal.
I really like that every island in Indonesia has its own driving style. If you spend enough time in the country and drive on your own, you will see and feel that the traffic flows differently on a wide scale.
The people in Ambon drive slowly, but they slalom a lot. This can be confusing, but it’s still safe as long as you keep an eye on the road. The map of the city is simple, after a day you know where you are going. The only struggle is the one-way streets in the centre, which (surprisingly) also applies to scooters.
Side note: Google Maps is terrible in East Indonesia.. nothing is where Google marks it. I recommend using the satellite view and figuring out the routes yourself. Also, I don’t know who pins the locations, but like 80% of them are fake or crap (e.g. people love to mark their private homes as hotels, lol).
A place to stay
Accommodation in Maluku is not cheap. I was travelling alone, so didn’t want to spend too much on a place where I only spend a few nights. I stayed at a RedDoorz, which are usually the shittiest (but cheapest) places. This one (originally a college) was not all that bad.. basic but okay. It was located between the airport and the city center, which made it strategically optimal. If you intend to spend more time in Ambon, I strongly recommend renting an apartment with a kitchen.
Eat what you find
This is a tricky topic. Unfortunately, I cannot say much about it. Mainly because I visited Ambon during Ramadan, which makes it challenging to find food during the daytime. In addition, I ate so much tempeh-egg-rice the previous week that my body could not take any more. If you are not into local street food, then dine-out options are quite limited. What they call western food is just a horrible tasteless plastic thing with no rice and kecap manis and sambal. Also, Sunday seems to be a lazy day with nothing open before 11 am except for the local markets (Pasar Mardika is the ultimate choice in this sense).
At the same time, besides music, Ambon is also the city of supermarkets. There are a crazy number of supermarkets where you can buy literally everything (here comes the kitchen into the picture).
I was not starving but was low on food, and it was a great happiness to find cherry tomatoes, camembert, and sliced fruits. Oh, and French fries (I don’t know why, but I craved that).
Sightseeing in Ambon City
Honestly, there is not much to see. Jembatan Merah Putih is the highlight and impossible to miss. You can stop freely on either side of the bridge, and the sunset is stunning from the middle.
My absolute favourite place is a hidden spot on the riverbank (Pantai Zipur). After leaving the busy road, just follow the alleys to the river, park your bike at the end (close to the wall if you don’t want scratches on it), then walk a few more steps to enjoy this view:
The Pattimura Park and World Peace Gong are okay for a shot but not a big deal. And that’s it. Ambon is for living, not sightseeing.
Exploring Pulau Ambon
Due to the limited time, I decided to discover the southern peninsula (Leitimur). I didn’t want to cram too much in one day, so I took it slow and had an amazing road trip with beautiful weather, stunning scenery, a lit sunset and a full moon.
The start of the day was not even the smoothest: I couldn’t find a place open for breakfast and coffee (as mentioned, lazy Sunday). I ended up with my very first Roti-O (eww..too sweet, probably never again) and a Point Coffee cappuccino (which turned out to be a pretty good one). After being sugar-boosted, I made my way to the westernmost point of Leitimur. Ahh, I loved driving on the coastal road (the small villages along the way are super colourful).
Tanjung Nusaniwe, my first destination, was nothing special. After a checklist photo, I continued my way to the shores.
Being Sunday, the beaches were super busy. If you are the only foreigner (and I didn’t see anyone but me), you are stealing the show wherever you go. I’m not comfortable visiting a beach where I’m the only bule, especially if I don’t have a swimsuit with me (Indonesia is the largest Muslim country, so they don’t like bikinis).
Therefore, Pantai Santai (meaning ‘relaxing beach’) was only a short stopover. I rather spent some time at Pantai Bethesda. The name is probably a biblical reference to the pool with healing powers, and the waves here are sure to wash it all away. This beach is more like a park on the cliff, with beautiful views and a super cute hidden cave (spoiler alert: only skinny people fit through the entrance). It is close to Pintu Kota Beach, which can also be seen from the cliff top.
Then I just cruised around (on roads that are not even marked on Google Maps). A lesser-known fact is that people in Eastern Indonesia are more Christian than Muslim, and it’s funny that they definitely have a thing for Christmas in Ambon. Plus, the sound system in every other house is impressive.. well, music is life, right?!
My last mission for the day was to visit a hill lookout. Again, nothing is where it is pinned. Thanks to this, I missed the road to Sivang Paradise (it was on the other side of the hill), but I still ended up on Gunung Nona. The way up there is such an adventure. You drive through a cemetery, and on the top, you run into the radar of the Air Nav Indonesia (of course, with roosters around). I discovered here a narrow path to the edge of the hill that hid a marvellous view:
Finally, I arrived back in the city before sunset, and the sky, with its clouds and colours, put the cherry on top of a perfect Sunday.
On my last morning, I managed to wake up for a sunrise trip. I adore the early morning colours, fresh air and mist over the land, and Ambon did not disappoint.
This time I headed to the north. Originally I wanted to greet the sunrise at Pantai Liang, but I was a bit late, and it turned out to be a paid beach and was closed anyway. I found an accessible spot a little further, but I have to say, it is not like in the pictures. The coast is littered with plastic and diapers, smells really bad and is absolutely not picturesque at low tide. I didn’t take any photos because it was so upsetting.
Then I decided to make a circle instead of going back the same way. Another tourist attraction in the area is Lubang Buaya Morella, but not particularly interesting either (I only see selfie queens posing here).
While the southern peninsula is more Christian, the northern (Leihitu) is more Muslim. Not surprisingly, the atmosphere is also very different. Somehow I felt less safe, recalled my little knowledge of the conflicts, and frankly, I just wanted to cross the hills as fast as possible and arrive back in the city.
Ambon Manise (meaning ‘beautiful’) is a perfect combination of hills and beaches (unfortunately, pretty dirty ones), rainforests and inhabited areas. I would be happy to come back anytime for a long weekend, and if you feel the wanderlust, then it is an excellent destination for you too.
The Flux in Paradise 