Benteng TorreFORT
( GOOGLE MAP )F
No less spectacular than its nearby twin, Benteng Tahula, Torre was bult by the Spanish in the early 17th century. Broken lava flows, vivid tropical foliage and commanding views of southern approaches to the island make this a worthy, picturesque traipse up the hill from the centre of Soasio.
Sonyine MaligeMUSEUM
(Sultan's Memorial Museum; GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Lain; h9am-2pm Mon-Fri)
Around 200m north of Benteng Tahula the Sonyine Malige Sultan’s Memorial Museum displays the sultan’s throne and giant spittoons, plus the royal crown topped with cassowary feathers (considered as magical as Ternate’s mahkota).
To enter the museum, you’ll have to first find the curator, Umar Muhammad, who works at the DIKNAS office in the Dinas Pendidikan dan Kebudayan building, 2km north. Umar has been known to demand rather hefty entry fees of up to 100,000Rp.
4Sleeping & Eating
Tidore is easy to visit as a day trip from Ternate, but Soasio has one rather inviting penginapan (simple lodging house).
Penginapan SerojaHOMESTAY$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0921-316 1456; Jl Sultan Hassanuddin; d 275,000Rp; a)
Blessed with tropical blooms and stunning views of Halmahera, this attractive waterside homestay lies 50m north of Benteng Tahula in Old Soasio, and is run by a charming ibu (lady) who can really cook. Its air-con twin rooms are acceptable, but not terribly clean or comfortable; try to grab one with a balcony overlooking the water.
Jawa Timur PrasmananINDONESIAN$
( GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Soasio; mains 15,000-20,000Rp; h9am-9pm Mon-Sat)
One kilometre north of Benteng Tahula and opposite the Transport Ministry office, this place does good renditions of Indonesian hawker staples, including nasi goreng ikan asin (salty fish) and mie goreng (fried noodles).
8Information
The BNI branch in Soasio has an ATM – it's one of the few places to get or change cash on the island, along with ATMs in Rum, Tomalau and Goto.
Around Tidore
Tidore's villages are little more than sleepy clusters of houses, bedecked with woven mats of cloves and nutmeg, blackening in the sun. There are some reasonable beaches: Pantai Akasahu isn't spectacular, but is popular for its modest hot-spring pool. From here the quiet road to Rum is attractive, with fine views over Ternate. A three-minute speedboat hop from Rum, Pulau Maitara has clear blue waters for better snorkelling and swimming. On Tidore's southern coast, Pantai Kajoli is a slender white-sand beach – the island's best – that kisses turquoise shallows. Pulau Mare, just offshore, is famed for its attractive, no-frills pottery. Boat charters (100,000Rp) to and from the island are available from Kajoli or Seli.
8Getting There & Around
Frequent bemos run from Rum to Soasio to Goto (50,000Rp, for the entire 45-minute trip) using the south-coast road. No bemos use the quiet Rum to Mafututu route, but that pretty road is now asphalted. Ojeks circumnavigate the island for negotiable rates (around 150,000Rp).
BOATS FROM PULAU TIDORE
Destination Port Type Fare (Rp) Frequency
Bastiong Rum ferry 5,000 3 daily
Bastiong Rum speedboat 10,000 when full
Sofifi (Pulau Halmahera) Goto speedboat 50,000 when full 7-9am
Pulau Halmahera
Maluku’s biggest island is comprised of four mountainous peninsulas, several volcanic cones and dozens of offshore islands. As it’s sparsely populated and hard to get around, Halmahera’s potential for diving, birdwatching and beach tourism remains almost entirely untapped. But the creation of new regional capitals at Weda (Central Halmahera) and Jailolo (Western Halmahera), along with the recent naming of Sofifi as provincial capital of North Maluku, is stimulating local building booms. The movement of government functions from Ternate and Tidore may finally reverse a history throughout which those tiny islands have dominated Halmahera.
8Getting There & Away
Xpress Air flies to Galela and Kao. Pelni’s Sangiang liner loops around Halmahera once or twice a month from Ternate and/or Bitung (Sulawesi). But by far the most popular access is by speedboat from Ternate. For the northwestern coast head for Jailolo. For Tobelo, Galela and the east, cross initially to Sofifi or Sidangoli. The public boats to Sidangoli (50,000Rp, 30 minutes, leaving when full) are lighter than those that make the Jailolo run and get tossed around by the sea when the swell rises in the afternoon. You can also charter one for 350,000Rp.
Sofifi
Sofifi isn't the most remarkable of towns, despite its new-found prominence as the capital of Malut. While it overlooks pristine mangroves and the sea approach to nearby Ternate, it hasn't yet transcended its simple market-town roots, and serves travellers mainly as a junction on the Tobelo–Ternate route. The grand Kantor Gubernur (Governor's Office) is its most prominent feature, and there are several banks with ATMs. There are two hotels in Sofifi, though unless you are organising a tour deep into the interior, there's no reason to sleep here.
Sofifi–Bastiong speedboats (40 minutes) cost 50,000Rp for fast-filling 12-seaters, and 30,000Rp for bigger versions that might take an hour to fill up. Kijangs bound for Tobelo (100,000Rp, 3½ hours) and Weda (150,000Rp) and taxis (500,000Rp to Tobelo) wait by the dock till early afternoon.
5Eating
Simpang RayaINDONESIAN$
(Jl Raya Gurapin; meals 20,000-30,000Rp; h8am-10pm)
A clean and decent pick-and-mix warung, with Padang food. It's across the road from the sea.
8Information
Aketajawe-Lolobata National Park OfficeTOURIST INFORMATION
(%0852 4003 7036; [email protected]; Jl 40; h9am-4pm)
The information is largely in Indonesian, although English is spoken by some staff of the centre and park. If you're an ornithologist seeking the exceedingly rare burung bidadari (Wallace’s standard-wing bird of paradise), start here to arrange a lift to the park, and a letter granting entrance to the conservation area.
Jailolo
%0922
Famed for its fragrant durians, the attractive little port of Jailolo steams gently amid the mangroves at the base of a lush volcanic cone. Before being incorporated by Ternate, Jailolo was an independent sultanate. Today, not even a stone remains of Jailolo’s former keraton (palace), abandoned in the 1730s. However, the sultan was reinstated in 2003 and now lives in a modest beachfront villa in Marimbati.
4Sleeping & Eating
Penginapan CamarINN$
(%0922-222 1100; Jl Gufasa; r with fan/air-con 92,500/175,000Rp; a)
Only a few doors from the central market, Penginapan Camar has basic but acceptable rooms, the very best of which are a frightening shade of purple. All have private mandis (ladle baths).
Penginapan Nusantara IndahHOMESTAY$
(Jl Gufasa; r with fan/air-con 100,000/165,000Rp; a)
Not far from the market and Jailolo’s main jetty, you'll find Penginapan Nusantara, a deceptively sprawling budget haunt with simple and reasonably clean tiled rooms, though you may have to hunt down reception.
Rumah Makan RahmaINDONESIAN$
(Jl Puaen; soup 29,000Rp; h9am-10pm)
Just southeast of the town's main mosque, this place only does coto makassar, a season-yourself lemongrass-based soup served with stewed beef, sticky pucks of coconut rice, hard-boiled eggs, deep-fried shallots, sambal and lime wedges. What it lacks in variety it more than makes up for in quality. Delicious!
8Getting There & Away
Large speedboats to Dufa Dufa (Ternate, 50,000Rp, one hour) leave throughout the day when full. You can also hop a slower, wooden kapal motor (35,000Rp, two hours, three daily).
Around Jailolo
A very pleasant 12km ojek excursion takes you to Marimbati, set on a long black-sand beach (beware of currents if swimming). En route, the floral villages of Hoku Hoku, Taboso, Lolori and Gamtala each maintain their own traditionally thatched rumah adat (traditional houses). Reached by an entirely different road via Akelamo, Susupu is a picturesque v
olcano-backed village at the far-northern end of Marimbati Beach.
Tobelo
%0924
Humble Tobelo is northern Halmahera’s only real ‘town’. Its bay is fronted by a pretty jigsaw of atolls, all ringed with pale, sandy beaches. The most accessible are Tagalaya and Kakara, where you can stay in a sadly neglected government-built diving centre.
4Sleeping
Penginapan Asean JayaGUESTHOUSE$
(%0924-262 1051; Jl Pelabuhan; s/d 75,000/100,000Rp)
Super-clean budget rooms with fresh paint, spotless floors and linens, and small shared mandis. Anis, the delightful owner, speaks English, but his staff don't.
Bianda HotelHOTEL$$
(%0924-262 2123; Jl Kemakmuran; standard/superior/deluxe r 330,000/360,000/450,000Rp; a)
Super-friendly, English-speaking staff are a drawcard at Bianda, the freshest and newest place on the block. The spacious rooms have white tiled floors, flat-screens, recessed lighting, modern wooden furniture, and air-con throughout. Superior and deluxe rooms have hot water.
Elizabeth InnHOTEL$$
(%0813 5546 9999, 0924-262 1165; Jl Kemakmuran; r 330,000Rp; a)
The Elizabeth is one of several decent midrange options ranged on the seaward side of Jl Kemakmuran. Behind the cool, beige tiles of its lobby you'll find clean rooms with comfortable beds, TVs and air-con. There's an internet cafe adjoining the hotel.
Kakara Island ResortRESORT$$
(%0852 4084 2579; www.halmaherautara.com; per person 250,000Rp, meals 50,000Rp)
This 'resort', tucked into the mangroves west of the only settlement on this tiny, gorgeous, sadly litter-strewn atoll, could be so much more. Built as a dive centre by the government in 2011, it now offers no diving (many of Halmahera's reefs are quite damaged anyway) and rudimentary accommodation that's nonetheless the only option.
5Eating
Waroeng FamiliINDONESIAN$
(%0924-262 1238; Jl Kemakmuran; mains 40,000Rp)
Locals push through the carved wooden doors, hunker down under pastel walls adorned with patterned fans, and scratch their heads over the choice: either ikan bakar (grilled fish) or ayam goreng (fried chicken). Both come with sambal, steamed cassava and garlic-sautéed water spinach, and both are delicious.
Pondok Indah RestaurantINDONESIAN$$
(%0924-262 1968, 0924-262 2061; Jl Tobelo, Pitu Village; mains 15,000-100,000Rp; h10am-10pm Mon-Sat)
Technically located in Pitu village, on the southern outskirts of Tobelo, this roomy place threatens to morph into a reception/karaoke venue at night, but maintains high standards on the food front. The ikan bakar is a particularly fine example of the genre.
8Information
There are ATMs dotted around the centre of town (the Jl Kemakmuran/Pelabuhan junction) but no exchange facilities.
Kantor Pariwisata Halmahera UtaraTOURIST INFORMATION
(www.halmaherautara.com; Jl Bhayangkara, Kantor Bupati, 2nd fl; h8am-noon & 1-4pm Mon-Fri)
An essential depository of information on Halmahera Utara, including diving sites and guides, natural attractions and WWII relics. The charming staff speak English well, and dress in traditional Halmaheran costume on Wednesdays.
The local handicrafts on display, including patterned scarves and traditional dress, are for sale. You'll also find what tourist literature there is on the region (some in English; more in Bahasa Indonesia) and get personal recommendations for places to eat and stay. If you're looking for advice on diving sites, this is the place – they'll put you in touch with North Halmahera's two best diving guides, Messrs Yus (0852 4684 2579) and Firman (0812 4215 1172).
8Getting There & Away
There are daily Kijangs to Sofifi and Jailolo (4am and 1pm; 100,000Rp) from the bemo terminal in Wosia (a 5000Rp ojek fare out of Tobelo) or you can charter a taxi for 500,000Rp. Bemos to Kao and Daru are 25,000Rp and 15,000Rp respectively.
Within town, ojek and bentor (motorcycle-rickshaws) cost 5000Rp to 10,000Rp. The nearest airport, in Galela, handles flights to Ternate.
BOATS FROM TOBELO
Destination Type Fare (Rp) Frequency
Bitung Pelni varies 2 monthly
Morotai speedboat 100,000 8am, 9am, 10am
Morotai speedboat 100,000 8am, 9am, 10am
Pulau Ternate Pelni varies 2 monthly
South of Tobelo
The drive south from Tobelo follows a long, languid coastline, alternating between white- and black-sand beaches, simple villages and lush coconut groves which ramble to the edge of a vast mangrove estuary where black jungle rivers foam into rapids.
Pantai Karlen is a beach of strikingly pure black sand, 1km east of Pitu and 5km south of Tobelo. Around 10km further south, then 2km off the main road, Kupa Kupa has a white-sand swimming beach, heavily shaded with mature trees. It’s very photogenic when looking north, less so looking south thanks to the Pertamina Oil Terminal next door. There's good snorkelling, just 500m north of the Pantai Kupa Kupa Cottages resort.
There’s also reputedly good snorkelling off the sandy southern tip of Pulau Bobale, accessed by a 10,000Rp shared boat from Daru, the departure point for speedboats to eastern Halmahera.
A shipwrecked Japanese freighter, one of many WWII relics in the Kao region, lies just off Pantai Sosol at Malifut. Keep heading south, past the turn-off towards Sofifi, and you'll reach the port town of Sidangoli.
4Sleeping
Pantai Kupa Kupa CottagesBUNGALOW$$
(%0812 4477 6773; [email protected]; Kupa Kupa; bungalows/family cottages 250,000/500,000Rp)
Deliciously laid-back Pantai Kupa Kupa Cottages offers plenty of reasons to stay a night or three in its rather lovely shaggy-haired Halmahera-style bungalows, decorated with Papuan handicrafts. There are also rooms in the main house with shared bathrooms and the whole property is surrounded by a lush garden.
There's a fabulous beach cafe where you can sink into a coconut-wood chair, sip superb coffee and enjoy views of the amazing Halmahera peninsula, which wraps around the bay and looks like distant bay islands.
North of Tobelo
The road north is well surfaced with several very attractive woodland sections, glimpses of coast and a fine brief view (8km) of Dukono, an active volcano that spewed ash over Tobelo in 2012. There are Japanese WWII cannon at Pune (10km), while Luari (13km) has a pretty horseshoe-shaped bay beach. Turning 1.5km inland at Galela (25km) you come to Danau Galela (aka Danau Duma), a sizeable lake lined with villages that suffered particularly in the 1999 troubles. Several burnt-out church ruins remain. Ox carts are common on the lake’s 16km ‘ring’ road.
Eastern Halmahera
Way off the tourism radar, eastern Halmahera appeals to travellers who fancy plunging into the remote Aketajawe-Lolobata National Park, passes for which must be organised in advance at the office in Sofifi, or in being an area’s first foreigner in a generation. Deep in the riverine hinterland, at least a two-day trek from Subaim, Jarajara or Patlean, live the nomadic Togutil people. The fine sandy beach and coral reef at Jarajara have swimming and diving possibilities.
Boats from Tobelo run to Subaim (Tuesday and Thursday), Patlean (Sunday), Jarajara (some Tuesdays) and Maba (three weekly). If you organise in advance, you can arrange longboat transfers that allow hop-offs at intermediate villages en route.
WORTH A TRIP
PULAU MOROTAI
A minor Japanese base during WWII, Morotai leapt to prominence when it was captured by the Allies and used to bomb Manila to bits. Among the Japanese defenders who retreated to Morotai’s crumpled mountain hinterland was the famous Private Nakamura: only in 1973 did he discover that the war was over. A WWII US amphibious tank still lies rusting in a hidden palm grove, a five-minute ojek ride behind Morotai’s village capital Daruba.
There are attractive palm-backed fishing beaches along the narrow Nefelves Peninsula, stretching south from Daruba. But for better beaches explore the array of offshore islands in Morotai’s sparkling turquoise waters (day charter on a decent lo
ngboat is 400,000Rp to 750,000Rp). Speedboats leave Tobelo (Halmahera) for Morotai (100,000Rp, two hours) at 8am, 9am and 10am, and there’s a kapal motor at 1pm (50,000Rp, four hours). They return at the same times.
Pulau Ambon
Maluku’s most prominent island is lush and gently mountainous, indented with two great hoops of bay. Around capital Kota Ambon, villages merge into a long, green, suburban ribbon. West of the airport, this gives way to a string of charming coastal villages where, if you take the time to explore, you'll discover Ambon is not just an unavoidable step on the road to the lovely Lease, Kei and Banda Islands. In fact it's a significant underwater mecca: the bay is known for excellent muck-diving, while the southern coast has clear waters and intact coral.
The more developed southern part of Ambon is called Leitimur. It's joined to the northern Leihitu part by a narrow neck of land at Passo.
Pulau Ambon
1Top Sights
1Commonwealth War CemeteryC2
1Sights
2Benteng AmsterdamB1
3Museum SiwalimaC3
4Namalatu BeachB3
5Santai BeachB3
2Activities, Courses & Tours
Blue Rose DiversB2
Dive Bluemotion
Lonely Planet Indonesia Page 81