Revenge 2HOMESTAY$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0812 4781 1028; per person incl meals 200,000Rp)
Despite the slasher-movie title, this is a clean, basic homestay with a pious Muslim family. The two spacious rooms share a mandi.
Dua Putri HomestayHOMESTAY$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0878 0644 6874; per person incl meals 100,000Rp)
While there's no sign, you can't miss this new choice, first on the right after the jetty, with gorgeous sea views. There are just five basic rooms with thin mattresses, two with shared mandi, and all the same price.
oCDS BungalowBUNGALOW$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; per person incl meals r 250,000-300,000Rp)
To find the class crash pad on Ai, walk up from the jetty, right at the T-intersection, past the fort, then 500m further past a school and pineapple plantations. Once there, you'll find two cute wooden cottages with genuine spring beds, outdoor bathrooms, and a wide veranda stilted over a secluded beach. Book through Cilu Bintang.
8Getting There & Away
Two or three passenger boats (20,000Rp, one hour) leave Ai for Bandaneira when full at around 8am, returning between noon and 2pm. To make day trips from Bandaneira you’ll have to charter (400,000Rp).
Pulau Run (Rhun)
Run, for all its historical gravitas, is simply a remote chunk of limestone, swathed in jungle and surrounded by deep blue sea. The village is an appealing little network of steps and concrete paths backed by vine-draped limestone cliffs, with attractive views between the tamarind trees from the top end of Jl Eldorado. The old English Fort (the one held by Nathaniel Courthope) perpetuated the Spice Wars and resulted in the great trade of Run for Manhattan (let's all go play poker in Amsterdam!). From the pier, walk to the main lower path, turn right, and follow the stairs up, up, and up to the rough track leading to the vague, overgrown ruins.
Run’s main attraction is diving the wall that lies 70m to 150m off the island’s northwestern coast (access by boat), known as Depan Kampung (next to the village). Visibility is magnificent. Alternatively, beach yourself on the picture-perfect, powdery white sands of Pulau Neilaka, an islet so small you explore it in 10 minutes, drinking in dazzlingly photogenic views of Gunung Api.
A morning boat (25,000Rp, two hours) leaves Run at 9am for Bandaneira, returning around 2pm. Chartering (600,000Rp return from Bandaneira) makes more sense if you're doing a day trip. You’ll need a boat anyway to reach Neilaka and the offshore drop-offs, plus you can stop by Pulau Ai on your way home.
4Sleeping
Manhattan 2HOMESTAY$
(%0852 4372 5784; Jl Pantei Run; per person incl meals 125,000Rp)
Bedecked with kitsch figurines of 18th-century gentlefolk and lurid tropical bedspreads, this clean, super-friendly homestay offers rooms with fans and hand showers. Call the contact in Bandaneira to organise your stay.
Homestay NeilakaHOMESTAY$
(%0813 4460 2095; Jl Eldorado; per person incl meals 125,000Rp)
Run from a gleaming, comfortable (if small) family home, Neilaka offers three rooms with shared bathrooms in a new concrete building with wooden ceiling and tiled facade.
Homestay ManhattanHOMESTAY$
(per person incl meals 125,000Rp)
Reached by steps cut into ossified coral, this proudly immaculate concrete home is located on the second 'tier' of the village. Its three rooms all have private mandis and squat toilets, and meals are served at the nearby Manhattan 2.
Kei Islands
%0916
The trump cards for the Kei Islands are kilometres of stunning white-sand beaches and a deeply hospitable population. Beneath the mostly Christian facade, Kei culture is fascinatingly distinctive with three castes, holy trees, bride prices paid in lela (antique table cannons) and a strong belief in sasi (a prohibition spell). In Kei language bokbok means ‘good’, hanarun (li) means ‘(very) beautiful’ and enbal (cassava) is a local food staple. The driest season is September to December, with Belang war-canoe races held in November. While the islands are all reef-fringed, illegal fishing has seen dynamite and poison take a heavy toll on coral.
Tual & Langgur
Pop 65,000
Bridging the two central islands, these twin towns form the Kei Islands’ main commercial centre and transport gateway. Christian Langgur is relaxed, strung along broad avenues. Tual, predominantly Muslim, is a jumble of ramshackle humanity which gives it a manic edge. Many of Tual's 'Arabs' are (mixed) descendants of a migration from the Middle East 250 years ago.
Tual & Langgur
4Sleeping
1Aurelia HotelA3
2Hotel DragonA4
3Hotel SuitaA4
5Eating
4RM AyahA2
5Warung SerabbaB2
7Shopping
6GotaA4
4Sleeping
Tual and Langgur have ample, if basic, accommodation, though most visitors wisely head straight for the beachside options.
Hotel DragonHOTEL$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0916-21812; Jl Jenderal Sudirman 154; r 100,000-250,000Rp; a)
There's a languid, siesta-at-any-time-of-the-day feel to the Dragon, but that's not out of keeping with Langgur generally. Persist beyond the perennial Christmas decorations and toothpaste-green walls of the lobby and you'll find spacious, super-clean rooms with big beds and crisp sheets. More expensive rooms have hot water; all have air-con, TV and spring mattresses.
Hotel SuitaHOTEL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0916-24007; [email protected]; Jl Jenderal Sudirman; d/deluxe/ste 355,000/385,000/650,000Rp; aW)
Don't let the higher prices convince you you're buying true luxury. The Suita is comfortable enough, with ample rooms, large beds and in-room wi-fi (15,000Rp per hour) but it's faded since the days when it was clearly built to be one of Langgur's few upmarket options. You'll find the local Garuda desk in its lobby.
Aurelia HotelHOTEL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0916-23748; www.kimsoncenter.com; Jl Jenderal Sudirman; standard/deluxe/VIP 275,000/325,000/600,000Rp; aW)
To one side of the bulky, tiled Kimson Center, arranged around a colonnaded courtyard, you'll find some of the more expensive rooms in Langgur, decked out in the height of 1980s beige chic. They all boast nice wood furnishings, coffee makers, crown mouldings, and free bottled water, but the carpet is threadbare and some smell, well, moist.
5Eating
oWarung SerabbaSEAFOOD$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; beside Watdek Bridge; mains 30,000-150,000Rp; h9am-2am)
The sign's obscure, but you can't miss the rickety wooden building before the bridge, stilted over the channel with views of the mangroves. There's no menu either, so just choose your fresh catch or a lobster plucked just for you from Serabba's netted farm in the channel.
RM AyahINDONESIAN$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Jenderal Sudirman; mains 20,000-40,000Rp; h9am-5am)
Other than four hours of early-morning respite, Ayah never closes. If you should find yourself adrift in Langgur at 2am, desperate for a feed, you could do much worse than the slices of spicy omelette, chilli-stewed eggplant, fried chicken, potato patties, curries and greens at this Padang-style rumah makan.
7Shopping
GotaDEPARTMENT STORE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Jenderal Sudirman; h9am-10pm)
The only place resembling a supermarket in Langgur/Tual. Stock up on packaged food, cheap phones and clothes, and fruit at prices inverse to quality, compared to the streetside vendors everywhere.
8Information
Tourist OfficeTOURIST INFORMATION
(Dinas Parawisata; GOOGLE MAP ; %0916-24063; Jl Jenderal Sudirman; h8am-2.30pm Mon-Sat, to noon Fri)
Answers questions and dispenses maps and brochures.
BNI BankBANK
(Bank Negara Indonesia; GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Dr Laimena; h8am-3pm Mon-Fri)
Has the only official currency exchange (terrible rates) and an ATM. Also has ATMs ( GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Jenderal Sudirman) in Langgur.
Kimson Interne
tINTERNET
( GOOGLE MAP ; Jl Jenderal Sudirman; per hr 10,000Rp; h9am-midnight)
Part of the Kimson Center, it charges 10,000Rp, and connections vary.
8Getting There & Away
Air
Since the opening of Tual's new airport Garuda has started a Kei route, driving prices down (753,000Rp) and frequency up (daily). Wings Air also flies this route most days (673,000Rp). Whichever carrier you use for the 90-minute flight, aim for a southern window for gorgeous views of Tayando and Bandas en route.
Bemo (Mobil) & Ojek
Mobil for Debut (5000Rp), and southern Kei Kecil operate from a station beside Pasar Langgur. From Langgur’s Pasar Ohoijang roughly one mobil per hour leaves for Ohoililir (for Coaster Cottages, 5000Rp). Or you can take an ojek (30,000Rp, 25 minutes) or taxi (150,000Rp).
Boat
Pelni ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0916-22520; Jl Pattimura; h8am-2pm) liner Tidar links Tual to Ambon (22 hours) via Bandaneira (10 hours). Eastbound, it loops through Kaimana and Fak Fak in Papua, returning 36 hours later. The reportedly roach-infested Kelimutu offers a similar itinerary.
8Getting Around
Bemos (from 3000Rp) are common along Jl Jenderal Sudirman, mostly continuing to Tual’s big Pasar Masrun market. Southbound from Tual, ‘Langgur’ bemos pass Hotel Vilia and terminate at Pasar Langgur. Ojeks start at 5000Rp per ride. Savana Cottages in Ohoidertawun offers motorbike rental (per hour/day 10,000/50,000Rp, plus fuel).
SASI SAVVY
Call it ‘magic’ or ‘earth knowledge’, Maluku experiences many hidden undercurrents of almost voodoo-esque beliefs, beautifully described in Lyall Watson’s book Gifts of Unexpected Things. One such belief still widely prevalent is sasi, a kind of ‘prohibition spell’ used to protect property and prevent trespass. Physically the only barrier is a janur palm frond. But few would dare to break a sasi for fear of unknown ‘effects’. For countless generations sasi have prevented the theft of coconuts and ensured that fish aren’t caught during the breeding season. However, in 2003 some cunning Kei Islanders put a sasi on the Tual–Langgur bridge. With the bridge off limits the boatmen made hay, until the authorities finally stumped up the cash for a sasi-removal ceremony. Other jokers made a sasi across the access route to Tual’s government offices so employees couldn’t get to work.
Pulau Kei Kecil
Ohoidertawun
The charming village of Ohoidertawun surveys a lovely bay that becomes a vast, white-sand tidal flat when craftsmen sit in the palm shade carving out canoes. A holy tree on the waterfront beside Savana Cottages is believed to enforce peace or bind relationships. A footpath and stairway leads north to Ohoider Atas village. At low tide you can splash across the sand flats past small caves cut in the limestone cliffs (some contain human bones). After around 25 minutes you'll begin to notice the mysterious red-and-orange petroglyphs painted on the cliff faces.
4Sleeping
The owners of Savana Cottages can set you up with village homestays (single/double 100,000/150,000Rp, including three meals) if you wish to go local.
oSavana CottagesBUNGALOW$
(%SMS only 0813 4308 3856; s/d 210,000/250,000Rp, meals 50,000-80,000Rp, beer 40,000Rp)
For pure soporific serenity, few budget guesthouses in Indonesia can beat Savana Cottages. Watch the changing moods of nature, the swooping curlews and the tide retreating in the moonlight, while sipping an ice-cold beer or swinging from the hammock between sighing casuarinas. You can book by text message.
The colours on this beach, when the tide is out and the blinding white-sand flats stretch to distant ribbons of turquoise sea, are just magnificent. As for the digs, there are four simple, double-bed, bamboo-and-wood rooms, with rattan chairs on the balcony, and towels for the shared mandis. Mosquito nets are available and hearty breakfasts are included at the sweet cafe, which is decorated with gongs, carvings and tinkling wind chimes. Dinners, cooked by the hilarious Lucy, are excellent too. English-speaking owner Gerson is a fount of knowledge on Kei Kecil.
Lucy's HouseBUNGALOW$
(%0813 4308 3856; 'house'/bungalow 200,000/250,000Rp)
Gerson and Lucy also rent this wooden house, which is less social and more private than nearby Savana. While the building of the new bungalow means you might not have it all to yourself, it's still sweetly situated on a peerless stretch of beach, and makes a special spot for honeymooners or marooned writers. Meals are brought to your door.
Pasir Panjang
The Kei Islands’ most famous tourist draw is Pasir Panjang, 3km of white sand so powdery it feels like flour, fringed with swaying coconut palms. Despite its beauty, the beach is often quiet, except on local holidays and weekends when karaoke outfits crank up the volume near the beach’s access points: Ngur Bloat (south) and Ohoililir (north). The coconut groves in from the shore are dotted with thatched snack bars.
4Sleeping
oCoaster CottagesINN$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0819 4502 2818, 0819 4504 2241; [email protected]; old/new r 180,000/240,000Rp, grand villa €60, meals per day 120,000Rp)
At the beach’s reputedly haunted north end, 700m beyond Ohoililir village, Coaster Cottages offers spacious new rooms with wooden furniture and shared patio, and, closer to the beach, older brick rooms with basic mandis that are a touch slimy. The grand villa has character to spare, but only makes sense for a family, at the price.
DalimaGUESTHOUSE$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0822 3880 3711; per person 100,000Rp; breakfast/other meals 20,000/45,000Rp)
Run by a sweetly hospitable Muslim family, you'll find this delightful guesthouse set in the shade of coconuts and ferns, back from the snack-huts of Pasir Panjang. The small wooden rooms come with fans, mosquito nets and an atmosphere so relaxed it's almost catatonic. Access is from the Ngur Bloat (southern) end of the beach.
Government HousesBUNGALOW$
(Ohoililir; d 200,000Rp)
You can rent these two wooden government houses, in the shady north end of the village, through the kepala desa (village head).
Southern Kei Kecil
Near Letvuan are the striking Goa Hawang caves, limestone grottoes with luminous blue water, giant spiders and bats. Further south near Evu you'll find freshwater springs and a public pool. Get a local to guide you.
A new bridge connects Debut with Tetoat, from which a rough road continues all the way south to Madwaer, about 41km from Langgur, then to the island's cape, where you'll discover an absolutely magnificent sweep of powdery white sand known as Pantai Ohoidertutu. Given its daily access to Ambon, you may be surprised just how remote Kei Kecil is, especially the far south. The only way down here is on a horribly rutted road by ojek (150,000Rp round trip) or rented motorbike. And if you do make this motorbike-motocross run, bring rain gear. Folks will be joyfully surprised to see you.
Pulau Tanimbar Kei
A series of outlying islands with lovely beaches and turquoise waters surrounds Kei Kecil, the most intriguing of which is Pulau Tanimbar Kei, southwest of Ohoidertutu. Famed for its traditional village, powdery sand and magnificent snorkelling, the only way to get here is by chartering your own speedboat from Langgur or Debut (2,000,000Rp round trip) or with local villagers who come to Langgur to shop. Their powered canoes are the cheaper (25,000Rp), slower and possibly safer option. However, you will have to find your way back, which could take a few days. There's no formal accommodation on Tanimbar Kei. Upon arrival arrange a homestay with the kepala desa (village head) or perhaps on the Indonesian marine base.
Pulau Kei Besar
Scenic Kei Besar is a long ridge of lush, steep hills edged with remote, traditional villages and several picture-perfect beaches (better for taking photos than for swimming). Expect intense curiosity from locals and take your best kamus (dictionary) as nobody speaks English.
Attractively set on a bay featuring three tempting sand-fringed islets, Elat is Kei Besar’s main village. It has a market and a few rice-and-fish rumah makan. All close by dusk, so eat early or snack on biscuits from th
e few tiny evening shops.
Southwest of Elat, a lane through palm fronds and bougainvillea leads 6km to Pantai Daftel, 1.8km of superb, shallow white-sand beach stretching to Lerohoilim, where there’s a scattering of ancient graves atop a rocky outcrop called Batu Watlus. Other easy ojek excursions from Elat include picturesque Yamtel village (20 minutes east), Waur (15 minutes south), or the charming west-coast villages of Ngurdu (3km), Soinrat (4km), Bombay (7km) and Watsin (8km), all with bay views, stone stairways and rocky terraces.
The east coast has attractive, tidal rock pools but no beaches. Villages are comparatively isolated, steeped in superstitious traditions, and locals tend to speak the local Kei language rather than Bahasa Indonesia. Banda Ely in the extreme northeast is a settlement founded by Bandanese refugees from Dutch atrocities. Its predominantly Muslim people preserve their Bandanese culture.
Torpedo-shaped 50-seater speedboats shuttle between Watdek (Langgur) and Elat (50,000Rp, 65 to 80 minutes), leaving when full – that’s roughly hourly between around 8.30am and 4pm.
Lonely Planet Indonesia Page 86