Molucas Descubrimiento de Especies 1: Ambon – Ternate (13D12N)

Ambon - Ternate

The Moluccas or the Spice Islands have been a magic destination for over ten centuries.  The first seafarers from faraway countries to explore the region, as early as the 8th century, were Chinese, later followed by the Arabs in the 1200s.  In fact, the name Maluku is thought to have been derived from the Arab trader's term for the region, Jazirat al-Muluk ‘'the island of the kings” and an ancient Arab text places the islands rather precisely “fifteen days sailing east of Jaba”.

What the Arab traders brought back to their home ports, were exotic spices: cloves, mace and nutmeg. These were sold to Venetian merchants and became known in Europe as “the nuts from Muscat”.  Because of the high value of these spices in Europe and the large profits they generated, many adventurers followed in the wake of the Chinese and the Arabs… first Portuguese and later Dutch and British. On this thirteen day voyage from Ambon to Ternate Seatrek retraces ‘the marine silk route’ to the fabled sultanate of Ternate.

Day 1	When you arrive at the Ambon airport cars will be waiting to take you to the Katharina at her mooring in the harbour. After you have settled in on the vessel and freshened up, we spend the rest of the day exploring this bustling capital city of the Moluccas. Ambon was built on a hillside overlooking the bay and there are many interesting sites of historical and cultural interest. Among them are the remnants of several old forts built by the Dutch East Indies Company during the heydays of the spice trade. To get a good feel of the local atmosphere, we will tour the downtown area by foot or choose one of the numerous becaks (pedicabs). There are also great traditional markets as well as a Matahari “shopping center” from which to buy local crafts and produce.
Day 2	We will first pay a visit to the Siwa Lima Museum in the hills outside Ambon. The museum displays Maluku's foremost collection of regional and colonial artifacts. After lunch we will go a little further out of town to visit Fortress Amsterdam, a typical sample of a fortified trade post built by the VOC-Dutch East Indies Company in the 17th century. In the village of Kaitetu nearby we visit the oldest mosque in Ambon that was built in the year 1414. On the way back we will stop for an inspection of a clove-plantation. Until the nineteenth century Ambon used to be the world center of clove production and we will see that cloves are in fact the dried flower buds of a tropical evergreen tree. In the course of the evening we raise the anchor to depart from Ambon Bay. After we round the southern Cape of Ambon Island we go on a Northerly course towards the island of Manipa.
Day 3	The ship will first drop anchor off the small village of Tumalehu on the east coast of Manipa. Here we visit Benteng Wantrouw (Fort ‘Distrust’), a 17th century Dutch fortress that used to be the headquarters a Dutch garrison established to control the local production of clove trees. Afterwards we may make a few more stops at some fishing villages along the same coast.
Day 4	Dedicated to the visit of Buru. Heavily wooded and mountainous it is the third largest island in the Moluccas. Because of its remoteness it served as the notorious island of internal exile during the Indonesian president Suharto era. Thousands of political prisoners were imprisoned here including Indonesia’s most famous author, Pramudya Ananta Tur. We will land in the capital Namlea and endeavor to explore the interior of the island using whatever local transport is available. Buru is known for the production of kayu putih oil. We will see how the leaves from the kayu putih trees are being cooked in huge jars and in all likelihood we will buy a few bottles ourselves. Kayu Putih oil serves as a mosquito-repellant; it is used to cure skin diseases and has many other purposes. We will make a short river cruise into the jungle in an effort to spot endemic birds, such as pittas, sunbirds and kingfishers. In addition Buru is home to the peculiar Babirusa, an animal that partly resembles a pig, and partly a deer and is found only in Sulawesi and Buru. Its ancestry is lost in the mists of time. In the late afternoon we depart from Namlea for an overnight passage of about a hundred miles across the Ceram Sea towards the Sula Islands.
Day 5	We reach the Island of Sulabesi and visit its principal town Sanana, where we find an ancient Portuguese fortress, with its characteristic pinnacles at the four corners of the walls still reasonably intact. Outside the main town we will visit a Bajao village where we wander through a maze of wooden foot-bridges that connect the houses, all built on stilts over the sea. In the afternoon we depart on an easterly course towards the Obi islands.
Day 6	Our first destination is Obilatu Island. Here we will visit some small settlements on the north coast or relax in one of the bays. Afterwards we will explore the area between Obilati and the main island of Obi Mayor and make random stops in the bays and on the islets that we pass in order to see what adventures may await us ashore. During the night we go on a Northerly course, slowly making our way towards Bacan Island.
Day 7	As the sun rises we reach Bacan, a mountainous and forested island west of Halmahera's southernmost arm. We drop anchor in front of the small town of Labuha, capital of the district. We will visit the early morning market, a colorful scene of vegetables, fruits and spices and a delight to the photographers. The history of the island is as colorful as the market. Bacan used to be a powerful sultanate dating way back into the 14th century. It was an important producer of clove and frequented by Arab and Persian traders long before the western powers entered stage. Half an hour from Labua Harbor we will find Fort Barnacled, a stronghold constructed by the Dutch in 1615 to help protect the clove monopoly. After our visit of Labua the vessel will continue following the coast northward and we will carefully navigate our way between the adjacent islands toward the North coast of Bacan. There are many coral reefs in the area and during the day there will be several opportunities to go snorkeling. We spend the night at anchor in one of the Northern bays.
Day 8	We go ashore for an early morning trek from the village of Geti. We enter the rain-forest to try and spot some of the endemic species of parrots, cockatoos, lorikeets and perhaps even the elusive cuscus or a rare black macaque.
Day 9	In the course of the morning we cross the equator and enter the northern hemisphere. We find ourselves off the island of Kayoa and the captain will look for a good anchorage nearby to celebrate the event.
Day 10	We reach Tidore, seat of Ternate’s arch-rival since time immemorial, the Sultan of Tidore. We will have a guided tour around the island. We visit the ruins of Portuguese fortresses and stop at clove and coconut plantations. We also visit the local museum in Soa Siu displaying the Sultan’s crown and other royal paraphernalia.
Day 11	We go ashore for a first reconnaissance of Ternate City. We meet the mixed races of the island: Malay, Chinese, Mediterranean, Melanesian, Arab, Indian, settled down one by one since the beginning of the last millennium. See the colonial warehouses at the harbour-site. Before lunch we start an extensive guided tour around Ternate, including visits of Portuguese and Dutch fortresses (Kayu Merah, Oranye, Toloko, Kastela). We see the giant oldest clove-tree in the world (400 years old) in the shadow of its protective Kenari trees. We visit the beautiful Laguna Lotus pond supposedly inhabited by a royal crocodile, venerated by the local people. We have a picnic in the foothills of the awesome Gamalama volcano. Late afternoon we return to the Katharina to freshen up and get ready for a well-deserved dinner.
Day 12	We visit the ‘Kedaton’, the palace of the Sultan of Ternate. We hope to attend court-dances in the ‘pendopo’ (covered atrium). If we are lucky we may enjoy the presence of the Sultan and his family. We will be drinking tea and listen to a short introduction of the dances and the history of Ternate. We will visit the museum that is attached to the palace and displays numerous gifts from other royal families, ancient holy krisses and the world-famous ‘Mahkota’, the crown with hair of the first Sultan of Ternate that allegedly still is growing. (Following a special request prior to the visit, obligatory ceremonies have been observed). In the evening we have a farewell dinner on board of the sturdy ship that took us across the equator.
Day 13	When we say goodbye to the captain and crew, cars are waiting to take us to the airport for the flight back to Makassar and our onward connection to Denpasar or Jakarta.

Participants should be aware that itinerary and program of our sea voyages occasionally may have to be modified, due to factors beyond our control : unfavorable weather conditions, delay in processing harbour clearances, modified schedules of domestic flights. We will adjust the program accordingly in the best interest of all.


Please note that the domestic flights are not included in the price.

PRICE PER PERSON :

The price is subject to change. Please  contact us for more information.