Islands East of Bali to Papua
For Toraja on Sulawesi:   CLICK HERE

Eastern Indonesia: Spice Islands and to Birds of Paradise

The Maluku and Banda islands were home to the gold of the earth- nutmeg and cloves were among the spices sought after by European traders. The tiny islands of Banda just south of Ambon were so important in trade to the Dutch East India Company, that one little island called Pulau Run was given to the Dutch by the British in 1667 in exchange for former New Amsterdam which was to become New York. (yes, Manhattan Island!)

2017 celebrated the 350th anniversary of the Breda Treaty and the exchange for Manhattan.
See this story from BBC:
http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20171010-the-tiny-island-the-british-traded-for-manhattan

Early Indonesian traders included the Bugis people who still the sail the seas in traditional wooden phinisi boats. The phinisi above is a photo of the beloved MSY Perintis which was built for passenger cruising with seven cabins. We have so many fond memories of exploring these islands as far as West Papua.

Entering the natural harbor of Banda Neira is like passing back into time with a dramatic backdrop of Gunung Api volcano, the old Dutch forts and walks up into magical nutmeg plantations shaded by kenari nut trees. And the Banda Sea has some of the best marine life in the world for divers and snorkelers.

Wishing to visit Banda today?
To reach beautiful remote places requires time, effort and flexibility to enjoy the adventure.
Timeless Banda Neira offers accomodations from simple guesthouses to more upscale heritage inns.
The Bandas are a group of 11 islands and you should definitely take time to arrange local boat to take you around the islands and reefs of Pulau Ai, and Pulau Hatta and others- and to little Pulau Run and decide if the Dutch or British got the better deal.  Lonthor on Banda Besar is where you can walk amongst the nutmeg trees.
Best Travel Seasons with traditionally calmer seas are during the transitional monsoons months:
October- November and from February- May.

Here are some links for accomodations with helpful information on Banda and how to get there:

Cilu Bintang Estate-  owned by descendants from two of the Spice Island’s oldest families:
http://cilubintang.com

Maulana Hotel-  long established by the Alwi family which has hosted curious travelers and celebrities.
https://www.themaulanahotel.com

Dive Blue Motion- with more links to simpler accomodations and travel updates:
https://www.dive-bluemotion.com

How the Spice Islands changed the world…. and how nutmeg became a curse according to Amitav Ghosh:   https://alamasia.net/song-of-the-nutmeg/

Venturing beyond to Raja Ampat off West Papua?
Lots of dive liveaboard sail out here but you can also support locals staying in their homestays.
Fly to Sorong and make your way by ferry boat across to Waisai and see more info and links below:
https://www.stayrajaampat.com/

Ring of Fire by the Blair Brothers: 

During the 1990s, Indonesian Odysseys were brought alive by the film called The Ring of Fire documenting the 10-year explorations of British brothers Lorne and Lawrence Blair. Part 1 of Ring of Fire, Spice Island Saga, traces the Bugis trade routes from Sulawesi to Papua in search of the famous Birds of Paradise.

Hard to find the DVDs but the Book may be available at Ganesha Books, Ubud
Part 1:  Spice Island Saga may be viewed here:
Love this episode:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjiaUZrVToo
Hope the following 3 episodes may become available again!

Below are some images of our arrival into Asmat, Indonesian Papua with the MSY Perintis back in 2000.

These were amazing trips and eventually perhaps I will get around to scanning some  more old photos and slides.

A highlight of our past trips with expedition ships Society Explorer and the World Discoverer was traveling with dear friend, Tobias Schneebaum who spent years living with the Asmat.

Tobias shared his experiences in his book, Where The Spirits Dwell: www.amazon.com/Where-Spirits-Dwell-Odyssey-Jungle

The Lesser Sunda Islands (Nusa Tenggara):

The chain of islands to the east of Bali are formed where two great tectonic plates collide. Divided by deep oceanic trenches, movement of flora and fauna was limited. Just across the Lombok strait east of Bali, you enter a drier volcanic area where Komodo dragons roam and where lontar palm and corn are more subsistence crops than rice.

Between Bali and Lombok is an imaginary line known as The Wallace Line documented by British naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace during this eight-year research from 1854-1862 in his book The Malay Archipelago. Wallace collected and cataloged a vast number of plant and animal species that inhabited this unique geographical area. His book includes numerous observations on the people, their languages and ways of living: www.amazon.com/The-Malay-Archipelago-Orang-Utan-Stanfords

In this vast archipelago, each island can feel like an independent universe.
Traditions in weaving textiles play an important role in community life and an excellent place to start learning more is at Threads of Life – an organization working with several weaving communities throughout Indonesia: https://www.threadsoflife.com

Children at Lamalera, Lembata Island             Dancers on Savu

Remote Beach on Flores                                       Villagers on Sumba Island

Bena Village on Flores                                           Traditional dancers, Watublapi, Flores

Travel to the Eastern Indonesia is now easier with more flights operating to remote areas however it is important to remain flexible as schedules can still change often at short notice.

Some links below which may be helpful:

Flores Overland
Travel across this beautiful island is becoming very popular-  so do it while still more off the beaten track.  visiting traditional communities and the sacred volcanic lakes of Kelimutu.
Most visitors fly into Labuhan Bajo on the western tip of the island to venture out to Komodo.
Journey overland stopping in  Ruteng,  Bajawa,  Ende, Kelimutu Lakes and on to Maumere where an airport is located to fly out is a wonderful adventure. Venturing to the Far Eastern tip of Flores brings you to Larantuka, where the tradition of Procession on Good Friday takes place.

Website for  Eco Lodges at Kelimutu Lakes:
https://ecolodgesindonesia.com/kelimutu-ecolodge/

New comfy Homestays are now available all across Flores… find them on Booking com

Flying into Labuan Bajo:
Komodo National Park’s gateway is West Flores with frequent flights from Bali:
www.garuda-indonesia.com
https://www.airasia.com/en/gb
Batik Air  and Wings Lion Air

Seek out dragons and discover the beautiful underwater world. Several new resorts and guesthouses can be found around Labuanbajo.

But the best way to explore the islands around Komodo is by live-aboard and be sure to include a visit to beautiful Rinca Island.

Luxury Liveaboard around Komodo:
https://samaraliveaboard.com/

Grand Komodo Tours is a long-time established company operating a fleet of boats exploring Komodo.
More on:  https://grandkomodo.com/

For phinisi exploring around Indonesia, check out:

Seatrek Sailing Adventures:
https://seatrekbali.com/

Komodo Dragon and Pink Beach of Komodo