Ambon Maluku

Ambon Tours Trekking

Mount Salahutu Trekking

Aru Island Tour

Halmahera Birding Tour

Ambon Tours Expedition

Banda Accommodation, The Maulana Hotel overview

The Spice Island Divers operation is currently based in the most luxury residence on Banda, Hotel Maulana, owned by Des Alwi the King of Banda. The wonderful waterside positioning of the hotel affords the most spectacular views of Gunung Api. The list of superstars to have graced the island is impressive; Lady Diana, Mick Jagger and Jacques Cousteau have all sought out the peace and tranquility of this exotic hideaway.

The hotel is a traditional colonial design with an expansive patio and outdoor eating areas, overlooking the gardens, just feet from the crystal clear waters of Banda Harbour, built on the site of Pak Des' family pearl factory. There are 50 rooms in the residence, All rooms are air conditioned and have en-suite bathroom facilities.

Banda Islands, Banda History

The intrigue of the Banda Archipelago lies not just below the surface. The sense of history found in Banda is exhilarating, it is in the heart of the islands and the adventurous few who bravely embark on a rare expedition to the region will be rewarded with a trip of a lifetime. It was not always the case that explorers arrived in these waters with peace on their minds. Countless relics lay scattered across the islands, serving as reminders of the days when Banda was once a valuable commodity, one whose fruits were worth fighting to rule.

Periods of Portuguese, Dutch and British control left their mark on Banda, the main example of such instantly recognized as Fort Belgica, commanding the hill over looking the town. Cannons lay scattered about the idyllic streets and a Dutch Palace, traditional jail and the island museum, filled with artifacts discovered over the centuries, wait for exploration. A walk amongst the local markets, brimming with spices and the day’s fresh catch, allows visitors to experience the local community existence, largely unchanged for centuries.
The Original Spice Islands

Spices, more specifically Nutmeg, Mace and Cloves were the assets which elevated the Banda islands to the most valuable real estate in the world. Spice traders from across the globe set out in search of the original Spice Islands, in the hope of returning home with a cargo of the exotic riches. Nutmeg and Mace were valuable due to their well known preservative and medicinal qualities. With the bubonic plague rife in Europe, any supposed cure had incredible demand; and indeed nutmeg was thought to be a cure for the Black Death. The secondary spice of nutmeg production, the vibrant red mace, was also believed to hold medicinal powers secretly sought by gentlemen folk of the time.

In the rare event that merchants made the journey successfully, the rewards were significant and the traders grew rich beyond their dreams. The resulting colonial residences and palaces that were erected in Banda are still standing, waiting to be explored.

there is always enough time to explore the topside culture and historical delights of the region.

Diving Banda, Diving Diversity

The sheer diversity of dive experiences to be found is quite simply breath taking. There is no particular style of diving which dominates and a week excursion to the islands offers the opportunity to dive with large pelagics and tiny mandarin fish, or at current swept fish-filled sites and coral covered slopes and walls.

Huge Table corals

The fertile shores of these remote islands have been protected from all but natural interference. In 1988, the still active volcano Gunung Api's eruption covered some of the slopes beneath the water. The scars are still visible above the surface, but dip beneath the waterline to witness the spectacular hard
coral gardens which have inhabited the seemingly barren rock. The magnificent table corals which have grown in the short time since the eruption are suggested to be the fastest growing in the word. This site is just a five minute cruise from the Spice Island Divers dive centre.

Mandarin Fish Heaven

Many divers search for the Mandarin fish and, as a result, dive destinations across the world claim to have incredible dives where Mandarin Fish are
frequently seen. Banda Harbour is home to a site which eclipses most Mandarin dives in the world. Every evening without fail, amongst the rubble directly in
front of the dive centre, a community of Mandarin fish appear at dusk to feed, frolic and perform their mating rituals. It is not uncommon to witness,
photograph or video over one hundred individual specimens, with the larger males boldly protecting their females across the rocks at the shallow dive site.

Pelagic Species

For divers who enjoy the bigger marine life, Banda is a rare and prized destination. Pelagic species are abundant in Banda waters. Inquisitive oversize tuna patrol the blue and hammerhead sharks, marble rays, mobular rays and other large species will often join divers for some time, intrigued by their presence.

The nutrient rich waters also seems to affect the size of creatures dwelling amongst the coral, with very large specimens of honey comb moray eels, snapper, grouper and napoleon wrasse frequently sighted.

The fertile waters of Banda are teeming with schooling fish. Surgeonfish, bannerfish, jacks, barracuda, even schooling sharks and mobula rays are frequently witnessed on the outer islands, a mesmerizing array of life, where divers can observe the food chain in full swing.

BANDA NEIRA GOLDEN PAST TOUR
Duration: 07 DAYS / 06 NIGHTS
START/FINISH: Ambon (Maluku)
Grade: Easy - Moderate
Tour Code: KNLRAMBON04

ITINERARY:
Day 01 : Airport - Free Program (Friday)
Fly to Ambon by transit in Ujung Pandang. upon arrival at Pattimura Airport, you will be picked up by our guide and directly transfer to your hotel. Note: you must be in Ambon on Friday

Day 02 : Ambon - Banda (Saturday)
Breakfast at hotel and escort you to Pattimura airport to fly to Banda Neira island at 07.00am. It takes 45 minutes flight, Arrive Banda airport and check in at Hotel. Banda is famous because of its spices, beaches, the volcano history and culture. (B, L, D)

Day 03 : Banda Besar Tour (Sunday)
Enjoy your typical Banda breakfast at your Hotel. Cross over by boat to Banda Besar island to visit Lonthor village. Walk the historical 360 steps up to the remains of Fort Hollandia. Return by the same route to the beach and by longboat continue to sembayan beach for swimming and snorkeling. Lunch will be served at the beach. Back to Hotel. (B, L, D)

Day 04 : Historical Tour (Monday)
After breakfast at Hotel, a short walk to Banda local market. Continue to local Museum see the antiques and historical articles. Have a stop at the Dutch old church built in 1852 which have 34 Dutch Graves inside, the Palace of Governor J.P.Coen was built in 1611, the Bronze statue of King Willem III. Back to your Hotel for lunch. Continue the trip visit fort Belgica dated back 1611 and Hatta, Syahrir Resident. Back to Hotel for dinner and overnight. (B, L, D)

Day 05 : Volcano Island Tour (Tuesday)
Hiking to the top of Gunung Api ( Volcano ) 660 meter highest peak of Banda. Start at 05.30 am from the Southside of the volcano and you will reach summit 08.00 am or less. Back to your Hotel. Lunch, dinner and overnight. (B, L, D)

Day 06: Banda - Ambon - Hotel (Wednesday) (B)
NOTE: On day 06, there are two option how to reach Ambon. by ship or plane, if flight is not flying on day 07, you will have 1 night cruising to Ambon passing Seram island, leave on day 06 late afternoon by big boat. Arrived in the morning on day 07, pick up and transfer to hotel overnight and rest, time is your own at hotel.

Day 07: Ambon - Jakarta or Bali (Thursday) (B)
Breakfast at your Hotel. Then escorting you to Pattimura airport Ambon for your onward flight to bali / jakarta (B)

Tour Ends or extension with our trip program

Note: private trip / groups of your friends or family.
INCLUDED:
• All Tours and transportation
• flights Return (Ambon Banda Neira return only)
• 4 nights Banda hotel & 2 nights Ambon hotels based on twin share
• Meals as per itinerary day 02 to day 05 (B, L, D)
• Snack
• English Speaking Guide Fee.
• Permit and conservation fee for the park.

EXCLUDED:
• Domestic Airlines ticket / Airfare.
• Airport tax
• Alcoholic beverages
• Soft drinks
• Laundry
• Phone calls
• All extra personal expenses that not mentioned on items above.
• Any kind of expenditures incurred due to flight cancellation/delays or due other caused beyond our control.

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