Banda Islands

The Bandas are a cluster of small islands in the middle of the Banda Sea, several days' travel from anywhere. Gunung Api rises straight out of the water opposite the main settlement of Bandaneira, and its 1988 lava flow now carries some of the fastest-growing coral in the region, a wall of hard coral over black rock. The islands were the world's only source of nutmeg for centuries, and the groves still stand under canopies of tall kanari trees, worked much as they were. Diving is the main draw, with clear water, steep drop-offs and schooling fish, but the islands are also simply quiet in a way few places still are.

History

A rock shelter on Pulau Ay shows people here at least 8,000 years ago, Chinese records may mention the islands as early as 200 BCE, and Islam reached the region from the late 13th century. Before the Europeans came the islands were governed by orang kaya, "rich men", and were the world's only source of nutmeg and mace, and the first written account of them is in the Suma Oriental of the Portuguese apothecary Tomé Pires, based in Malacca from 1512 to 1515 (Wikipedia, Banda Islands).

What's there

• Gunung Api - the volcanic cone opposite Bandaneira, climbable in a steep couple of hours.
• The lava flow coral - dense hard coral growing over the 1988 flow, a short swim from shore.
• The nutmeg groves - plantations of nutmeg under tall kanari shade trees on Banda Besar.
• Pulau Hatta - an outer island with steep walls and clear water, visited by boat.

When to go

The calmest and clearest months run roughly from October to April; the middle of the year brings strong winds and heavy swell, when boats and flights are unreliable. Come with spare days at both ends, because the small aircraft to Bandaneira and the Pelni ferries both change schedules and cancel. Nothing here runs to the minute.

Good to know

Access is the problem and always has been: flights are small, infrequent and cancelled often, and the ferry takes the best part of a day from Ambon. Get stranded and you wait. Accommodation is guesthouses rather than hotels, cash is essential, and there is no reliable way to draw money. Electricity and water can be intermittent. Dive gear standards vary.

Nearby

Ambon is the gateway, with Seram and the Ora coast beyond it.

Key facts