The Banda Archipelago is a cluster of 13 tiny islets spouting out of the deep Banda Sea. Located only eight hours away south east from Ambon (capital of Maluku Province, Indonesia) on a regular passenger sea liner. While direct flight in a small 18-seats airplane takes about 60 minutes.
The greatest assets of these tiny islets are their crystal clear waters, fantastic coral gardens and reefs, historical sites, varied culture, and beautiful sceneries. These all offer the visitor an uncommon tropical vacation experience, away from the everyday bustling, crowded, and noisy towns and cities. This indeed a worth visiting place where one can experience the Spice Islands’ Exotic Marine Paradise in a seventeenth century atmosphere.
General Information
The 13 islets of Banda Islands are : Naira (known as Banda-Naira), Banda Besar (Lonthoir), Run, Ay, Rozengain (or Hatta), Pisang (or Syahrir), Gunung Api (Volcano Islet), Batu Kapal, Manuk, Karaka, Nailaka, Manukang and Hatta Reef.
These islets cover an area of about 44 km2 with Naira as the sub district capital of the Banda Islands. The people live and work as farmers and fishermen. Some of them also become small traders of their agricultural and sea produtcs in Naira, or whenever boats are mooring in the harbour. Their main products are bananas, pineapples, coconuts, nutmeg and mace, root products, and salt-dried fish (known as the traditional Cakalang Banda). Naira has an airstrip, a harbour, a traditional market, restaurants and many accomodations. There are also some local government offices. It was settled by the Portuguese in the early 15 century, then occupied by the Dutch later.
During the Dutch colonial period, the “Klein Europeesch Stad” (Little European Town) of Naira began to settle. Fortress, nutmeg plantations, official residences, and the mansion of the first VOC (Vereenigde Oost Indische Compagnie / the Dutch United East-Indies Trading Company) Controller and Governor-General were built. Today these ruins are silent witnesses of the significant past of the spice trade, which changed the world spice trade history from the west to the east. During the Dutch occupation, the VOC brought Dutch farmers to the Banda Islands to watch over the nutmeg plantations. Each farmer called “perkenier” was given a certain piece of land called a “perk”.
The term “perkenier” comes from the Dutch word “perk”, which means park, garden. They became the small land - holders known in the Dutch history as the “perkeniers” and their task were to manage and control the nutmeg plantations. These perken still exist on Banda Islands but most of them were taken over by P.T. Perkebunan Pala, a nutmeg plantation owned by the government.
History in Brief
In the past centuries, long before the Europeans came to Banda Islands’ shore, these islets were the major producers of nutmeg and mace, which were greatly desired by many countries in the world.
Centuries ago these spices were purchased only by Malay, Chinese and Arab traders, shipped to the Persian Gulf, taken by caravan to the Mediterranean, and then redistributed via Constantinople, Genoa and Venice throughout Europe. Its value increased, every time those spices change hands.
The present village of Lonthoir on Lonthoir Island was the centre of trade and commerce of spices (nutmeg and mace) long before the Portuguese, Dutch and British arrived on the Banda Islands.
Later, The Banda Islands drew the medieval Western European merchants and traders to search for these fabulous spices. They competed fiercely among one another to possess and control the trade in these valuable spices, resulting in the establishment of many fortifications and settlements all over these tiny islets.These are seen in the many ruins of fortresses and buildings on the Banda Islands with Naira as the oldest European settlement in the East. When the VOC’s controller’s mansions and the Belgica Fort were built, the Dutch finally made Naira the centre of trade, commerce and administration on the Banda Islands.
The town of Naira began to settle.
During the conflict between Indonesia and the Netherlands in the 1920s and 1930s, the Banda Islands were used as a remote place to exile the political prisoners and Indonesian freedom patriots like the late Mr. Mohammad Hatta, St. Syahrir, Iwa Kusumaatmaja and Dr. Cipto Mangun-kusumo. Their residential houses are now renovated and used as museums. Today, these islands of the old rich history of spices with exotic marine paradise are a fascinating and an attractive tourist destination.
PLACES of INTEREST
Naira Islands
Historical Sites
Former VOC Palace
This VOC Palace was built in 1611 by the first Dutch VOC Controller and later used by the first Dutch VOC Governor - General, Jan Pietersoon Coen, in 1621. This mansion faces the Zonnegat strait, with the huge Belgica Fortress in the background on the Tabaleku hill. A larger replica of this mansion was built a year later (1612) in Jayakarta, Jakarta now, and since the Indonesian Independence, it has been used as the Palace of the President of the Republic of Indonesia. In one of the yards and gardens of Naira Mansion, there is a large bronze statue of Stadhouder Willem III of the Neteherlands. On the one of the window’s glass facing the sea, there is a 19th century inscription carved by a 35 year old Resident Rutger Martens Schwabbing.
The inscription date is September 1, 1831. This gentleman died on April 12,1832 according to the Dutch historical records. There was once a local belief of the Naira’s people that the inscription was made by the same man, but after his death, the year was read as 1832. It is still said that the room is “spooky” (kamar spok). You can easily walk for 10 minutes to this spot from the harbour.
Nassau Fort
Nassau Fort, often referred to as the “Beneden Kasteel” was built in the early years of the Dutch settlement in the Banda Islands. Admiral Verhoeven built this fort in 1607-1609 on the remains of a Portuguese fort built a century earlier. Verhoeven never saw the completion of this fort, because he was killed in an ambush by local Bandanese freedom fighters in 1609. This fort is still a ruin now and there was a hidden underground stairway leading to the hilltop of Fort Belgica.
Jan Pietersoon Coen, a sailor under the command of Admiral Verhoeven, escaped from the ambush while Verhoeven didn’t.
Later in 1621 Coen returned to the Banda Islands as the VOC Governor-General and made his revenge for the 1609 villainy/ massacre. He brought with him 80-100
Japanese mercenaries (some of them well-practiced executioners) in his expedition to the Banda Islands in 1621.
The Banda massacre on May 8, 1621, was held in the area in front of the Nassau
fort. Six Japanese swordmen beheaded and quartered 44 orang kaya (chiefs or village elders). Some told that there were only 42 cut into five, because two of them, House of the Late Dr. Moh. Hatta
Some 50 metres from the VOC Mansion is the house of Dr. Moh. Hatta, who was exiled by the Dutch. Later in 1945 he became the first Vice-President of the Republic of Indonesia, with Ir. Soekarno as the first President. This house is converted to a historical monument / museum and opened to visitors. There is a large ancient earthenware urn in the yard of the house. The urn is half-buried in one corner of the yard.
Belgica Fort
Belgica Fort was built in 1611 by the first Governer-General of the Banda Islands, Pieter Both, who was an energetic and experienced sea captain and merchant. He built Belgica Fort on the spot where Nassau Fort should had been built.
This fort was rebuilt and enlarged several times during the Dutch occupation. Today it has been renovated according to its original dimensions and size.
Old Church
This church was bulit in 1852 to replace the Hollandische Kerk which was destroyed by a big earthquake. The ancient church was built in the 1600s and was then the pride of Naira town, which was also destoyed. The Sunday services during the Dutch colonial period of the 17th century were conducted in Dutch in the morning and in Malay in the afternoon.
This church is situated in a 17th century park surrounding the Fort of Nassau. The church has granite gravestones composing the floor, bearing the names of Dutch officials and Bandanese Perkeniers of the former centuries. They were buried under the enormous granite markers, sunk into the floor of the church.
There were several old bibles found in this church dating from the 18th century. On the panels of the front door there is still visible the inscription of the old VOC initials.
The old bronze church bell is still used, and it is believed that there are only four bells from that period left in the world.
Bronze Bust of Stadhouder Willem III
The bronze bust of Stadhouder Willem III of the Netherlands was brought to Naira during VOC’s golden era. It is found between the Governor-General Mansion and the VOC Authority office / NHM (Nederlandsche Handels - Maatschappij), a semi-private Dutch Trading Company, and successor of the VOC, which took over the VOC personnel, facilities, function, and techniques to manage most of the perkeniers’ (plantation) products.
This bust together with the two bronze lions in front of the entrance of the mansion, were thrown to
the sea by the citizens during the Indonesia-Dutch conflict in 1950. Later these items were repaired and placed in their present location. The original location of the bust was in a park, somewhere near the Naira Church and the Belgica Fort.
The Old Naira Town
Naira town is very different from it was in the old 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The offices of the controleur and the houses of the perkeniers are mostly in ruins today. These buildings have no longer the original huge paving slabs, polished marble, brightly glazed floor tiles, heavy beams, and large shuttered doors and windows. These marble tiles and other home and office furniture are brought from Holland and functioned as ballast on the ship sailing to Banda. These ships returned to Holland laden with spices (cloves, nutmeg, and mace) as trade commodities which also functioned as ballast. Once there was a proper gravel roadway shaded by trees which enriched the beauty of the town of Naira. The trees were cut down in the 1960s, leaving only the trees grew in the residential yards.
The Perken
The Banda Archipelago was the original product center of the world-renowned spices, the nutmeg and mace. When the Dutch took it over by force from the Portuguese, they established their perken, the so-called nutmeg-plntations all over these islands. There are about 68 perkens on these islands: 3 are found on Naira Island, 34 on Lonthoir or Banda Besar, and 31 on Ay islet.
Before, during and after the Banda massacre in 1621, the original inhabitants of the Banda Islands fled to Seram, Kei and other islands. The Dutch then brought in people from Java, South Sulawesi (Buton) and Central Maluku to work as farmers, picking and collecting, peeling and sorting, drying and loading the nutmeg and mace, under the supervisions of Dutch Perkeniers. So the present day inhabitants of the Banda Islands are a mixture of Dutch, Javanese, Butonese and Central Malukan ancestry.
There are still nutmeg trees of over two centuries old which are still producing. These nutmeg plantations on the Banda Islands are still to be seen, some are planted among the tall canary trees to shade and protect the nutmeg trees from the sunrays. Most of these nutmeg plantations are still productive and managed by P.T. Perkebunan Pala Banda.
Lonthoir Island
Lonthoir Island or also known as Banda Besar, is the largest island in the Banda Islands (appr. 2.800 ha.). It looks like a great wall hiding and protecting the Naira and Gunung Api Islands from the south-eastern winds and waves. This island also has many attractions to offer to the visitor, among others:
Hollandia Fort
This fort was built in 1642 on Lonthoir island facing the Naira’s VOC Governor-
General’s mansion, across the Zonnegat strait. Formerly named Fort Lonthoir, later Dr. Pieter Vlak renamed it Fort Hollandia.
From here one can enjoy a nice view across the Zonnegat Strait to the mansion, and the Belgica Fort on top of the Tabaleku hill on Naira island and even to the villages along the shoreline of Lonthoir.
The fort was built to control the sea traffic passing through the strait between Naira and Lonthoir, especially to monitor the activities of the nutmeg and mace trade down in the village of Lonthoir.
To reach this fort one must walk through the village of Lonthoir and then go up appr. 260 stairs, past one of the perkeniers’ recidences, and an old 18th
century Dutch cemetery. One of the perkeniers’ graves was made for a Bandanese-born Dutch family of the Lantzius perkenier.
The fort is small and is in ruins, but it was built on the hill top, and it is worth to visit for its historical background and for the fantastic view.
“Nona Lantzius” Tomb
“Nona Lantzius” was the daughter of Lantzius, a perkenier. She was born in Naira on April 26, 1874. No one knows her name because the marble plate on her tomb where her name was written has been taken away. On the back of her tomb was a Dutch inscription :
26 April 1847 te Naira Geboren
29 Juni 1887 te ‘s Gravenhage Overleden
(na eene operatie)
2 Juli daar voorlopig ter aarde gesteld
29 September ontgraven en vervoerd naar Amsterdam aanboord van de Deensche Brik “Claus” hierheen vertrokken
21 October van Ijmuiden direct hierheen vertrokken
17 Februari 1888 hier op reede aangekomen
22 Idem Idem hier nedergezet.
It says that on April 26, 1847 she was born in Naira, passed away on June 29, 1887 in ‘s Gravenhage (the Neteherlands) after a surgery; buried temporarily there on July 2; on September 29 uncovered and taken to Amsterdam and put on board of the Danish fregat “Claus”; October 21 departed from Ijmuiden; arrived on
February 17, 1888; and laid here on the 22nd of February 1888.
Her tomb was made by Laurent Philips & Co., the Hague in Holland and shipped to Lonthoir. The remains of this lady were on board for nearly four months to have her final and eternal rest on Lonthoir island where she was born and grown up. Her grave is known to the Lonthoirs as “Nona Lantzius” (Miss Lantzius).
Perkenier’s Residence
Up on the hill, there is an old Dutch perkenier’s residence. This building is now used as the office of the local village administration. One can still see the ruins of an old drying house here, where the nutmegs were fire-dried in the rainy
season. Old ruined storage buildings are also found here.
One has to climb more than 260 stairs to this walled building. This stair-way was built during the Dutch era, and later rebuilt by the villagers. From here one will have
a very nice view up to the volcano and down to the Naira Island.
One of the famous Dutch admiral who came to Banda Islands in 1623, Pieter van den Broecke, had his perken on this island. A large picture of him can be seen in the London Museum today. He married a Bandanese woman and his great-great grandson is still living in Lonthoir, controls his perken. This old man still bears the name van den Broecke, owns a small accomodation facility in Walang Besar village in Lonthoir. One of his great-grand
fathers, lieutenant and perkenier Paulus van den Broecke, has his tomb dated 1754 in the church yard of former Ay’s Bethlehem Church.
Concordia Fort
Concordia Fort is also known as Fort Wayer, situated in the village of Wayer on the eastern coast of Lonthoir island. During the heyday of the spice trade this fort served as a watchtower for all the perkens in the eastern side of Lonthoir island.
Perigi Keramat
This is a well which is regarded sacred to the inhabitants of the Banda Islands. The well is 7 meters deep situated on a hill, appr. 90 metres above the sea-level. To get there, one has to walk up the same stairway which leads to Fort Hollandia and the Dutch Perkenier mansions, halfway up there is a right turn to the well.At certain times there is a Cleaning Ceremony of the well. The last time it was cleaned in 1989. To clean it, the villagers used a 99 depa (99 local fathoms) white cloth.
According to a reliable source in Naira, the cleaning ceremony of the Perigi Keramat is done to commemorate the death of 33 Imams (Moslem leaders). One day, a group of Dutch soldiers and merchants got drunk with a group of villagers. The villagers took them to a rock and dropped them into the sea. Nobody knew what happened to the Dutch soldiers and merchants. Later, someone found the remains of these victims in the sea and made a report to the Dutch authorities in Naira. The Dutch authority was very angry, so they caught the 33 imams and dropped them into this well. The villagers later named the rock from where the drunken Dutch were dropped into the sea, Batu Belanda (Dutch Stone).
Because the well was, and still used for drinking water, the local villagers of Lonthoir made a special ceremony to recall the recovering of the remains of the 33 imams and to clean the well. The remains of the 33 imams were taken out of the well, and by using 99 fathoms of white cloth, they cleaned the well. The white cloth is meant to wrap the remains of the 33 imams according to Islamic way of burying.
“Air Mata Cilubintang”
This well is believed to be filled with water only when there is a traditional ceremony,
and when there is water in the well it has a healing power for the sick. This well is situated at the Kele Hill, in the village of Lonthoir.
Underwater Treasures
This is a place which is regarded sacred, and it is believed to have underwater treasures. It is located at Burang Cape and to reach it one has to use a motorboat. According to the villagers, this place of the underwater treasures are guarded by a big turtle and a fish.
Run Island
Run island was formerly in British hands, during the early days of European occupation in the Banda Islands. In the Teaty of Breda between the Dutch and the British, signed on July 31, 1667, formerly British-held island of Run was exchanged for a Dutch-held island on the other side of the world, the island of Manhattan in New York, because the Dutch was more interested in having control over the Banda islands, than over Manhattan. One can get to Run via Ay or hire a boat from Naira.
Ay Island
Ay island is situated on the west of Naira. This is a tiny islet just between the Volcano and Run Islets. If you’re on the way to Run, you’ll pass along this islet. You can get to Ay by using private local boats. There are some white sandy beaches and beautiful sea gardens.
Dive Spots and other Tourist Attractions
Prime tourist attractions in and around the Banda Islands are its maritime resources, i.e. diving spots with world famous fantastic coral gardens. The best known spots are :
Salamun - Tanjung Burang
Is situated at the northern tip of Banda Besar (Lonthoir Island), off Burang Cape.
It only takes a few minutes to reach this site by boat.
Take a public or chartered boat transportation. If you leave from Naira harbour, you will sail between Naira and the Volcano Islands, along a narrow passage southwards to the Zonnegat Strait, between Naira Island and Lonthoir Island. During your voyage to Tanjung Burang, you will see on one side of the strait, the Belgica Fortress (on the hill) and the VOC Mansion on Naira island, and on the other side, the well-hidden ruins of Fort Hollandia on Lonthoir island.
This dive spot is known for its gorgeous sessile organisms, such as gorgonis, sponges, crincid, ferns, and many others, which are at the depth of 30 metres under the crystal-clear blue surface of the Banda Sea. The site is only some 65 metres from the shoreline with a slope of appr. 70 to 80.
Batu Kapal
Batu Kapal is situated at the entrance to Naira Island, between the Volcano and Naira Island, if you are entering the Banda Islands from the north. This is a tiny uninhabited rocky coral islet.
One can get there via a chartered motor-boat, going north between Naira and the Volcano from Tanjung Burang. The physical topography underwater varies. There are two steep drop-offs comprising inner and outer slope zones in the south western part of the islet. Between these zones there is a ledge some 55 metres from the shoreline. Sessile organisms mainly comprising gorgonia, sponges, current string, and black coral reefs dominate the 40-50 slope of the inner wall and the 80-90 slope of the outer wall.
Ay Island
This is a tiny islet between the volcano and Run islets. You’ll pass this islet if you travel to Run. Certain parts of the shoreline have beautiful white sandy beaches. Cup-shaped sponges, coral trees, ferns, etc are located off the drop-off. A nice spot for snorkeling and scuba diving.
Run Island
The underwater world of Run Islet is an ideal spot for snorkellers, professional as well as amateur divers or just hobbyists.
A very exciting array of marine life on the ledge between the lagoon and the drop-off invites the divers to experience the natural underwater world of this spot. A lush carpet of living organisms not found anywhere else awaits the divers. One may take a public boat from Ay. There is no public boat from Naira to Run, so one must hire a boat from Naira.
Nailaka Island
Nailaka is situated at the northern most tip of Run Islet. To get to this spot, you have to rent a boat from Naira. This Islet has a beautiful white sandy beach. This is the place in the Banda Islands for recreation, fin swimming, snorkeling and diving. The reef organisms cling to the steep wall and one can see the huge colourful gorgonia fans. An ideal spot for scenic divers and underwater photo-graphers.
Hatta Island
Hatta is situated just on the other side of Lonthoir Island. Lonthoir, Naira, and the Volcano islet are located between Ay and
Hatta islets. Around this islet there are living corals, and white sandy beaches.
Saaru (Hatta Islet)
Saaru is the Ambonese term for reef. This Saaru referred to the reef of Hatta Islet as one is heading south east from Banda Besar. There are various corals with exotic views of a steep underwater wall for scuba divers and snorkellers.
Banda Islands Volcano
One can reach this islet only in 5 minutes by canoe, from Naira. The top of Banda’s active volcano is appr. 600 meters above the sea level. Best for those, who like hiking. From the top, you’ll have a very nice view of Naira and the surrounding islands. The last volcano eruption was on May 9, 1988. It forced the inhabitatnts of Naira and Lonthoir islands to evacuate. The ash covered the sky for about one week, and even the Ay Island was invisible.
Kora-kora Race
Kora-kora canoes Race are held in April and October every year. They compete on a quiet stretch of water between Naira and Gunung Api (Volcano).
Cakalele Dance
Is a war dance well known on the Banda Islands. Performance can be arranged on request.
Don’t miss your chance to sail around these islands, while in Banda
