Leaving Raja Ampat gave me some headaches and struggles because my original plans didn’t want to flow. I let the Universe guide me, so I ended up in Maluku, with the entry point in Ambon.

Ambon is a UNESCO city of music and is true to its name. You can hear music wherever you go; mosques (of course), singing traffic lights, and random people with guitars at the food courts. Music is life, and Ambonese people live it to the fullest.. and I like visiting well-tuned cities. I only stayed for a weekend, so I couldn’t explore everything, but since the island isn’t too big, I tried my best.

GETTING THERE AND AROUND

I flew with Wings Air from Sorong, and these short-haul flights mean ATR planes (low riders rulz). It was my first time flying this plane, and now I’m hooked.

The airport is out of town, so you need a transfer; you can call a Grab or agree on a price with one of the taxi drivers courting customers outside. Grab and ojek (taxi) work well in Ambon, and if you’re feeling adventurous, you can try the becak or bemo, too. However, you will spend a lot of money on taxis and need your own transport to get out of the city. So get a bike! I rented mine from Ambonise Rental (the first result on Google). They speak English, the hog was in good condition, and I also got a good helmet, which is rare in Indonesia. The only flaw of the story was the price; 150k IDR/day is high – still less than I would have spent on ojek. You can get a better deal for long-term rentals, but I only needed it for 2 days, so I didn’t have much room to bargain.

Each island in Indonesia has its own driving style, and if you spend enough time in the country and drive on your own, you can see and feel that traffic flows differently on a wide scale. The people of Ambon drive slowly, but they slalom a lot. This can be confusing, but it’s still safe as long as you keep your eyes on the road. The map of the city is simple, the only inconvenience is the one-way streets in the center, which (surprisingly) also applies to bikes.

Side note: Google Maps is terrible in East Indonesia; nothing is where Google indicates it. I recommend using the satellite view and figuring out the routes yourself. I also don’t know who pins the locations, but 80% of them are fake or crap (e.g. people love to mark their private homes as hotels, lol).

A PLACE TO STAY

Accommodation in Maluku is not the cheapest. I was traveling alone, so I didn’t want to spend too much on a room. I stayed at a RedDoorz, which are usually the shittiest (but cheapest) places. This one (originally a college) was not too bad.. basic but alright, and it was between the airport and the city center, which made it strategically optimal. If you intend to spend a longer time in Ambon, I strongly recommend renting an apartment with a kitchen.

EAT WHAT YOU FIND

Unfortunately, I cannot say much about this topic because I visited during Ramadan, so finding food during the daytime was challenging. In addition, I ate so much tempeh-egg-rice the previous week that my body couldn’t take any more. If you’re not into local street food, your dine-out options are limited; what they call Western food is just a horrible, tasteless something. Also, Sunday seems to be a lazy day, with nothing open before 11 am except for the local markets.

However, Ambon is the city of supermarkets (not just music). There are a crazy number of supermarkets where you can buy literally everything (here comes the apartment with a kitchen in the picture). Finding cherry tomatoes, camembert, and sliced fruits was a great joy for me. Oh, and french fries (don’t judge, I was done with rice).

SIGHTSEEING IN AMBON CITY

Honestly, there’s not much to see; Ambon is more for living, not sightseeing. You’ll pass by Pattimura Park and the World Peace Gong and cross Jembatan Merah Putih a few times. The bridge is definitely the highlight; you can stop freely on both sides, and the sunset is stunning from the middle.

Also, there’s a hidden spot on the riverbank (Pantai Zipur), which is my favourite. After leaving the busy road, just follow the alleys to the river, park your bike at the end (very close to the wall if you don’t want scratches on it), then walk a few more steps to enjoy the view.

EXPLORING PULAU AMBON

Due to the limited time, I focused on the southern peninsula (Leitimur). I didn’t want to cram too much into one day, so I took it slow and had an amazing road trip with beautiful weather, stunning scenery, a lit sunset, and a full moon. Only the start of the day wasn’t the smoothest. I couldn’t find anything open for breakfast and coffee (like I said, lazy Sunday), so I ended up having my very first Roti-O (disgustingly sweet, never again) and a Point Coffee (which turned out to be pretty good). After being sugar-boosted, I headed to the westernmost point of Leitimur. Maan, the coastal road, and the small, colorful villages left a smile on my face (either the ambiance or the sugar, not sure).

Unfortunately, Tanjung Nusaniwe, my first destination, wasn’t too impressive – it must be visited at high tide to see real water splashes.

Sunday means crowd (mostly extended families or the entire village) on the beaches, and when you’re the only foreigner around, you steal the show wherever you go. I don’t feel comfortable beaching in front of hungry eyes, so Pantai Santai (meaning relaxing beach) was only a short photo stop. Instead, I spent more time at Pantai Bethesda. The name is probably a biblical reference to the pool with healing powers, and these waves are sure to wash everything away. The beach is more of a park on the cliff with beautiful views and a hidden cave (spoiler alert: only skinny people fit through the entrance) and is close to Pintu Kota beach, which can be seen from above.

After that, I just cruised around.. on roads that weren’t even marked on Google Maps. It’s a lesser-known fact that people in eastern Indonesia are more Christian than Muslim, and they clearly have a thing for Christmas. Plus, the sound system in every other house is impressive.. well, music is life, right?!

My last mission for the day was to visit a lookout. Again, nothing is where it’s pinned. Thanks to this, I missed the turn to Sivang Paradise and ended up on Gunung Nona. The way up there is a mini-adventure. You pass through a cemetery and arrive at the Air Nav Indonesia. Here, I found a narrow path to the edge which hid a marvelous view.

I was already happy with this day, but then I arrived back in the city at sunset, and the colours of the sky put the icing on top of a perfect Sunday.

The next morning, I woke up for a last sunrise trip before leaving the island. I adore the early morning colours, the fresh air, and the mist over the land, and Ambon did not disappoint. This time, I headed north. I originally wanted to greet the sunrise at Pantai Liang but was a bit late. I have to say, this beach is not like in the pictures; the shore is heavily littered with plastic and diapers, smells really bad, and is absolutely not picturesque at low tide. I was so disappointed (and upset) that I even forgot to take photos.

I decided to go in a circle rather than on the same way to the city. While the southern peninsula is more Christian, the northern (Leihitu) is more Muslim. Not surprisingly, the atmosphere is very different too. Somehow, I felt less safe, and remembering my little knowledge of the conflicts didn’t help. I passed by the other tourist attraction of the area, Lubang Buaya Morella (not particularly interesting), but frankly, I just wanted to cross the hills and reach the south as fast as possible.

Ambon Manise (meaning beautiful) is a perfect combination of hills and beaches, rainforests and inhabited areas.. if only there weren’t that bloody garbage. I’d be happy to come back for another long weekend, and if you feel the wanderlust, it is an excellent destination for you too.

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