Ambon

Ambon is an island in the Maluku region of Indonesia.

Introduction

Ambon and the provincial capital of Maluku, is built on a hillside overlooking the bay. It has a number of interesting historical and cultural sites, among them the remnants of forts built by the Dutch East Indies Company during the heyday of the spice trade. The ruins of the Portuguese fort at Hila are almost entirely hidden beneath the contorted roots of a giant banyan tree. The ANZAC War Cemetery near Ambon town is the site of services held every year on April 25, to commemorate the Allied soldiers who died in region during World War II. The museum Siwa Lima has a fine collection of local arts and crafts. Ambon is at the Maluku end of the annual yacht race between Darwin, Australia and Ambon. The race takes place in July and August.

Travel to Ambon

Fly to Ambon

Pattimura Airport IATA Flight Code: AMQ -3.7075,128.0899 - Pattimura Airport Pattimuraairportlogo There are multiple daily Flights from Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air and Batik-Air. Some flights make a stopover in Surabaya or Makassar. Other destinations with direct connecting Flights to and from Ambon include Manado, Ternate and Sorong.

By ferry

Alternatively there are boats from various parts of Indonesia. Schedules change frequently, but any travel agent in Jakarta or a major Indonesian city can arrange this.

Transportation in Ambon

Bemos (public transport minivans, locally called angkutan or angkot) with pre-ordained routes take people around the island. There are no fixed stops, just flag one down in the street. Look at the sign on top of the bus to make sure it's the route you want. Each costs 2,000Rp -- pay when you get out. Sitting up front is fine, if it's empty and you'd rather not squish into the back. To stop where you want to get out, say "minggir".

Becaks (bicycle rickshaw) are good for shorter distances downtown.

There are many ojeks (passenger motorcycles) around the island.

Taxis are also available for hire and can be found mostly in major hotels.

A map of the city is available on the second floor of the bookstore Dian Pertiwi, at the junction of Jl. P. Diponegoro and Jl. Said Perintah, by the tall white Trikora monument.

If you want to going to city from the airport you can use the DAMRI bus, it's located on the right side of the arrival hall and will only cost you Rp. 25,000 — cheaper than taking a taxi which can cost you roughly Rp. 150,000/trip. the DAMRI bus stops on the Merdeka Court on the heart of Ambon City.

What to See

Commonwealth war graves ,
Liang Beach ,
Martha Christina Tiahahu statue ,
Merah Putih Bridge -3.6629,128.1979 - Merah Putih Bridge Merah Putih Bridge.jpg AAAAAAA The bridge spans over Ambon Bay, connecting Rumah Tiga (Poka) on the north side, with Hative Kecil/Galala on the south side. This bridge is the longest bridge in the eastern region of Indonesia.

Namalatu beach area ,
Natsepa Beach ,
Pintu Kota ,
Siwa Lima Museum ,
Tulehu Hotwater ,
Waii eels , -

Muslim Travel Tips

Snorkeling / Diving on Latuhalat or Liang beach. Just ask your Hotel/Inn how to get there.

Eat Nasi Kuning(Yellow Rice) on morning, noon, night time. It's every time Ambonese meal. Be careful it's spicy

Asmat Souvenir | Jl Sam Ratulangi - just across from CIMB Niaga Bank Book exchange, money changer, tourist information, souvenir shop and great conversations. Pak Wisar speaks fluent English and will help you in any way he can.

Halal Restaurants & Food in Ambon

Various seafood, Batu cake (which translates "rock cake"; best to be had with tea or coffee).

Kohu-kohu is a delicious local specialty: green salad with tuna, shredded coconut and lime.

Cafe Sibu Sibu Jl. Said Perintah No. 47A - ☎ +62 911 312525 Serves traditional Malukan food and is a great spot to chill with a big open front. Very popular with local residents. Cafe has WiFi, albeit slow. The owner, June, speaks English. Cafe also provides Coffee, baked goods and light meals. It is double the size of what it used to be.

D'Ocean Seafood(Was : Restoran Tantui Seafood) | Jalan Tantui - Hygienic Market or Pasar Higenis - Opening Hours: 08:00-22:00 Rp.25,000-100,000 Lots of seafood—yellow soup fish, rica-rica, Balado shrimp, black pepper crab, black pepper lobster, bitter melon with fish, papaya flower. Local speciality fish in almond Sauce is a favorite.

Imperial Resto Jln. Diponegoro no. 53 - ☎ +62 911 315333 Opening Hours: 11.00-23.00 Clean and comfortable environment to have lunch or dinner, offering best fresh seafood in town, with speciality menu: Ambon traditional food (papeda, fish yellow soup with walnut), Hong Kong-style steamed fish, sweet and sour fish, black pepper beef, fresh crab in "Sze Chuan" style. All food is Halal

Where to sleep in Ambon

Most people only transit in Ambon on their way to the Banda Islands or Kei Islands, even though the nationside has plenty of charm. You basically have 3 options:

Sleeping in the city (Kota Ambon). Though relaxed for an Indonesian city, it has little to show and is relatively far from both the airport and Telehu harbour and thus may not be the best option, unless you have some shopping or administrative things to do.
Beach cottages around Natsepa (east of Kota Ambon) or Hila (north of Pulau Ambon).
Homestay near the airport: much better than it sounds, as the airport is far from being busy and located near nice villages (Laha).

The Natsepa JL. Natsepa No 36 Suli Salahutu - ☎ +62 911 362555 +62 911 362111
Imperial Inn | W.R. Soepratman Gang Kedondong - ☎ +62 911 355047 Decent inn with various types of room and the price is also affordable. Has free internet access in every room.

Manise Hotel | @☎com Jl. W.R Supratman No.1 - ☎ +62 911 341445 +62 911 354145 Check-in : 1PM / Check-out: 11AM Average $40 A family-owned hotel

Mutiara Hotel | ,
Baguala Bay Resort - Baguala Bay | Jl. Raya Waitatiri - 20 minutes from Ambon City & Airport - on the way to Tulehu Ferry port to Seram & Saparua island ☎ +62 911 362717 USD 50.- Friendly atmosphere, large garden with pool, scenic sunset view overlooking the Bay, great for families with children

Stay Safe

Ambon has been wracked by ethnic and religious violence since 1999. While tensions between the main Muslim and Christian factions have been slowly waning and there were still scuffles in spring 2004 and caution is advised. In 2007 there were minor bomb blasts in March and April.

Where to go next

Banda Islands. A small archipelago with a great history of "Spice wars" over the power of nutmeg.
Kei Islands. Perfect white sand beach setting for doing absolutely nothing.
Kupang. Popular destination in West Timor.
Sorong. Awesome diving in Raja Ampat.

Travel by ship/cruise to Ambon

Traveling by boat requires patience and a relaxed schedule. Delays and breakdowns are just part of the experience.

Pelni serves Banda Islands|Banda (200,000 Rp) and Kei Islands|Tual (550,000 Rp) with the mighty ship Ciremai and the less mighty but still big Kelimutu.

Current schedules can be had from the Pelni office GPS -3.692841,128.184123 near the Ambon City Park (look for the big statue of the guy with the Machete). The ticket office (loket) is easy to miss in the back of the big glass-front Pelni building.

Boat services to nearby islands such as Saparua or Banda Neira can be booked at Telehu Harbour GPS -3.585471,128.32859}}. Inquire early to the timetable as scheduled departments may change or even canceled.

Travel by plane to Ambon

"NBA" has weekly Flights to Banda Islands on Wednesdays. There are rumours of flights on Saturdays during the high season, but it's unclear when high season actually occurs.
"Wings Express" (subsidy of Lionair) has daily Flights to Tual|Kei Islands.