HIGHLIGHTS SOUTHEAST MOLUCCAS

• ISLANDS OFF THE BEATEN PATHS

  • Rarely visited of the Moluccan provinces is the archipelago of the Southeast Moluccas. Attractive of the Kei, Aru- and Tanimbar Islands is that each island group and even each island has its own atmosphere. It has not been until years after the war between Christians and Muslims in the 2000s that tourism started to flourish. However there are still only a few tourist facilities and you should consider simple accommodation and a flexible attitude when travelling these islands. But you will be visiting unspoilt areas and that makes traveling to these islands a wonderful adventure!

• INDONESIA’S MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACHES

  • On the Kei islands you can find gorgeous white sandy beaches. The kilometers long palm-fringed white beaches are the perfect examples of romantic ‘bounty beaches’.

• ISLAND HOPPING

  • Explore the small islands of the Kei islands to observe the wonderful nature above and under water. You visit a 'Mini Raja Ampat' in a beautiful lagoon where you can snorkel and spot blacktip sharks, octopuses and crabs. Snorkeling on another island in a saltwater lake where you can see huge turtles and visit a beach in the middle of the sea where pelicans take their rest en route to Australia.

• BIRDS OF PARADISE

  • Due to its location in the Wallacea area where Australian and Asian flora and fauna meet and gradually merge into each other, there is a special variety of fauna found on the Kei and Aru islands. This is particularly evident in the many birds on the Kei islands, including parrots and three endemic species.
  • The relatively wet and forested Aru islands offer the visitor a fauna that is very similar to that of West Papua, located about 120 km away. Birds of paradise, parrots, lories, turtles, manatees, an extremely varied marine world, but also kangaroos, tree kangaroos, crocodiles and butterflies with special colors can be found here. In Aru you go looking for the greater bird of paradise, a spectacular appearance! The males have developed extraordinary looks and subtle dance moves to compete for the attention of the ladies. It is a controlled show with strict choreography that they repeat every day from May to October when the east wind blows.

• STAY COMFORTABLY IN THE FOREST

  • A walk of about 1,5 hours takes you to a small paradise in the tropical forest. You'll spend a few nights here to observe the daily and nightly activities of wildlife around you. You will sleep comfortably in a cottage middle of the jungle and wake up to the beautiful calls of the colorful birds.

• TRADITIONAL COOKING & MEALS

  • Not only in appearance do the inhabitants of the Southeast-Moluccas resemble the Papua people, there are also similarities in their traditions. Cooking with hot stones is typical of the tribes in central highlands of West Papua, but this is also done on the Tanimbar islands. Several times meals are prepared for you by digging a pit in which the ingredients are put and then covered by hot stones to cook. Or fresh sago is extracted and cookied in leafs along with bananas or fish. It is no problem to help cooking every now and then! Enjoy local food in people's homes with typical ingredients from the Southeast Moluccas and learn how they are prepared in the traditional way.

• (WELCOME) CEREMONIES & DANCES

  • In the Southeast Moluccas traditions and ancestor worship play a huge rol in everyday life. Especially Kei Besar and the Tanimbar islands have a rich cultural heritage. To enter some sites, a ritual carried out by the head of the adat (on Tanimbar called Tuan Tanah) needs to be carried out first. On Kei Besar usually the water of coconuts is used during the rituals, on Tanimbar sopi (gin) is indispensable.
  • Traditional attire is shown by local dances, on Tanimbar these are made of self-woven ikat fabrics. Another ceremony you will attend is Badendeng, where groups of people solve problems or discuss everyday matters by singing and dancing in a relaxed and funny way.