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    Banda Neira
    Town

    Banda Neira

    Banda Neira is the main town of the Banda Islands. Fort Belgica, colonial houses of the Dutch nutmeg planters, and the view of the opposite volcano Gunung Api define the small island town.

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    9. Banda Neira
    Banda Neira is the main town of the Banda Islands. Fort Belgica, colonial houses of the Dutch nutmeg planters, and the view of the opposite volcano Gunung Api define the small island town.
    Banda Neira ist der Hauptort der Banda-Inseln und liegt auf der gleichnamigen Insel gegenüber dem Vulkan Gunung Api. Der kleine Ort ist geschichtsträchtig: Das Fort Belgica überragt die Stadt, am Ufer stehen Fort Nassau, die Residenz Istana Mini und Kolonialhäuser mit Säulenveranden. Im Museum Rumah Budaya erfährst du mehr über den Muskathandel. Alles liegt in Gehweite, Unterkünfte organisieren Bootsfahrten zu den anderen Inseln und zum Schnorcheln.

    Sights in Banda Neira

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Fort Nassau
    Attraction

    Fort Nassau

    Ruin of an older fortress near the shore, built in 1609 on Portuguese foundations.
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    Fort Belgica
    Attraction

    Fort Belgica

    Early 17th-century pentagonal fortress of the Dutch East India Company on a hill above the town. From the walls, you gaze at Gunung Api.
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    Istana Mini
    Attraction

    Istana Mini

    Former residence of the Dutch Governor by the harbor, a Neoclassical building with a large garden.
    Open in Google Maps

    Sights in Banda Neira

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Fort Nassau
    Attraction

    1Fort Nassau

    Ruin of an older fortress near the shore, built in 1609 on Portuguese foundations.
    Open in Google Maps
    Fort Belgica
    Attraction

    2Fort Belgica

    Early 17th-century pentagonal fortress of the Dutch East India Company on a hill above the town. From the walls, you gaze at Gunung Api.
    Open in Google Maps
    Istana Mini
    Attraction

    3Istana Mini

    Former residence of the Dutch Governor by the harbor, a Neoclassical building with a large garden.
    Open in Google Maps

    Restaurants in Banda Neira

    1

    Warung Makan Saung Kuning

    Small Warung in Banda Neira town.
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    2

    Ibu Nanang's Restaurant

    Simple eatery with Indonesian home-style cooking on Banda Neira.
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    Food and Drink

    Dining in the guesthouses

    Many accommodations cook for their guests, often fish with Kenari sauce and vegetables.

    Manisan Pala

    Candied nutmeg fruit, a typical souvenir.

    Culture

    Today's residents largely descend from people brought to the islands after 1621, from across Indonesia. Mohammad Hatta's Exile House remembers the time the Dutch banished political opponents here. During festivals, large war boat (kora-kora) races are held.

    Getting There & Around

    Getting TherePelni: Ships from Ambon take about 16 hours and dock at the town's port (pelni.co.id).Speedboat: Seasonally from Tulehu on Ambon in 5 to 6 hours; departures vary.Flight: The small airfield is on the edge of town.Getting AroundIn Banda Neira, you get around on foot. To Gunung Api, take a short boat trip across; to Banda Besar, Pulau Hatta, Ai, and Run, you travel by chartered longboats.

    Day Trips

    Gunung Api

    Volcano opposite the town. The steep ascent takes two to three hours; off the coast lies the reef Lava Flow.

    Banda Besar

    Largest island with nutmeg plantations and the village of Lonthoir.

    Pulau Hatta and Ai

    Small islands with steep wall reefs and beaches.

    Run

    Secluded island, traded for Manhattan in 1667.

    Accommodations in Banda Neira

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    Nearby

    Banda Islands (Moluccas)
    Hike Indonesia / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

    Banda Islands (Moluccas)

    The Banda Islands in the Banda Sea were for centuries the sole source of nutmeg and the site of bloody colonial conflicts. Today, fortresses and plantations recall this era, and around the Gunung Api volcano lie intact coral reefs.
    Ambon

    Ambon

    Ambon is the capital of the Moluccas and a hub for trips to the Banda Islands. The city on a deep bay offers colonial traces, beaches, and dive sites right on its doorstep.
    Misool

    Misool

    Misool in the south of Raja Ampat is one of its four main islands. Karst islands, lagoons, rock paintings, and reefs abundant with soft corals characterize this region, which is more secluded and peaceful than Waigeo.
    Raja Ampat (West-Papua)

    Raja Ampat (West-Papua)

    Raja Ampat, off the western tip of New Guinea, consists of around 1,500 islands, reefs, and sandbanks. The region is located in the Coral Triangle and is considered one of the most biodiverse marine areas on Earth.
    Waigeo

    Waigeo

    Waigeo is the largest island of Raja Ampat. Here lies the main town Waisai with its ferry port, surrounded by the islands Kri, Gam and Arborek with homestays, as well as the karst landscape of Piaynemo.