15 August 2008

Marine Tourism

Namalatu
Namalatu Beach is located on the southeastern most part of the Leitimor Peninsula, facing the Banda Sea. Located next to Lelisa Beach, It is still part of the Municipality of the City of Ambon. The name of this beach is derived from two words: Nama and Latu, which respectively means Name and King.

The beach has a clear water and is an ideal spot for bathing, swimming, snorkelling and diving. The scenery down under is very beautiful and attractive. Namalatu is one of the island's diving activity centre. Close to the spot is a diving centre which offers diving equipments for hire. Minibuses are easy to catch from downtown bus terminal. Just board the bus heading for Latuhalat. It stops you right in front of the beach.

Ambon has to be considered from the marine enthusiast's point of view, more as a jumping off point than as a destination, since it is accessible by air and lies in the heart of many interesting island groups. For the adventurous and the self sufficient, the underwater islands of Maluku are magnificent.
There are about a thousand island islands in the region, and most have excellent beaches, reefs and seascapes, almost anywhere less than a day's journey away from the population centres. The snorkeling is superb. Boats easily available for hire.
Pulau Pombo and Pulau Kasa are two small island-marine reserves near Ambon.
Best time of the year is from September to March. Spells of rough weather can be expected between April and July. A word of caution is necessary: some corals are very fragile and break under flippers. Some sting badly, like the yellow-tipped fire coral. On sandy reef platforms, watch out for the long back spines of the sea urchins. Several small islands in this archipelago are still uninhabited.

Banda Neira
Southeast of the islands of Maluku is the small group of islands of Banda, the original nutmeg island. Banda Neira offers crystal clear water, full of coral gardens and tropical fish. There is a small hotel where diving gear is available. The island of Banda Neira is seeped in history, starting from 1312 when the first Portuguese arrived on its shores, followed by the English and the Dutch, all eater for the golden nutmeg trade. Some of the remnants of this period still remain. Banda Neira is an hour's flight from Ambon.

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