Kapal PELNI yang akan membawa kami kembali ke Ambon dari Banda datang terlambat. Sedianya, mereka merapat jam dua belas siang tadi. Tetapi sekarang sudah jam sembilan malam, dan tidak ada tanda-tanda kapal mendekat. Lampu di kamar penginapan kami, The Nutmeg Tree, sudah dipadamkan. Gunung Api, yang langsung menghadap jendela kamar, tampak seperti tumpeng raksasa yang pekat. Di latar belakangnya, langit cerah bertabur bintang,
Malam itu, Riri dan anak-anak sudah tertidur. Saya sendiri terlalu bersemangat untuk bisa tertidur: membayangkan perjalanan 7 Jam PELNI yang serasa seperti 'once in a lifetime journey' itu. Dalam gelap, sembari mengisi waktu, saya mengetik menggunakan telepon genggam yang pendar layarnya saya redupkan. Tigabelas hal yang paling saya sukai tentang Banda selama sepekan kami tinggal di sana. Seperti ini hasilnya:
- Pick your favourite viewing points to enjoy the beauty of Banda Neira above the sea level. Mine are: area around the main harbour, Belgica Fort, Hollandia Fort, and the airstrip. View from the top of Gunung Api as well as the Neira light house must be great too. We didnt have a chance to go hike the mountain.
- Pick your favourite diving/ snorkeling spot out of the 26 spots available in the Islands. This is the main reason why people from around the world come to Banda. You need at least 8 days to explore them all.. :) :)
- Soak in the history of Banda: spice trade, colonization, and the early modern nationalist movement of Indonesia: Hatta, Sjahrir, Tjipto Mangunkusumo, and many more..
- Enjoy the old world charm of crumbling villas, forts, chinese temple, and old-houses of Banda It is like opening an architectural time-capsule spanning 300 years of architectural style.
- Sunrise or sunset running/ jogging/ strolling at Banda's rarely used airstrip, which offers a magnificent view to all directions. Jogging/ running cross-villages is also a great things to do. In fact we believe that there should be a Banda 10K or half marathon :)
- One day trip exploring Banda Besar: old plantations tour, nutmeg coffee, magnificent view of Banda from the crumbling Hollandia Fort, or just enjoying the neatly arranged villages along the western coastline of the Island, plus few secluded beaches.
- And another one day for Island hoping trip, for the boat ride, breezy fresh air sensation, and quiet creamy beaches.
- Mingle with locals -- Bandans are very friendly -- or watching kids playing many kinds of traditional games almost in every corner of the villages.
- While good restaurant is practically not exist in Banda, you can still rely on hotels willing to preape a special meal (dinner or lunch) cooked for you. We tried these three -- Cilu Bintang, Maulana, and Nutmeg Tree -- they are top notch! For street food, try Banda's speciality: nasi kuning, terong kenari, panekuk selai pala, teh bunga pala.
- People are talking about morning climb of Gunung Api: a 650+ m mountain offering breathtaking view of all Banda Islands from its summit. We did not have a chance to do this. But must be great.
- The excellently renovated Fort Belgica offers a great view point as well as a place to interact with locals, especially in the late afternoon until sunset.
- Enjoying the chaotic 7 hours PELNI trip from Ambon to Banda and back. This is, for me, an experience of a lifetime, and can be extremely fun, if you know how to enjoy it.. :)
- If you can, try to stay at Nutmeg Tree. A micro hotel with only four beautifully appointed rooms, an attached dive center, million dolars view, great staff - great food, and Banda Bay as the hotel private pool, with a price that make sense. This is so far -- considering all angles -- our most favourite hotel in all family trip we have ever done in the past 15 years.. :) Cilu Bintang is also a great place to stay, especially if you are looking for a rich insider story of Banda and a meeting point with travellers from around the world. Good food too!
No comments:
Post a Comment