Ambon Indonesia; Heart of Maluku

Ambon Indonesia is definitely worth a trip. For most tourists, though it is a gateway to the Spice Islands and then relaxing holidays in a hotel in Bali. The Spice Islands are the origin of three very important flavorings we use in cooking also in the food, cosmetic, perfume, and other industries.

To the north you will find:

Ternate and Halmahera the origin of clove

To the south

Banda Islands are the origin of nutmeg and mace

Used ors decorate a fish restaurant in Ambon

What Do You Do in Ambon Indonesia

You Need to Eat Right?

We visited this trendy restaurant Dapor Kole Kole situated on a small side street. The theme and decoration are dedicated to the sea, fishing, and boats; and the menu reflects that. We had to try the typical and well known Bapedah, a sago dish and you need to learn first how to eat it. It is a side dish and we eat Yellow Tail Tuna in turmeric sauce with it. Watch my video below. There are other items on the menu like noodles that are cooked in a refreshing spice broth and again it had bits of Caklang or Skipjack tuna in it.

For dinner, our tour guide and organizer chose an unsophisticated street diner. The focus was definitely NOT on the decoration or comfort the focus was on delicious and simple food. Open to the street with a tiny open back garden there was some air circulation in the main dining hall. We found a big enough table in the small air-conditioned room though. We went back out to the entrance to choose our still living fish and decided that we wanted it grilled; it was done right there along the street. Fresh coconut water served in the shell without any sugar or syrup for me is the best companion for any food in the tropics.

The Afternoon Gave Us Enough Time to Discover

Bapedah and tuna specialities of Maluku Indonesia

Ambon Indonesia 35th World Peace Gong

The story of Pattimura in relief; can you see the clove buds and nutmeg fruits?

World Peace Gong in the center of the city Ambon across the regional government offices. This Gong Perdamaian Dunia is the 35th in the world and placed here to mark the end of a time of turmoil and violence. It shows about 200 world flags and the center is decorated with symbols of the most recognized religions in the world.
The statue of Pattimura is across the street. It is a reminder of the heroic action of Thomas Matulessy or Pattimura as he was popularly known. He did overcome the Dutch colonialists on Saparua island east of Ambon Indonesia. He was then betrayed by the king and handed over to the Dutch and hanged in Ambon exactly at the spot where his statue now stands. Reliefs decorate the stage where he stands. We can understand the tragedy and fierce fight over the spice trade that was waged over the control of these islands centuries ago.
On the top of a hill with spectacular views over the city of Ambon, the bay with its busy shipping lanes we found the statue of a female hero of Ambon Martha Christina Tiahahu who had joined Pattimura in several battles. She died age 17 of illness while brought as a captive to Java.