Explore the Moluccas in Indonesia

Arabiaweather.com - Ismail Qasimi - The Maluku Islands , also known as the Moluccas or the Spice Islands, is the Indonesian island group between Sulawesi and Papua, an area that is largely off the beaten path for adventurous travelers.

Known as the Spice Islands in Dutch times, the Moluccas were the only place on earth where nutmeg, cloves, and many other precious spices were grown.

The group's 632 islands sprawl across a vast expanse of ocean and sit on one of the world's most volatile volcanic belts, blessed with idyllic sea gardens, tropical beaches, rugged volcanic mountains and enveloping forests.

The Moluccas are administratively divided into two provinces, the Northern Moluccas (or Maluku Utara), and Halmahera, the largest island but sparsely populated, and the Sula Islands, in addition to the small island of Ternate, the capital of the province.

As for the Southern Moluccas or Maluku Salatan, it is represented by a larger number of islands, such as the beautiful island Ambon, which is home to the capital of the province of the same name, the Aru Islands in the far east, the Babar Islands, the Banda Islands, Buru Island, the Damer Islands, the Gorong Archipelago, Haruko, Morotai, Sabarua, Seram,...and others.

The main gateway to Maluku is the provincial capital, Ambon, which is served by regular flights from large Indonesian cities, and in turn links to most parts of the archipelago, as air and sea transport links the islands of the group through 79 seaports and 25 airports.