Ambon

Ambon is an island in the Maluku region of Indonesia and also the name of its largest city: Ambon City. The island consists of two regions: Ambon City and Central Maluku Regency.



Understand
Ambon, the provincial capital of Maluku, is built on a hillside overlooking the bay. It has a number of interesting historical and cultural sites, among them the remnants of forts built by the Dutch East Indies Company during the heyday of the spice trade. The ruins of the Portuguese fort at Hila are almost entirely hidden beneath the contorted roots of a giant banyan tree. The ANZAC War Cemetery near Ambon town is the site of services held every year on April 25, to commemorate the Allied soldiers who died in the region during World War II.

History
The origin of the name Ambon is also very difficult to trace. According to local residents, the name Ambon comes from the word ombong in Ambonese language which means dew because the mountains on the island of Ambon are always dewy or foggy in the morning.

The history of Ambon began with the arrival of the Portuguese in 1512. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to land in Ambon, and it became the new centre for Portuguese activities in Maluku following their expulsion from Ternate. The Portuguese, however, were regularly attacked by native Muslims on the island's northern coast, in particular, Hitu, which had trading and religious links with major port cities on Java's north coast. Then, the Portuguese built a fort in the Ambon area as a place of activity in trade and the spread of religion. As the first Europeans to arrive, the Portuguese mobilized their inhabitants to build a fort called Benteng Kota Laha (Fort Laha). The birthday or anniversary of the city of Ambon has been decided to fall on September 7, 1575, in a seminar in Ambon City.

Ambon was the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) from 1610 to 1619 until the founding of Batavia (now Jakarta) by the Dutch. Ambon city was the site of a major Dutch military base that Imperial Japanese forces captured from Allied forces in the World War II Battle of Ambon in 1942. The battle was followed by the summary execution of more than 300 Allied prisoners of war in the Laha massacre.

Sectarian tensions between the Muslims and Christians erupted in the wake of the fall of Suharto in 1998, resulting in numerous violent clashes between the two groups, and the deaths of thousands of people. An agreement mediated by the Indonesian government was signed between the Christians and Muslims in 2002 to end the violence, and while sporadic clashes have occurred, the area has settled into an uneasy peace. The Indonesian government and numerous NGOs have been trying to promote dialogue between the Muslim and Christian communities in an effort to make the peace a lasting one. As of 2022, things are much more peaceful and Ambon received an award as among the Top 10 most tolerant cities in Indonesia by the Setara Institute.

Ambon became the first city in Southeast Asia to be recognized as the UNESCO Creative Cities for music category in 2019 and has been called Ambon the City of Music and is known as Indonesia's music city.

People
Ambon prides itself on being a multi-racial island. Ambon's population consists of, the majority of the native Moluccas including Ambonese, Alfur, Kei, Tanimbarese, and mixed of Arab-Ambonese, Dutch-Ambonese, Portuguese-Ambonese, Spanish-Ambonese, also other Indonesian such as Chinese-Indonesian, Buginese, Butonese, Flores, Javanese, Makassarese, Minang, Papuan, and Sundanese. Christianity is the majority religion in Ambon at about 60% of the population, with Islam in second place at about 39%, and the rest being a smattering of other religions.

Climate
Ambon experiences a tropical rainforest climate and there is no real dry season. The driest month is November with total precipitation of 114 millimetres (4.5 in), while the wettest month is June with total precipitation of 638 millimetres (25.1 in). As it is located near the equator, the temperature throughout the year is constant. The hottest month is December, with an average temperature of 27.2 °C (81.0 °F), while the coolest month is July, with an average temperature of 25.0 °C (77.0 °F).

Events
Ambon conducts the annual yacht race between Darwin and Ambon called Spice Islands Darwin Ambon Yacht Race. The race usually takes place in August. Every year, on Eid al-Adha day, Karnaval Hadrat (Hadrat Carnival) is conducted in several subdistricts or locally called Negeri, those are Hila and Batu Merah.

Talk
While everyone is able to speak Indonesian, Ambon also has its own local language called Ambonese Malay, a creole language based on Malay, but with strong influences from Dutch, Portuguese and Indonesia's other local languages.

Get around
If you want to go to the city from the airport you can use the bus operated by DAMRI, it's located on the right side of the arrival hall and will only cost you Rp50,000 - cheaper than taking a taxi which can cost you approximately Rp150,000/trip. The DAMRI bus stops on in the heart of the city. The taxi is like a private car, with no taxi sign above the car. It can be found mostly outside the airport.

Angkot (public transport minivans, locally called Oto) with fixed routes take people around the island. There are no fixed stops, just wave your hand on the side of the road to stop the vans and get into it. Look at the sign on top of the vans and ask the driver to make sure it's the route you want. Each cost Rp3,000 for a short trip - pay when you get out. Sitting up front is fine if it's empty and you'd rather not squish into the back. To stop where you want to get out, say minggir. Becak (bicycle rickshaws) are good for shorter distances downtown. There are many ojek (passenger motorcycles) around the island. Also, an online ojek called Gojek is available there. Getting around Ambon is easier by renting a bike or a car. Google Maps are all capable of figuring out the tourist or public destination. A map of the city is available on the second floor of the bookstore, near Trikora Monument.

The downtown of Ambon City is very pedestrian-friendly. Strolling around is one of the best way to chill the afternoon. In the evening, a dancing water fountain showed up there.

Do
Snorkeling and diving on various beautiful beaches.

Bathing in a natural hot spring.

Showering under waterfalls.

Buy
You may buy oleh-oleh, souvenirs, and merchandise from Ambon.

Eat
Ambon is a city that has a variety of foods including local Ambonese cuisine, Javanese cuisine like Ayam Penyet or locals called Ayam Lalapan, Buginese-Makassarese cuisine like Coto Makassar, and Chinese-Indonesian cuisine like Mie Ayam. Also, there are some western fast-food chains, like KFC, McDonald's, and Pizza Hut. As a port city, Ambon provides a variety of dishes from seafood, both soupy and grilled.

Ambonese food
Actual Ambonese food is common on the island. Notable dishes include:
 * Ikan kuah kuning &mdash; a saltwater fish in a yellow soup.
 * Papeda &mdash; a congee made from sago starch, eaten with Ikan kuah kuning.
 * Kohu-kohu &mdash; green salad with tuna, shredded coconut, and lime.
 * Nasi kelapa &mdash; a rice dish with grated coconut mixed with chillies, shallots, and orange juice.
 * Sambal colo-colo &mdash; a type of sour and spicy condiment of tomatoes, lime, lime basil, chillies, and shallot.
 * Tumis bia &mdash; a spicy stir-fried sea snail.

And, there are also some snacks, cakes, and desserts originally from Ambonese cuisine, those are:
 * Ampas terigu &mdash; bread made from flour, palm sugar, and grated coconut.
 * Kue asida &mdash; a traditional dessert in Ramadan, created by Arab-Ambonese.
 * Kue cara &mdash; savory deep-fried dough with toppings of seasoned shredded tuna, a slice of chili, scallion, and celery.
 * Pisang asar &mdash; a fried banana with peanut and sugar on top.

Some drinks has became special beverage of Ambon, such as:
 * Jus gandaria &mdash; a juice made from plum-mango.
 * Kopi rarobang &mdash; a coffee drink with spices, walnut, and condensed milk.

There are many food stalls and restaurants for the budget to mid-range, both inner and outer downtown. Nasi kuning ambon means Ambonese yellow rice is a cheap food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner which has been sold in almost all corners of the city. Many seafood hawkers also provided along Jl. Sam Ratulangi (Sam Ratulangi street) in the evening with mid-range prices.

Sleep
There are many resorts and hotels in Ambon including:

Stay safe
Ambon was wracked by ethnic and religious violence between Muslim and Christian factions during the turn of the 21st century and much of its first decade. As of 2022, things are much more peaceful. There is a Gong Perdamaian Dunia (World Peace Gong) monument that was built on 25 November 2009 as a symbol of world peace. Also, in 2022, Ambon received an award as among the Top 10 most tolerant cities in Indonesia by the Setara Institute.

Go next
Ambon has become a hub city. There are some direct flights and sails to various destinations in Maluku and Papua. The flight uses a small-capacity propeller airplane served by some local Indonesian airlines, such as SAM Air, Trigana Air, and Wings Air. For the sails, PELNI provides some ships like KM. Pangrango and KM. Nggapulu to Banda Islands, KM. Dobonsolo to Sorong and so on. The ticket can be bought at or ticket agent alongside Jl. A.M. Sangaji (A.M. Sangaji street) near port of Yos Soedarso. Another port is also operated, including  to Saparua and Masohi and  to Buru.


 * Banda Islands &mdash; The Spice Islands are known for the Spice Wars. 1 hr by plane, 8–16 hr by ship. Innumerable historical sites, spice plantations, and dive spots.
 * Buru &mdash; A historic island with cajeput oil plantations. 45 min by plane, 8–10 hr by ship.
 * Kei Islands &mdash; An archipelago with numerous white-sand beaches. 1.5 hr away by plane.
 * Masohi &mdash; The capital of Central Maluku Regency is the nearest city to Manusela National Park and the most popular sights in Seram Island, Ora beach also the highest mountain in the Moluccas, Mt. Binaiya. 2–3 hr by ship.
 * Saparua &mdash; An island with Dutch colonial era historical sites and beaches. 2 hr away by ship.
 * Sorong &mdash; The nearest city to go to Raja Ampat. 1.5 hr by plane. A day by ship.
 * Ternate &mdash; A volcanic island with a vibrant city, beautiful lakes, several snorkeling spots, fortress, and sultanate sites. 1.5 hr by plane.