North Maluku Road Trip! – ipadguides

Finally another road trip after a long time!

This time, I will return to a road trip around North Maluku with adventurous friends from Daihatsu.

We divide the exploration into 7 main destinations alias 7 wonders.

Because this road trip uses Daihatsu Terios, we call this trip Terios 7 Wonders : Wonderful Mollucas.

Check out this short summary of our trip!

1. Tracing the glory of Maluku spices in Marikurubu Village

Our journey to explore Maluku started from Ternate.

In the past, spices cost the same as gold. No wonder many nations want to control the land of Maluku.

It was so valuable, the British were willing to exchange Manhattan (part of New York) for an island in the Moluccas that belonged to the Dutch at that time. Just because the island has an abundance of nutmeg and cloves.

The village of Marikurubu that we visited is a remnant of Ternate’s past glory. There are still clove trees that are more than four centuries old which are deliberately left.

But now, the garden which is located at the foot of Mount Gamalama is no longer operated for production. Only as agrotourism only.

“Nutmeg and cloves are already very cheap, so they are not very profitable,” said Mas Aziz, our guide.

Oh yes, nutmeg turns out to be fresh. Much tastier than the sweetened version that you often find in Bogor!

2. Traditional skipjack fishing with Ternate fishermen

At two o’clock in the morning we were at the Ternate pier. We took a fishing boat from the port in Ternate to look for fish.

They catch fish not with nets, but in a very traditional way and sustainable : fishing!

Dozens of anglers sat neatly at the end of the boat. They were helped by someone who threw bait small fish from behind.

That morning it was raining and the waves were quite shaking the boat, but that didn’t discourage the fishermen at all.

The captain of the ship turned the ship following the seagull. If there are many seagulls, it means the area has a lot of fish.

Then the anglers easily find the fish on the hook and throw it back. The skipjack tuna was actually thrown and thrown from the fishing line into the boat.

The fish, which are mostly skipjack tuna, weighing 1-2 kg, are also flying in the air!

I almost hit my head with a lot of fish, which is the side dish for this yellow rice.

3. Explore the Enchantment of Boki Moruru Cave in Sagea

From Ternate we crossed to the island of Halmahera. Precisely in Sofifi, the capital of North Maluku Province.

I think Ternate is the capital city, but my knowledge of geography is really bad hehe.

From Sofifi it took 6 hours to get to this cave. The track for the first 3 hours of asphalt was smooth without any problems. But the next 3 hours the road was so bad that we couldn’t drive the car too fast.

Luckily the Daihatsu Terios we were driving had no problem going through roads like this.

After hours of damaged roads, our journey is not over. Still have to follow the river to the mouth of the cave. This river is very clear!

Unfortunately the river is shallow and several times we have to go down so the ship doesn’t run aground. A bit cloudy too.

Boki Moruru Cave in Sagea Village, Central Halmahera is really high. The height of the mouth of the cave to the river is approximately 30 meters.

To reach this cave we need to travel from Sofifi for 4 hours by offroad track, then down the river for 30 minutes to reach the mouth of the cave. Here we can see the slick formations of stalactite rocks with various colors when I try to shine a flashlight on them.

It’s the enchanting natural beauty of the Moluccas.

4. Looking for halmahera nymphs in Aketajawe Lolobata National Park

Three times crossing the river, two hours of trekking uphill, plus climbing a 12 meter high tree house just to meet this angel!

Aketajawe Lolobata National Park is home to the Halmahera Angel Bird (Wallace’s Standardwing). The location of this National Park is in West Halmahera.

We left shortly after dawn, because the nymph was only there around 7-8 am.

Wet-wet crossing a river with a fairly swift current. Even in one river we need safety ropes.

Arriving at the observation area, we were greeted by the sweet voice of the angel which was very relaxing. It took climbing up to the top of the tree house and binoculars to observe it.

Truly an unforgettable experience.

5. Uncover the Japanese Defense Bunker in Wasile

Halmahera Island was a Japanese defense area during World War 2. In the Wasile area, on the east coast of Halmahera, there are many relics of bunkers and former anti-aircraft cannons that were used during the war.

Maluku’s very strategic position made Japan turn Halmahera into a military base in the Pacific. Morotai Island as a front line and Halmahera as a fortress against the allies.

In addition to bunkers with secret doors, cannons are still left here as witnesses to World War II.

Interestingly, this historic site is located just a tick’s throw from the beautiful east coast of Halmahera.

6. Admire Sasadu, the traditional house of the Sahu tribe in Jailolo

Entering West Halmahera, we saw a lot of uniquely shaped traditional houses called Sasadu. This is a traditional house of the Sahu tribe that keeps local wisdom.

The function of Sasadu is a gathering place for residents. For traditional events such as ceremonies or welcoming guests.

The Sasadu framework is made of wood, coconut tree trunks or bamboo. No need for nails, just pegs made of wood to connect them. The roof is made of coconut leaves tied with palm fiber rope, ensuring the space below does not get hot.

Every ornament in sasadu has a meaning. For example, the end of the roof of Sasadu is deliberately made shorter than the ceiling. So that anyone who enters must bow his head. This is made to remind us to always respect and obey the customs.

These are some of the meanings contained in Sasadu. This is proof that the Indonesian people are very rich in culture that we must continue to preserve.

7. Digging History of world war 2 on Morotai Island

If only the relics of World War 2 in Morotai were still there, surely this island would become a living museum which is a very cool tourist attraction.

But unfortunately, old planes, cars, weapons were all lost and turned into money by irresponsible people.

Muklis is different, the man who was born in 1980 continues to look for the remnants of the world war, and collect them to make a hut into a mini museum.

The collection consists of large to small weapons, bullets, bicycles, typewriters, dog tags, and all kinds of war equipment.

He looked for these relics by digging the soil in the forest around Morotai. The #terios7wonders team was also invited to a ‘treasure hunt’ looking for war relics. I found a few bottles of American soda that came out in 1940. Not bad. ️

The Muklis collection can be seen at the Morotai World War 2 Museum. But unfortunately the museum does not appear to be managed by the government. The roof leaks, smells musty, and the electricity has not been paid for. Even though he said Morotai is one of the main destinations in Indonesia.

Many wanted to buy the Muklis collection at a fantastic price, but he refused. He simply said, “Never forget history.”

In Morotai I also found an interesting story about a person named Nakamura.

Nakamura is a Japanese soldier who has been hiding in the jungles of Morotai Island for 30 years.

He was found by the Indonesian Air Force in 1974. When he was arrested, Nakamura still thought the war was still going on and Morotai was controlled by the allies.

But the TNI said that the war was over 30 years ago and Japan had lost. Morotai has also become a part of Indonesia. I don’t know how Nakamura felt at that time.

This Nakamura Monument can be found in one corner of the city of Morotai.

That’s a glimpse of the road trip with Terios this year. The plan is that next year will be a road trip to….Papua!

Thank You!