Maluku & Papua

Banda Neira was once the most coveted piece of land on earth, the sole source of nutmeg, for which empires warred and entire populations were displaced. The colonial buildings still stand, quiet now above water of extraordinary clarity, carrying a weight that makes history feel close.

Further east, Raja Ampat holds more marine species per square metre than anywhere else on earth, karst islands rising from water almost too blue to be believed, reefs below that make you understand what the ocean looked like before we found it.

In Papua's highlands, the Dani and Yali have maintained their traditions for thousands of years, largely apart from the world that surrounds them. This is not a destination. It is the edge of the known world.

Best time to visit  October – April   —   Raja Ampat's dry season runs opposite to Bali: calm seas, peak visibility, manta rays November–March; Banda Neira best November–April