The Lease Islands at a glance
The Lease Islands — Saparua, Haruku, Nusa Laut, and Molana — sit just east of Ambon, a 90-minute speedboat ride from Tulehu harbor. They are visually quintessential Maluku: white sand beaches, coconut palms, sago villages, snorkel-friendly reefs, and a friendly Christian + Muslim community split that mirrors Ambon’s own demographics. Day-trippable from Ambon, but worth two nights at a homestay if you want to slow down. Day 2 of our 12-day voyage anchors at Saparua for an immersive day.
Fort Duurstede and the Pattimura rebellion
Fort Duurstede on Saparua’s north coast is a Dutch fort built in 1676. In 1817, a Saparua hero named Thomas Matulessy (better known by his rebel name Pattimura) led an attack on the fort, killed the Dutch garrison commander, and held the island for three months before being captured and executed. Pattimura is a national hero of Indonesia — Ambon’s airport bears his name, his face is on the 1,000 rupiah note, and his statue overlooks Ambon city’s main square. The fort itself is partially restored, the small Pattimura museum is well-curated, and the harbor view from the fort wall is excellent.
Sago villages of the Lease Islands
Sago — the starchy pith of the sago palm — is the traditional staple food of the Lease Islands. A village can produce its annual sago supply in a 10-day harvest from a single mature palm. We arrange village visits where guests watch the harvest, taste papeda (sago porridge with fish), and learn the cultural significance of sago in Maluku diet and rituals. The villages of Itawaka and Booi are best for these visits.
Snorkel and dive sites
Itawaka beach has a healthy fringing reef from 2m to 12m, suitable for snorkelers. The reef structure includes table corals, sea fans, and a resident school of yellowtail fusiliers. For divers, the Saparua north wall drops to 25m and produces reef sharks and turtles. We typically allocate one snorkel session at Itawaka and one shore dive on Saparua during Day 2 of our voyage.
Practical visit info
Speedboat from Tulehu harbor (45 minutes east of Ambon city) takes 90 minutes to Saparua. Public ferry runs daily but takes 3 hours. Homestays in Saparua town and Nolloth village are the main accommodation. Booking via local family network is best — we handle this for voyage guests. Bring sun protection, water, and modest dress for village visits (a sarong is sufficient).
