The Adventure Island You’ve Never Heard Of: Morotai
Ever heard of Morotai?
Nope?
You’re not alone. But, when it comes to desert island bliss, this smallish island off northern Halmahera in Indonesia’s Spice Islands (Maluku or the Moluccas) packs some serious punch.
Over the last four days we’ve splashed by night in luminescent water on the soft white sand of our own private island (accommodation free), got up close and personal with critically endangered dugong, the origin of the mermaid myth, visited a pearl farm, and handled Japanese bayonets and American dogtags from World War II battlefields.
Also? We’ve seen some turtles, the odd dolphin, 6-metre saltwater crocs. And eaten fantastic crabs.
And there’s much, much more to Morotai.
Underground rivers, mines, spirits, traditional villages, butterflies, birds, the rusting remnants of WWII amphibious squadrons, amazing diving potential, the jungle hideout of the last Japanese soldier of WWII, Tesuo Nakamura, who fought the war for three decades after it ended…
(I’ll tell you his story in a subsequent post. It’s not quite what you read in the newspapers…)
Not, however, visa extensions. Or any international money facilities. Which is why we left… (Take much, much more money than you’ll think you need, as this is the sort of place that really grips you.)
Our private island? Dodola. It’s a little island off the coast of Morotai, fringed with white sand as soft as powder snow, paired with an even smaller island by a narrow isthmus which disappears altogether at high tide.
Uninhabited with the exception of a Moro, one of the ancestral beings from whom the nineteen tribes of Halmahera claim descent and Morotai takes its name, Dodola is an amazing place by day.
By night, occupying one of the grandiose wooden beach chalets constructed by the government and then, well, quietly forgotten about, it’s stellar. Cooking on the beach, splashing in the crystal waters with glittering droplets fluttering around you, all under a dazzling night sky…
Seagrass not far off shore draws a decent turtle population. A stay here during nesting season, when the critters lumber out of the sea trailing luminescence behind them to lay their eggs, would be –- well, pretty phenomenal, as it goes.
Our hands-on museum? Well, that’s a little one-room place in Daruba, run by Muhris Eso, an early standout in my personal competition for nicest man alive.
Morotai, y’see, was the site of a major battle during World War II, a key staging post in MacArthur’s campaign to retake the Philippines, a nation to which he had said “I will return”.
And did. Preceded by, erm, a hefty tonnage of TNT…
Muhris has been lovingly exploring and cataloguing Morotai’s myriad WWII sites. (It’s little by Indonesian standards, but this li’l place spans a good couple of hundred square miles…)
And working through his electic collection – a dogtag for a Mrs E. Callaghan of Two Forks, Montana, a Japanese bayonet, American canteens, Australian pennies, endless ordnance, galaxies of Coca Cola bottles – is genuinely moving.
It’s the kind of anecdotal, personal insight into the human experience of war that you don’t really get in larger, more organized establishments. Pretty much up there with the dinosaur bones we got to hold back in Laos.
The dugong? Well, that’s a sad story.
These outsized dolphins with hippopotamus faces (as the nine-year-old so age-appropriately remarked, the sailors who mistook them for mermaids must have been on the rum that night) are the last remaining subspecies of their family, so critically endangered that even wildlife organisations have no idea how many there are.
Their slow reproduction rate makes them vulnerable even without human habitat destruction. Let alone hunting.
On arrival at Pilowo, the sort of place where several hundred kilos of dugong meat at a few thousand rupiah a kilo can make a family wealthy beyond its wildest dreams, we are offered the opportunity to see the skin of a dugong caught earlier this year…
Out in the bay, we see two or three adults, feeding on the seagrass. But I guess it will take a lot of tourist rupiah – and hopefully some eco-investment in education and/or jobs – to make up for that tonnage of flesh. If you’re in Maluku, do make the effort to pay a visit.
You could spend a week or even two, to be honest with you, simply bouncing around the myriad islands off Morotai’s coasts. As much again exploring the island itself.
Now, as you’d expect in a young destination, Morotai has its challenges. You can spot a foreigner a mile off by the curious crowd trailing in their wake or standing in a silent semi-circle: it’s definitely not a place for the camera-shy.
Power cuts are legion; internet is non-existent; plastic and foreign exchange is unheard of; mobile phone signal is hard to find; pesticide fishing has just been introduced; you will need to speak quite a bit of Indonesian to get by without a translator; a section of Daruba harbour currently functions as the island’s only rubbish dump; and Morotai is (technically) dry.
Furthermore, the combination of the Indonesian obsession with obyek wisata (“tourist objects”) and the deep belief in the supernatural that almost all Moluccans share can make for some curious results.
Take Zum-Zum atoll. Home to MacArthur’s World War II headquarters (and a pretty little coral garden amid some potent currents).
The obyek wisata? Not the rusting remains of the pier on the beach. Not the Indonesian war graves behind the pier. Not the underground stuff which apparently lies behind those.
But a bust of MacArthur which bears a close resemblance to Chairman Mao and a bashed about steel globe with, so far as we could tell, two continents omitted and at least one upside down.
The underground structures? Well, this is where the supernatural comes in. For fear of “snakes” (clue: snakes, like ghosts and vampires, can be warded off with garlic, at least in the mornings), to get anyone to guide you, you will need to go early. And expect your boatmen to draw anchor with or without you at the earliest sign of dusk…
In a way, though, this combination of magic, mystery and sheer frustration adds a little bit of extra charm. And sitting in Tobelo right now, plotting tomorrow’s assault on the underwater volcano a couple of hours from here, I’m seriously contemplating heading back for round two.
Or, then again, maybe wait for 2012. When a planned investment in tourism will either have sorted the basics out, spawned a demonic proliferation of obyek wisata signs or made the place like Piccadilly Circus. On balance, I’m figuring now.
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DIY
You can reach Morotai by plane (Lion Air fly regularly from Ternate) or by daily boat from Tobelo in Halmahera: speedboats leave around 8am (when full) and the marginally slower big boat leaves around 12.30, getting in around 3pm. Dolphin and turtle sightings are frequent but by no means guaranteed.
Powerful, small, fibreglass outriggers for island-hopping or trips to coastal villages should cost 300,000-400,000 rupiah per day depending on distance. Look along the harbour, not by the pier and don’t hand over any money until you’ve checked the boat and witnessed the engine start. Don’t expect fripperies such as lifejackets but look for a functional radio.
Muhris Eso knows Morotai better than almost anyone, with a particular focus on the WWII sites, but speaks only a very little English. If you speak Indonesian (or have a translator), contact him through Daruba’s unmarked and pathologically over-staffed tourist office, or by rocking up at his Musium Mini, down the little track opposite Bumi Moro in Daruba.
Pacific Inn, operated by Haji Zein, is by far the slickest gaff in town, with shady rooms around a pretty courtyard, complete with A/C and Western bathrooms (250,000 rupiah). Budget travelers should opt for Penginapan Asnolia, a friendly place where fan rooms with mandi en suites run 100,000 rupiah and 50,000 more buys A/C and oodles of space. A bentor (motorised rickshaw) or ojek (man on a motorbike) should cost 5,000 rupiah per hop around town.
Moro Rasa, near the port, is a bright, clean eatery with great soto ayam (Indonesia’s answer to laksa). Rather less prepossessing and not for the hygiene-conscious, Bumi Moro serves amazing seafood from the big chill chest: huge crabs steamed in spices are phenomenal, and the grilled fish melts in the mouth.
Alex Djangu (a very experienced, knowledgeable guide based in Tobelo: alex UNDERSCORE djangu AT yahoo DOT com) and Fauji Muslim (helpful, enthusiastic and with some experience, based in Ternate: fauji UNDERSCORE muslim AT yahoo DOT com) make good English-language guides to Morotai.
If you do Morotai without a guide or translator, make sure your hotel files the requisite passport and visa copies, plus paperwork, with the police, and consider popping in yourself, perhaps with a report from Ternate or Tobelo.
Talk to Haji Zein, perhaps while staying at his hotel, to gain access to his pearl farm on Ngelengele island while workers are on their break. Om An (no phone) is Pilowo’s dugong man. Ask Muhris Eso or Daruba tourist office for access to the chalets on Dodola: there is a well and wood but you will need to bring everything else from Daruba.
The nearest dive operation is on Kakara Island, a short boat hop across the harbour from Tobelo, on Halmahera. They have four sets of brand new Mares gear, a spanking new dive boat and a dive master: prices, including equipment, are 250,000 rupiah for one dive, 450,000 for two, 600,000 for three, plus boat charter.
Contact them via the North Halmahera tourist office: sites with potential include Pilowo (for dugong) and Transmitter Beach (a dramatic coral dropoff where the Allies landed, complete with at least one wreck).
There are 6-metre saltwater crocodiles in the river estuary by Pilowo. Whether or not you wish to see them, consider them before snorkelling or diving with the dugong out at sea.
Visitors have snorkelled with the dugong and locals consider it safe. In general, saltwater crocodiles like to hunt within a 200-metre radius of their estuary home. However, they are very strong swimmers and have been found as far as 30km out to sea.
This (blah) does not (blah) constitute legal advice (blah, blah, blah), but I would have snorkelled for a few minutes and dived with a guide were I not a parent. There was, however, absolutely no way that my child was getting into that water.
Sounds blissful. If you tell me you were staying in a treehouse Robinson Crusoe style I’m booking my plane-smaller plane-boat-smaller boat-dingy tickets right now! Cant wait for photos and stories of the old Japanese man waging his 30 year solo war!
I will do him next. Problem is, good stories piling up! We dived an undersea volcano yesterday. Total result!
Lol – I have about 30 unfinished drafts sitting in wordpress just waiting for me to get around to publishing them! Mr 5 is jealous of your volcano story. He’s still convinced one day volcanoes will bring all the dinosaurs back since they had a hand in their death in the first place.
Aw! Has he heard the fart version?! A minority view, to be sure, but once seriously propounded: that the amount of greenhouse gases produced by that many gigantic lizard critters super-charged the atmosphere…
uhh. cool you got diving and snorkeling. its will a good spot for tourism in sail morotay 2012 undersea volcano
well, our government prepare for sail in morotay 2012. we are welcoming to everyone to visit here. and i will be a translator
Congratulations!
so,, if your friend would like to visit here, please let me know…
Hey everyone. I’d like to tell you that I’m a native morotai and I know more about it. I didn’t see the most hoillaruous and amazing places mentioned in the above post only a few parts. Suma Pangeo and America are the examples.
Hi there, Jasmal, and nice to hear from you.
I never heard about these places either, and I imagine most folk won’t either. I really wish I’d spent more time on Morotai, but I needed to renew my visa that week, so I didn’t.
Can you give me some more details on Suma Pangeo and America? I’m sure lots of people would love to hear…
Theodora
theodora, would you like to know me camp email, he was with me in morotai
I’ve mailed it to you…
For sure! Suma Pangeo is one of the most amazing places with plenty of mid-height waterfalls, a very long scintillating and rafting river, and countless of wonderful creeks along the river that to be found in the north of Morotai. The water is so crystal-clear that we can see stones and pebbles under. We can also easily catch some river shrimps and fish for our meal. At night and every morning just as the sun rises, lots of birds are flying across the river with their enchanting tiny voices make you persist to stay listening.
I bet if you visit this place, you’ll want to stay any longer… And about America, it is also such a wonderful place where lots of foreigners wanted to seize the place during the World War II. Everyone might be questioning why it is to be called America? Well, it is because there was a small mid-settlement of American soldiers who fiercely warred with the Japanese on obtaining the villages among the island. In this place also we can find various kinds of inheritance of the both military troops such as the pieces of plane, car, buildings, waterpool, etc. According to the local people there are some hidden inheritance around America but nobody knows…
Sounds nice. So, is America the American camp near the Yakamura hiding place?
Hi Oji[Fauji Muslim], have you bought a new phone? If yes please let me know cause sometimes I need your help and so you do. Btw, here is my phone number:+6285298207902.
Hi Oji, have you bought a new phone? . Btw, here is my phone number:+6285298207902. Do forget to contact me soon.
yeah, it’s quite far away.
yeah, you are right Theodora. It’s quite far away.
I’d have liked to have gone. But with the limited time, and the running out of money…
By the way, there is”Sail Morotai”, an excellent tourism Objects promotion program designed by the locals in coordinating with the national government that will be conducted in Morotai Island at the beginning of 2012 and will be attended by aproximately 56 countries in the world which is prospectively as an entrance for the development of Morotai itself. I hope this wonderful plan would be undertaken smoothly:-):-):-)
By the way, there is”Sail Morotai”, an excellent tourism Objects promotion program designed by the local people in coordinating with the national government that will be conducted in Morotai Island at the beginning of 2012 and will be attended by aproximately 56 countries in the world which is prospectively as an entrance for the development of Morotai itself. I hope this wonderful plan will be undertaken smoothly:-):-):-)
Wow, reading this post, I thought to myself that this island is simply surreal. I must manage somehow to get there too:D. You know, just when you thought you’ve seen it all…8-> Thks for posting:)
This is so interesting! I am an underwater photographer enthusiast interested in World War II. I ran across this place by Google Earth looking for old airstrips and googling the island. This sounds like a spectacular place for adventure tourism.
You will, I think, love Morotai. And Halmahera, where you can dive an underwater volcano — no lava, but lots of vents issuing thermoclines, some bubbles, and fascinating coral. Couple more posts if you haven’t seen them (this is an old one, so I haven’t cross-linked):
http://travelswithanineyearold.com/2010/10/17/in-which-we-dive-an-undersea-volcano/
http://travelswithanineyearold.com/2010/10/27/the-last-soldier/
I think if you can get an expedition together (or work with the guys I reference on the undersea volcano), you could hit paydirt with dugongs, WWII stuff and some gorgeous volcanic corals. It’s definitely territory worth exploring. Let me know if you need contacts — it’s hard to do without some spoken Indonesian or a guide/translator…
You can contact us for dive trips, we run a dive center in Daruba and offer wreck diving as well as shark diving. Visit our website for more information: http://www.sharkdivingindonesia.com
I only know about Morotai as when I was born my father was with the Australian Army on the island fighting the Japanese. As I now live in the UK I don’t suppose I will get the opportunity to visit the island as it is rather a long way away even from Australia.
It is a wonderful place to visit — but, yes, it’s fiddly to get to, even from within Indonesia (although there are flights to Ternate airport). We met someone there who was revisiting his Australian grandfather’s war, so it is possible, and they do have sites commemorating the Australians, in addition to the little museum…
Hi Theodora, than kyou for writing my e-mail, another new island already set up for tourism destination is Galolo-galo Island. please google on my blog “MOROTAI:FOR BEING RELAX ON SOFT WHITE SANDY BEACH”
I have another information for another tourism activity in halmahera Island, please google;”WEST HALMAHERA TOUR”
It might help you for your next trip plan.
Alex
Hey Alex! Good to hear from you! I hear there’s also now a new resort in East Halmahera, that Ilham’s running. So brilliant that tourism is growing here. I might actually update this post to include some of this new info.
http://www.visit2tobelo.blogspot.com/
Hello Alex, My brother and I are wanting to visit Morotai in August next year as our father served in RAAF there in WW2. We will need a guide/interpreter as we do not speak any Indonesian. We would very much appreciate any help. Cheers!
in 1949 I was in the airforce meteorological
seride on Pitu airstrip as a dutch airforceman. It is a wonderful place for being in the army there,
I can recommend it top everyone.
When i left in 1950, 5 japs came out of the bush, wearing only a “cawat” and a rifle!!!
Hi Fred, my father was in one of the RAAF squadrons that constructed Pitu airstrip. My brother and I are hoping to get there late next year. Cheers!
Hi everyone, my father was on Morotai with the RAAF from 1944 till the end of occupation. I would love to visit but as I am in my 60’s wondering how difficult it would be. Cheers!
Hi Gayl,
Morotai’s perfectly doable with a guide, but challenging without, unless you speak really good Indonesian. There are flights into the airport a couple of times a week if you’d rather not do the overland route, and there’s a couple of tourist-class hotels now. Contact Alex Djangu, who’s a good guide — this is his website: http://visit2tobelo.blogspot.com/. You will need a guide or a translator, though. Provided you’re competent walking a bit over rough ground, and getting in and out of boats (with someone holding your hand), you should be fine to enjoy Morotai, and if you work with Alex to give him more details of where your father was and fought, you might even be able to visit the exact place.
Theodora
Oh thank you so much Theodora! My brother will be coming as well and maybe one of my adult daughters, so we will need a guide and interpreter as we speak no Indonesian. I am so glad this trip is doable as my father rarely spoke of his war service and I’v mainly found out about him through our government service records. We intend to follow in his footsteps through New guinea and onto Morottai. Thank you again, Gayl
Oh, what a fantastic trip! You’ll have a great time on Morotai, truly wonderful…
Hi Theodora, Do you know how safe it is for westerners to travel in the area? Our government basically say to reconsider travel to Maluku province. The next warning up is do not go, in which case our travel insurance would be void. I will be very disappointed if it means we do not get there. Cheers! and many thanks, Gayl
Our government just says exercise caution in Maluku, especially Ambon – https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/indonesia – here. There has been Christian-Muslim and Muslim-Christian violence in Maluku, but not for a while, and I’d consider it safe for travel. Frontier Travel Insurance – http://shrsl.com/?~4jb3 – offer insurance to places governments advise against travelling to, so even if the advice does change (which I doubt, we’ve had the same advice on Maluku for the last four years) you can still get cover.
That is so good to hear, thank you Theodora:)
Hi again Theodora. Well we have our trip planned! Airfares and hotels booked and we have engaged Alex Django who has put together a great sounding tour for us. I have been researching photos from our War Department in Canberra and have many to take with us. My brother is going to dive with Alex, I will be relaxing in the sun. I can’t thank you enough for your excellent help with getting this trip going 🙂 Cheers! Gayl
That’s brilliant news — Alex told me you were heading out in August. I reckon the bunch of you will have an absolute blast!
Hi Theodora, thanks for the fun and thorough Morotai write-up. I was googling some stuffs about Morotai and discovered escapeartistes. I will be heading to Morotai this May for some scuba-diving adventure. I’ve always gone back to the east side of Indonesian for this sport so yeah I’m so excited about my next dive trip! God bless you and your son! Safe travel!
PS. I couldn’t help but laugh a bit when you say, it is hard to travel to Morotai even from within Indonesia.
Cheers,
Eric (from Medan, North Sumatera, Indonesia)
Enjoy! And take a safety sausage. In Dahab earlier this year, I met a guy who’d drifted for 24 hours after diving off Morotai before being picked up by a fishing boat. He said he felt like he’d been born again — as you would do.
Dear Theodora, two days ago we met Alex in Tobelo. He told me about you and I also remembered reading your story about Bupati Hein and the Moro.I just want to inform you about what we are doing. Shortly: conservation and education by tourism. At our web site http://www.sawai-ecotourism.com and http://www.wedaresort.com you can get an impression of our activities in Central Halmahera. Although the site is not updated since 2 years I am afraid.
The following text is about Rao (and Moro)
Magic Bay at the Island Rao, North Halmahera, East Indonesia, is a paradise for lovers of the perfect beach, a clean and crystal clear ocean, magical and unspoiled nature, and ultimate privacy. Honeymooners, a family or a small group of friends are very welcome to stay in our private beach villa. Here you can reconnect to yourself, family or friends and nature by disconnecting ,since there is no telephone and internet connection yet. In the village Posi posi, which lies at 40 minutes walking distance, cell-phones with Telkomsel access are working. In the main town on Morotai, Daruba, there is a good internet connection.
The villa is built in 2014, in traditional style. It is situated in a beautiful surrounding, 60 meter from the shoreline at 20 meters above sea level. It has two very spacious rooms, each room measures 4.40 x 6.40 and two modern bathrooms. Although the house does not have air conditioning, it is never getting too hot, because of the traditional way it is built. And there are ceiling fans installed in both rooms.
The attached terrace measures 9.00 x 4.00. On this terrace, from where you have a spectacular view at the beach, the open ocean, the mountainous forests of Rao and Morotai, your meals will be served.
From your terrace you can also see the arc shaped rock “Batu Kopi”. This rock and the near forest are mystical and sacral places for the people of North Halmahera. Although now a days all inhabitants of Rao are Christians, they still have their old believes too. They know that the old tribe of the Moro-people live here. They were the original inhabitants of Rao. Over the centuries they became more and more invisible. They welcome you with the aroma of fresh made coffee. The, very old, last caretaker of the culture of the Moro puts his trust in Adrian and gave him his blessing to protect the heritage of the Moro for the future. Practically, it means that we will not only respect the nature but we will also try to restore as much as possible of the forest. Fortunately, there is still much wonderful vegetation left.
The character of the place is unique in many ways. It is very quiet. The only sounds are the sea and the many birds. And except from the stars, the moon, fire fies and the magical lighting of the sea, there is no light pollution at all. Nights at the beach are indeed magic.
Most of the very clean, white sandy, 1400 meters long beach is free of stones or dead corals. And the sea is very shallow for a long stretch. Thus, it is very safe and comfortable to play and swim here. There no buildings at all at the beach. The bay is frequently visited by groups of dolphins. Sea turtles use the beach as their hatching ground and also the almost extinct and bizarre Coconut Crabs made this place their home and are easy to spot.
An adventurous one hour walk leads you to a waterfall. One of the two small clear water rivers starts here. These beautiful rivers are the home of many birds and butterflies. Although small islands are usually not so rich in birdlife, here we see, amongst others, many Common paradise kingfishers and Beach kingfishers. The deeper parts of the river offer a fresh water bath after the salty ocean.
The sea is very calm from May until September, but waves with surfing heights occur during December and January.
From May until September, Rao and surrounding offer excellent diving and snorkelling. Rao, being at the North tip of Halmahera, is in the middle of the heart of the coral triangle. This is the place with the most species of fish and the most species of corals ever counted during one dive, according to a scientific survey in 2008. There is no blast fishing or shark finning around Rao. Diving here is a little bit more adventurous than in Weda Bay and maybe not the best place if you hate currents. The reef at the edge of the beach offers world class snorkelling.
Our eight meter long fibre-glass speedboat was specially designed for divers. It is equipped with 2 x 70 horse power four stroke engines. The passengers are excellent protected against sun, rain and wind. To make it even more comfortable there is a toilet aboard. With our “private boat” concept, you can make your own daily schedule.
We, Adrian, Linda and Rob, are living from April to September at Rao. Linda and her family were born here, her father has been village head here for a very long period and Linda is very happy to be back again to help her village to develop. Rob and Adrian were immediately under the spell of the Magic Bay. Our own house is situated 600 meters from the villa and not visible from the beach.
How to get here?
We are happy to take care of all your domestic tickets and transfers.
From Jakarta there are two daily non-stop flights to Ternate; arriving at Ternate around 07.30 a.m. From Ternate you can fly very cheap with Susi Air to Daruba on Morotai. This small Cesna plane flies every Monday, Wednesday and Friday-morning; leaving from Ternate around 10.30 a.m. We will pick you up from Daruba. Total travel time Jakarta – Rao is approximate 8 hours, including the stop at Ternate.
From Manado there are flights to Kao (Tobelo) on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday by Wings (Lion Air); leaving at 07.00 a.m. We will pick you up from the airport and arrange the transfer by car and speedboat to Rao. Total travel time Manado – Rao is approximate 5 hours.
There are also a regular ferry and several boats from Tobelo to Morotai and Rao.
If you have to, or want to make a stop-over on your way coming or leaving we can make the hotel reservations for you. There is a nice small resort at a beach near Tobelo run by friends of ours. At Ternate there are many hotels. Villa Marasai definitely receives the best comments.
Hi Theodora,
Morotai was everything and more than our expectations! Alex Djangu was an excellent and very professional guide, thank you for recommending him 🙂 His organization was impeccable. Rob and I now have great friends in Indonesia and are planning to return next year. The Morotai Tourism people were wonderful, they took such good care of us and were an excellent source of knowledge. So much so that I am organizing hopefully for an ANZAC Day ceremony at the Morotai War Cemetery, if our RSL will be involved. Travel to and from Morotai was a real adventure, but quite manageable for anyone with reasonable mobility. I am also in the process of putting together a tour for relatives/historians through RAAF Squadron Associations. Thanks once again Theodora 🙂
That’s WONDERFUL news, Gayl! So glad everything went well for you and that you’re in love with Indonesia. Keep me posted on the ANZAC day ceremony, as well!
Hello Theodora. I am just writing to thank you for your information on Morotai, it is inspiring and my son (14) and I will be there at Christmas, I will let you know how we get on. All best. Andrew
Ooh, excellent! I do hope you had a great time…..
It is so great to hear a lot of beautiful stories and testimonies from all of you who visited our Island. Thank you so much for introducing Morotai to the worldwide audience, Theodora. Hope to see you all come and visit us again next time.
Cheers
Jazzy
Hi everyone, we keep exploring Morotai to find the secret beauty and we are now willing to show you. we put the picture on http://www.manadohalmaheratour.com
Alex
Thank you Theodora for all your advice and tips. My boyfriend and I loved your article and Because of it, we have decided to go to Morotai and also North Maluku, and have already been in touch with Alex, who has been super helpful. We love diving and surfing and hope to do both these activities. The only problem is that we can only go in February which is wet season and was wondering if you think this is a bad time to go? I read in another article that this is the best time to go for diving, is this correct? I don’t mind if there is rain every day for short periods of time and then clear for parts of the day, but am just worried that as it is the middle of the wet season that it could be pouring and miserable the whole time? Looking forward to hearing back from you,
Jade and Luc
Hi Jade and Luc,
So glad you’re going to Morotai with Alex. And sorry for the delayed response. It’s rare for the best time for diving to be the best time for surfing, because of waves and surge: in Kuta, Lombok, when the surf is good, diving is out, as you can’t get a dive boat out through it safely.
Take a look at this – http://sharkdivingindonesia.com/visit-morotai/morotai-tourism/ – it offers year-round diving, but says the season is March-June. Do please note that you need to be really cautious on Morotai – I met a guy who drifted 24 hours towards the Philippines before getting picked up by a fishing boat – so start with “easy” dives (unless you’re already high-current and surge ninjas, in which case my apologies). You might consider diving out of Halmahera, instead: there’s a dive store on an island just off Daruba that has a number of sheltered sites. There’s also a new German-run resort opening on an island off Morotai, but that’s not happened yet. Do bring your computers and get dive insurance: you’re a long, long way from a chamber.
Re: surfing. I’ve not surfed Morotai – the surf spots are in the north. It looks like you have a western wind, so will want to be on the west side of the island.
From a weather perspective, Maluku doesn’t have an intense rainy season like, say, Ubud, so I wouldn’t worry about it being grim and miserable the whole time.
Hope this helps, and do shout with more questions!
Theodora