Saparua: The Maluku Travel Favorite
After ten years of conflict in Maluku, the tourism sector in Saparua , Central Maluku, Maluku, slowly evolves to something greater than before. The small island covering an area of 247 square kilometers is not only offering natural charm, but also traces of historical arrival of Europeans in the archipelago. Saparua, which is about 50 miles from Ambon, the capital of Maluku, can be reached by speedboat for just an hour from Tulehu , a port in Central Maluku, Ambon Island. Saparua has a population of 36,698 local inhabitant. Along with two other islands nearby Haruku and Nusa Laut , Moluccas tour had been a favorite, before the riots in 1999. Chairman of the Maluku Travel Agents Association, Tony Tomasoa, said that before 1999, Saparua competed with Banda Saparua island - other tourist icons in the spice islands of Maluku as tourism destinations. Two of these sites have always been a reference for tourists who spend their vacation in the Moluccas. Saparua, surrounded by the Banda Sea...