Beautiful, quaint little Bandaneira on the island of Neira is the capital town of the Banda Islands and is full of relics of the colonial era: forts, cannons and beautiful colonial homes.
It also offers great views of the surrounding islands, some decent snorkelling spots around Pulau Neira itself, and with the greatest range of facilties in the Bandas, it is the usual base for exploring this little archipelago.
All this has made it Maluku's most popular tourist destination. That is relative though - its remoteness ensures it is never overrun with visitors. In fact, it is very quiet most of the time, and if you head out to the other islands, you are quite likely to have most of them for yourselves!

Benteng Belgica

Bandaneira's main sight, this restored Dutch fort stands on the hill above town overlooking the neighbouring islands.
It is quite well kept, and you can wander around inside and climb its bastions freely.
You will, however, be asked to sign a visitors' book and leave a donation.

Benteng Nassau

This older fort below Belgica has been left in its original, unrestored condition, and in fact a much-used local shortcut path leads right across it.
If you are after crumbling, ruinous relics oozing with atmosphere, this is the one to check out.

The Old Church

This old church was once the jewel of Banda's colonial buildings, and graced most postcards and guidebooks of the place.
Not now - it was vandalised during the conflict in 1999, when the entire Christian population of Banda was expelled too - they have yet to return, unlike in much of the rest of Maluku.
However the church itself is said to be only awaiting funds from Holland to be restored to its former beauty.

The Tombstone Floor

Sad as the old church might look these days, it is well worth venturing inside to inspect the old Dutch tombstones making up its floor.
They give you a good sense of the centuries it has withstood.

Hatta Mosque

Far less popular with visitors but far more important for the locals, this shining white mosque standing opposite the harbour is also worth a look.

Chinese Temple

To complete the list of historic places of worship, there is also a small, but very pretty old Chinese temple on Jalan Pasar.
It is often locked, but the guy running the pharmacy opposite may have the key.

The VOC Governor's Residence

Known locally as "Istana Mini" (mini palace), this was once the residence of the head of the VOC, the Dutch trading company that ruled and ran the entire Dutch East Indies.
It is overlooking a minor jetty and the large island of Banda Besar across the bay.
It looks fine from outside, but is not really open to the public.

Inside the Residence

Enter the gardens to the left of the building, and you may well find a side-door of the "palace" open.
If you get in, you will find out why it isn't open at the front: there is pretty much nothing left inside! :-(
You can still marvel at the painted ceiling and the old chandeliers, but that's about it.

Bust of King William III

This bronze bust of a Dutch king is also hidden in the garden next to the old governor's residence. It is in surprisingly good condition.

Kora-kora Sheds

Sheds housing the long kora-kora war canoes of Banda, now only used in races and often simply rotting away, are found in various places around the town.
This long but decaying specimen is housed in front of the governors' residence.
Others can be found walking past the Hotel Laguna.

The Heritage and Cultural Institute of Bandaneira

This impressively named local institution is housed in a fine colonial style building right behind Hatta Mosque.
Apart from its photogenic appearance, its main point of interest is the small but excellent library inside, housing a collection of books about Maluku, some of them actually published here. If this is your first stop in Maluku, you might want to spend some time reading up on what the rest of the region has to offer.

Rumah Budaya

This so called "Cultural House" with its green fence across the street from the institute is supposed to be a museum housing photos and antiques related to the history of Banda.
I never hit it open and couldn't be bothered looking for the key, so see for yourself!

Syahir's Residence

Of Bandaneira's many old colonial houses, a few are distinguished by having been the home of various important persons who stayed here a while over its centuries of tumultuous history. A few of these are now declared museums, though not all have anything to show off inside.

The first you come to is Syahir's (a former freedom fighter and later prime minister) residence, next to the Rumah Budaya on Jalan Gereja Tua.
It is sometimes open, and has a small collection of moderately interesting Syahir memorabilia displayed inside.

Captain Cole's Residence

Further down Jalan Gereja Tua, you reach the former residence of the British captain who captured Benteng Belgica from the Dutch.
However that was almost 200 years ago, so there is nothing left behind by him for us to see inside any more - the building is empty and locked.

Hatta's Residence

The most interesting of the historic homes is that of Hatta, yet another Indonesian independence hero and the country's first vice president.
The house is usually open, and all its rooms contain interesting memorabilia: old furniture, Hatta's typewriter, glasses, clothes, etc.
Out at the back you will find a small classroom where he used to teach local children during his exile here.

Mangunkusumo's Residence

The last of the exile houses, that of Mangunkusomo's stands the furthest out in the east of the town. While it is usually open, it is pretty empty inside - not really worth coming all the way for, but check it out if you walk past anyway.

Cannons Lying Around - Everywhere!

Old canons lying around rusting in the grass can be seen all over the town.
They are fine reminders of how much these nutmeg islands had been fought over.

The Local Jail 

Bandaneira is so full of old, colonial buildings, that many of them remain in use to this day - it is far from being a museum town.
This old jail is a good example of this - hopefully you won't have to see it from the inside though! ;-)

The Police Station

Another colonial building you will hopefully only have to visit for its architecture...

Elementary School

Past Hatta's house, on the same road.
There are also several fine but unnamed colonial homes in the same area.

Fish-pond - with Sharks!

Three interconnected ponds by the sea past the Hotel Laguna house several reef sharks and big groupers.

Diving & Snorkelling

The Bandas are one of the very best diving areas in Indonesia with excellent visibility, mostly undamaged reefs and lots of fish.
Local politician Des Alwi long held a strict monopoly on diving there which was for many years very expensive at 80-90 USD for 2 dives. Des died in late 2010, and new operators have finally started business here. The dive shop at the Hotel Maulana is now run by Germans as the Bluemotion Dive Center, and another operator, Walu Walu Divers is based at the Delfika 2 Guesthouse.
Snorkelling is free of course, and many divers who in the past decided to boycott the monopoly by resorting to snorkelling said they found snorkelling in Banda better than diving elsewhere.
Snorkellers can count on seeing sharks, turtles, barracudas, Napoleon Wrasse, Bumphead Parrotfish... you name it!

Crafts and Antiques - from Elsewhere!

While no handicrafts worth noting are produced in Banda, some Ambonese and Tanimbarese crafts, such as clove figures and woodcarvings are sold here to tourists.
If you have the chance, you are better off buying them at the source, though prices here can be pretty competitive.
There are also plenty of fake antiques - with the odd porcelain being genuine, maybe.

Local Sweets

Dried nutmeg fruit sweets are a very typical - and delicious! - product of Banda, and are sold cheaply in Bandaneira.
They are very hard to find elsewhere in Maluku (though they do reach Ambon) so stock up here if you like them!
There are also jars of nutmeg jam, as well as sweets made from dried kenari nuts.
They are sold in several shops along Jalan Pasar, but the best selection is offered from stalls set up in front of the harbour when ships arrive.

Books

Two interesting, hard to find books on the history of Banda (Indonesian Banda) and Ternate & Tidore (Turbulent Times Past in Ternate and Tidore) are available in Bandaneira. You may not find them anywhere else in Maluku, so make sure you buy them here if interested in the Spice Islands' history!

The People of Banda

The native Bandanese people were once among the wealthiest and most sophisticated folks in Maluku, profiting from their contact with traders from around the world who came to purchase their nutmeg.
Until the Dutch came to occupy their islands, that is - and to maintain their effective monopoly on the trade, decided to get rid of the local population.
The native Bandanese were massacred basically to the very last one by the Dutch, with those managing to escape fleeing all the way to the Kei islands, where they still live in two villages on Kei Besar, practicing their traditions and speaking the old Bandanese language.

Having got rid of the natives, the Dutch brought in slaves from other parts of Indonesia to work on their plantations. Most were from the island of Buton in Southeast Sulawesi, with the remaining from Java, etc.
The people living in Banda today are descendants of these labourers, and traders who also settled here.
As such, the original Bandanese culture is pretty much totally lost from here, and a variety of Malay is spoken as the local lingo.
Nevertheless, the new arrivals have adopted some Malukan customs and developed a new Bandanese identity and culture.
They are also one of the most staunchly Islamic people in Maluku, the one area where many women wore headscarves even before the conflict.

Back in 1999, I also found these Bandanese the least friendly people in Maluku.
They were not unfriendly, just uninterested in tourists, no doubt because they had seen enough.
With tourism way down the past years, this has changed now.

Village Elders

In 2006, I happened upon a local event commemorating the massacre of the native Bandanese.
This featured various traditional dances and music, and was attended by both government officials and local village elders - the latter seen here in traditional, Malay-style dress.

Traditional Music

Like in much of the rest of Maluku, traditional music here involved playing on a simple gamelan sort of collection of gongs, and wooden drums.

Tari Pala

This graceful "Nutmeg Dance" performed by young girls and boys was very much like Malay-style dances in western Indonesia.
Its main local aspect was its theme - harvesting nutmeg.

Tari Topeng

This masked dance by young kids wearing rice-sacks as clothing was great fun.
They first imitated traditional dancing styles, until they got joined by a "lion" they started fighting with. This scene was reminiscent of Barong dance from Bali and Chinese lion dances.

Hatam Ceremony

This Quran-reading ceremony for young kids who have just mastered reading the holy book in Arabic is common throughout Indonesia.
It was nevertheless a big local event, with very fine traditional costumes gracing the kids.

"Horseback" Parade

The kids for whom the ceremony was arranged were paraded around town on the backs of toy-horses (there are no real horses in Banda) carried by local men.
They were also accompanied by a band playing traditional Islamic music, and a band of other kids in Arab-style dress performing much the same way American supporters' teams of girls do!

Getting Around Neira

There is a very limited road network around Bandaneira, which is so small that you can easily walk everywhere anyway! If you don't feel like walking, the best way to get around by hopping on an ojek (motorcycle taxi).

For info on getting to Bandaneira from the rest of Maluku/Indonesia, see my general Banda Islands page.

Hotel Maulana

Banda's finest hotel is a colonial-style (but not old) building right next to the port.
It has very nice rooms, all with air con and outside sitting area, fine views across to Gunung Api, a restaurant/bar and a dive-shop attached.
Note that with the downturn in tourism in recent years standards have slipped somewhat, and not all the rooms have been maintained well.

Hotel Laguna

A step down from the Maulana but still pretty nice, the Laguna costs about half the price to stay, and is frequented by divers. It may not have the Maulana's fine garden and restaurant, but it shares its fine waterfront location and views. This one, too, is pretty empty most of the time.

Guesthouses & Homestays

The best value places to stay in Bandaneira are the numerous family-run guesthouses and homestays around town. Many of the original homestays are in old, authentic Dutch colonial houses and all offer friendly service and home-cooked meals. The ones furthest away from the port, beyond the old governor's residence, are the quietest and probably most reasonably priced. Most will happily arrange boat charters to the other islands, and maybe guides for climbing Gunung Api, too. In recent years, more and more proper, purpose-built guesthouses have appeared on the scene, too, many of them attracting guests with a waterfront location, though only two of them (Vita & Delfika 2) make much of the waterfront setting, with others (Bintang Laut, Matahari, etc) offering otherwise good rooms opening to a dark inside corridor and only a common verandah facing the water.

Note: One of the local homestays has printed a leaflet and postcards that come with recommendations by "Laszlo". Despite what many visitors end up believing, that Laszlo is NOT me! I don't like to recommend specific places over others.

Restaurants

Apart from the restaurant in the Maulana Hotel, there are only a few small restaurants/cafes/warungs in Bandaneira, Mostly along Jalan Pasar.
Most visitors eat where they stay - prices for accommodation usually include 3 meals.
Fish is very fresh and cheap here, and the local sweets made of nutmeg are delicious!

Foodstalls

The variety (and amount!) of food sold in Bandaneira greatly increases when Pelni ships dock and plenty of foodstalls set up business in front of the port.
This is your best chance to pick your favourite bits of fresh fish, chicken, veggies, rice, sweets - you name it!
Small stalls selling usually just one type of food or snack also may set up along the streets on other days.

Local Feasts

Surprise, surprise - like in the rest of Maluku, the best chance to sample the finest of the local cuisine Banda has to offer is getting invited to a local celebration.
I did just that - and got the chance to eat my way through the variety of splendid food shown on this picture.

Self-catering

If you want to buy fresh foodstuff and cook for yourself - or have it cooked by your hosts - you should head for the small market on Jalan Pasar.
It sells mostly fish and vegetables, but if you really have to, you can find things like biscuits and noodles, too.