Kota Ambon Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Land

Bus & bemo

Frequent bemos and most of the rare buses start from a variety of points along Jl Pantai Mardika in Mardika and Batu Merah markets. However buses for just a few destinations in Seram depart from Terminal Pelita (Jl Slamet Riyadi), a lay-by beside the central sports field. These include 5am Jaya Saka (345507) and Mulia Express (341805) buses to Saka (for Sawai).

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Boat

Pelni

From Yos Sudarso harbour Lambelu heads to Bitung (northern Sulawesi; 172,000Rp, 22 hours) via Namlea (Buru, 56,000Rp) returning via Ternate (115,000Rp). Ciremai and Bukit Siguntang head east to Papua via Bandaneira (Banda Islands; 70,000Rp, seven hours) and Tual (Kei Islands; 177,000Rp). Dorolonda and the westbound Bukit Siguntang link to Surabaya via Kupang (28 hours). Other westbound boats head for Surabaya via Makassar (Sulawesi; 262,000Rp, 36 to 48 hours) and Bau Bau (Pulau Buton; 205,000Rp). The Kelimutu sometimes heads to Tual (233,000Rp) via Saumlaki (Tanimbar Islands, 182,000Rp) but its timetables are being revised. The glass-faced office of Pelni (348219; 8am-noon) is opposite the Pattimura Memorial: head down, around the back then upstairs again to buy tickets. Alternatively use one of many agencies around the port (minimal commission). One such handy agency faces Slamet Riyadi Harbour.

Other boats

Much less comfortable boats from Slamet Riyadi Harbour serve north and east Seram, Sanana (Sula Islands) and far southeast Maluku. From the ferry jetty in Galala, north of Tantui, the KMP Danaurana car ferry departs daily to Namlea (Buru) at 5pm (adult/child 55,000/40,000Rp, nine hours). Services to the Lease Islands and southern Seram use Passo, Tulehu or Hunimua ports.

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Air

Mandala (344206; www.mandalaair.com; Hotel Amboina, Jl Kapitan Ulupaha; 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-2pm Sat & Sun) flies to Jakarta daily via Makassar. Bookings are possible online: you don’t pay till you collect the tickets (at least four hours before departure) and there’s no penalty for cancelling. Lion Air (342566; Hotel Manise, Jl WR Supratman; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-2pm Sat & Sun) has two flights daily to Jakarta via Makassar and/or Surabaya with connections to Manado and beyond to Ternate. Prices vary wildly according to demand. If you trust their ‘City check-in’ (2pm the day before flying), you can head to the airport without baggage. Their midnight flight from Jakarta arrives at 7am due to stops and time-zone changes. Trigana Air (355797; Suita Travel, Jl Anthony Rhebok) offers five weekly connections to Langgur (Kei Islands) and one weekly direct hop to Ternate. Ironically this leaves the same day (out Tuesday, back Wednesday) as the weekly Ambon–Ternate flights with Merpati (352481; fax 353272; Jl Ahmad Yani 19; 8am-noon & 1pm-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-2pm Sat, Sun & public holidays) who operate a whole web of local weekly hopper flights. Deraya Air (323802; Pattimura Airport) flights to Bula (Seram) are normally limited to oil-company employees. AdamAir has proposed but not yet started Ambon services.

PT Matrassas Abadi (311111; Jl AY Patty; 8am-7pm) is Ambon’s best-organised travel agency for domestic tickets (bookings stop at 5pm). Some English is spoken.

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