The smallest of the Lease Islands in Indonesia, Pulau Nusa Laut is primitive and desolate with unexplored scenery that attracts tourists looking for rural settings.
The island is home to only one guest house so there is little choice in accommodation. It is located in Ameth village, which is quiet and full of clove plantations. There is a monument in Ameth that is dedicated to anti-colonial heroine Martha Christina Tiahahu as well as a handful of ancient tombs and other statues to see.
The village of Sila boasts the island’s best attraction in the natural hot springs that must be visited at low tide as high tide can sometimes submerge them. They are too shallow for swimming in but they are pleasant to stand in and there is also a church in the village that lays claim as the oldest in Maluku.
There is a Dutch fort close to the coast in Sila that has been recently restored to its former glory, and close by are a collection of caves that the Dutch Baron who built the fort fled to when the Japanese invaded. Local legend has it he turned to stone when he ran out of provisions.
The original site of Sila village is totally derelict but worth walking through; be aware that there are no restaurants or food stalls for eating and the only place to get a meal is in the only guesthouse. Getting around is mainly done on foot. You can hire an ojek, but the roads are tricky to navigate.
Getting There & Away
The nearest international airport is in Jakarta and a flight from here to Ambon will take 3 hours. From Ambon there are ferries running to Sarapua Island that take 2 hours, and from here it is easy to get a small boat to Pulau Nusa Laut.