After three days of rest, we travelled back to Ambon City where we initially spent one day in anticipation of our flight to the Banda Islands. Ambon City is often skirted around by many travellers because of its bad image. Ambon was the scene of heavy fighting in 1999-2002 when many parts of the Moluccas were hit by civil war. But the city is quiet again and for travellers not a threat anymore. To the contrary, the cosmopolitan city is friendly and tropical and while it may me absent of any interesting sights, we always find a stay in the city very worthwhile. The flight to the Banda Islands was spectacular. The small propeller plane brought us in 60 minutes to these great little islands and the views on the island from the air are spectacular. This was our third visit to the Banda Islands, and in our opinion these islands are one of the last ‘undiscovered’ top travel destinations in the country. The islands have a lot to offer. The history is interesting, the setting of the islands is picturesque and the snorkelling at some of the outlaying islands is world-class. This is the place where we saw the Manta Rays for the first time, just snorkelling in front of the beach on Hatta Island! We heard from several experienced snorkelers and divers, that the Banda Islands is still a much underrated snorkel and diving destination.

After spending a week on the Banda Islands, we took a Pelni ship to Tual on the Kei Islands. Travelling by Pelni boat is a must-do experience in Indonesia. It is a great way to experience how a significant part of the Indonesians travel to and from one of the many islands in their archipelago. The huge ships are fully loaded with people and goods, but as a traveller you can book one of the cabins to prevent being part of the chaos. Even if you are not travelling by Pelni boat, it is still a great experience to visit a harbour when one of the ships is due to arrive. In that case you will witness all the activities that are related to the arrival and departure of one of the life-lines of many small islands in Indonesia (see also the video impression about the Ciremai arriving in Banda). Our Pelni ship, the Ciremai, was exactly 12 hours late. The journey to the Kei Islands took eleven hours. Also the Kei Islands is a destination worthwhile a visit. Not many travellers make it this far, and if you decide to come, you probably have one of the best white sand beaches in Indonesia completely for yourself. You sometimes have to share the place with some locals, who come to the beach in the weekend to enjoy themselves with Karaoke or making pictures of themselves and of you of course. And if you are lucky, the islands might treat you on one of the best sunsets you have ever seen.

In less than four hours we flew to Thailand’s capital city Bangkok. This was the final destination before Edwin’s parents flew back home. Bangkok is one of the most enjoyable big cities in Asia and has a lot to offer. If you are looking for history, food, great sights or even women, everything can be found in this typical Asian city. We dipped in this city for five days after which we said goodbye to Edwin’s parents. It was hard to see them leaving again. From that moment on, normal life returned for us. And that life will be different soon. After spending several years now in South East Asia, we are heading in a new direction. The Gulf States are our next destination, begiing with a visit to Kuwait. How different will it be!