The scars of the past are the tourist attractions in Kota Ambon, one of the largest cities in eastern Indonesia. This capital overlooking a bay is home to memorials and structures that have stood for ages as a silent witness to history. Among these are the remains of forts built by the Dutch East India Company during the Golden Age of the spice trade, the ruins of a Portuguese fort that hides underneath the roots of a great Banyan tree in Hila, and Masjid Raya al-Fatah, the city's largest mosque with a dome shaped like a UFO.
There are daily flights from Jakarta to Ambon. The city is also on the route of a ferry crossing from Galala to Poka, and at the finishing line of an annual yacht race from Australia. Once in the city, travelers usually ride on cheap bemos (minivans) or the more daredevil ojeks (motorcycle taxis) to see sights such as the monuments of freedom fighters Pattimura and Christina Martha Tiahahu, the fanciful mosque of Mesjid Jami, and the recently restored Francis Xavier Cathedral, whose silver towers shimmer when viewed from Jl Sirimau.
The ANZAC War Cemetery near the Ambon Plaza is where an annual ceremony is held to commemorate the Allied soldiers who died in the region during World War II. Just behind the historical monument, Taman Makam Pahlawan Indonesia, are the Commonwealth War Graves, where more Allied servicemen are entombed.
After time-traveling to the reminders of the past, many visitors queue for a massage or therapy at the town's resort-hotels. There are many other delectable options you can have: observe a fine collection of local arts and crafts in Siwa Lima museum, eat seafood and papaya flower in a local diner, or try catching slimy Waii eels in beaches such as Natsepa, Santai, and Namalatu.