Things to Know Before Traveling to the Kei Islands (Maluku, Indonesia)

[@Stanislausr64]

Thx for making this video 🙏

[@jr_8292]

I went to Java and Sumatra last summer and absolutely craving another opportunity to dive deeper into Indonesia soon, so I'm so glad I found your channel. I'd seen about the Kei islands somewhere in the past, so this advice is so useful for planning out my next trip. Salam dari Yunani!

[@primemarketing7218]

Awesome, can't wait for next adventure 😎👍👍

[@raygundesigns]

Great info. Will add to my list. Thanks!

[@HighOnLowTide]

Thank you! It's an amazing destination, I'm sure you will enjoy your trip!

[@Stanislausr64]

You won't regret 👊

[@jumankoussa]

Amazing as always 😍

[@HighOnLowTide]

Thank you!

[@ladydee3795]

Your channel is amazing, thank you so much for sharing this useful information

[@HighOnLowTide]

Thank you!

[@Heydy.Viaja1]

Thabks for ur video ✨️planning to go there in November

[@eprohoda]

good vening!fantastic traveling~ High! 🤗

[@HighOnLowTide]

Thank you!

[@lizcarlyle2477]

Hello from CA & many thanks 4 your videos! Visited 35 years ago and love the fish, beach & more!

[@HighOnLowTide]

Thank you for your comment!

[@stevemorris5760]

Hey great to see Coaster Cottages, me and my partner have stayed about four times with Bob Azyz, so glad it survived the pandemic and is still taking guests. Fish dinners were great and the beach is perfect. Did you say you visited Raja Ampat on one of your videos. I can't find the video. we would like to stay there but in one of the more remote islands if you have any information. Keep on the good work. Anambas islands also worth checking out.

[@HighOnLowTide]

Thank you for your comment! I went to Raja Ampat after visiting the Keis (with a quick layover in Ambon/Saparua), I didn't have time to make those videos yet, but soon! Raja Ampat is huge and now there are lots of places to stay. I highly recommend visiting Misool, it's a brautiful group of islands, but the distances are huge (so boat charters are pricey if you don't share the costs with others). Most people don't go there, because now there is only a weekly overnight ferry to take (no speed ferry at the moment). In northern Raja Ampat only Kri seems to be super busy (it is a bit too overbuilt in my opinion), most other islands feel quite remote. If you want a truly remote experience, check out some homestays far from Waisai, for example in Manyaifun or near Piaynemo. And yes, the food in the Coaster Cottages is amazing! :)

[@stevemorris5760]

Thanks for getting back to me with info on Raja Ampat. I look forward to your video in the future. I well recommend your KZbin channel to like minded friends. I also used to live in Vietnam I was one of the early TEFL teachers there for a year in Hanoi in 1997 very different then! Cheers Steve

[@HighOnLowTide]

@@stevemorris5760 Thank you for the kind words! I am also happy to see people here who are interested in places that are not overrun with tourists. :) I will have a series of videos on Raja Ampat in the near future, I visited various regions there, too.

[@midnightmiracle79]

Thank you for the info! Great video

[@HighOnLowTide]

Thank you for the comment, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@jamesrahajaan859]

Terimakasih saudarakuh sudah mengunjungi tempat asal saya KEI, kalau mau ke KEI lagi saya siap antar,,saya tinggal di Bali..tetap semangat saudaraku sudah memperkenalkan kepulauan KEI di mata dunia..TUHAN BERKATI saudariku🙏

[@HighOnLowTide]

Thank you!

[@Jacquepote]

Hi Boris ! I like your videos, pretty nice to see those remote places. I was considering visiting the Kei archipelago with my wife and our 1year and half son. We could go there in 2 weeks and have a few questions. 1) is it children friendly, I mean island hopping, beaches and accommodation ? We're not looking for luxury places to stay anyway. 2) is it ok in december, I mean appart from rainy weather I'd like to avoid grey sky all day long. 3) we were hesitating with Banda Neira instead. I saw there are very few nice beaches there on google maps but maybe there are I didn't notice. and it's harder to reach since you have to rely on the Pelni boat. thank you for your answers

[@HighOnLowTide]

Hello! About the weather.. well, I think it is pretty much unpredictable. I was there in the middle of the rainy/windy season, but I had sunny weather every day with just a little rain/wind. Maybe try contacting locals (Bob Azyz in the Coaster Cottages for example is really helpful) and check out how the weather is these days. But actually, it can change a lot in 2 weeks… It is quite children friendly I think, I mean, it is very safe, the local people are very friendly. There are 3 islands (Ngaf, Ngodan and Er islands) in front of the main beach, the nearest one is about 10-15 minutes away by boat. The water is shallow in front of beaches. If the waves are big, the boats don’t go anyway. The only real danger could be malaria I guess (it can happen basically anywhere in east Indonesia), but again, there weren’t any mosquitoes while I was there (it doesn’t mean that there aren’t any now). The risk is low, but there is a risk. The Banda islands are some of the nicest and most interesting islands in Indonesia, if you can make it there, I highly recommend visiting. (Occasionally there are small planes that fly from Ambon (need to check locally, but they are often canceled if the weather is bad), and there used to be a speed boat service also from Ambon, but I think it doesn’t operate anymore, so the most reliable way is the Pelni and if you want to visit, you should plan around that). The main island doesn’t really have beaches, but it is easy to take a boat to the other islands. Nailaka is a tiny island with a sandy beach around it, plus there are beaches on Ai and Hatta islands. Hatta is quite popular, there are some guest houses and its beach is very pretty, plus the snorkeling in front of it is incredible. The main island has lots of fascinating historical sights (old buildings for example) and the vibe is really nice.

[@allisonwhite-r7v]

Hello thanks for the valuable information. Wondering if you have any advice re cultural traditions that travelers to Kai or Banda islands need to be aware of, especially for women or where to go for that information? Thank you.

[@HighOnLowTide]

@@allisonwhite-r7v Probably the only thing visitors should be aware of is that some villages are populated by catholic, while some are populated by muslim people, so wearing a bikini for example in some places might be offensive to the locals (it’s not a problem on touristy beaches like Pasir Panjang on Kei Kecil for example). Other than that, it is like traveling elsewhere. Local people are very friendly and welcoming, it’s not dangerous or anything like that.

[@allisonwhite-r7v]

Thank you very much!

[@HighOnLowTide]

@ You’re welcome!

[@franzchristophcruz]

👋 Hey champ, I'm planning a future trip to the Maluku region next year. Which places would you recommend to go to for someone whom has yet been to this region? Is it possible to do North, Central & South Maluku in 2 weeks? I would

[@HighOnLowTide]

Hi! Maluku is huge, traveling takes time, so I suggest choosing one area to visit. For example, 2 weeks in the north (Ternate, Halmahera, Morotai is an amazing trip - videos will come soon about my recent trip there); or you can spend a week in Central Maluku and one in the South (Ambon and the Lease islands and fly to the Keis for an other week). I would choose one of these options if I were you.

[@adiningrat8796]

Terimakasih telah mengenalkan keindahan alam Indonesia kepada dunia , sekali lagi Terimakasih

[@HighOnLowTide]

Maaf, saya hanya berbicara sedikit bahasa Indonesia, namun saya ingin mengucapkan terima kasih atas komentar Anda! Indonesia itu indah!

[@AdrianzLabetubun4drianz]

​​@@HighOnLowTide I m from Tual dan coba ke desa saya elaar lamagorang Tuan

[@sugiartomulyono9273]

Boleh lah ktong main" di pantai elar e

[@LibbyWaugh]

Hi again Boris. Do you have any advice on getting from Banda islands to Kei islands? Is it generally only possible to do this from Bandaneira, or could you get to Kei from Run? Thanks.

[@HighOnLowTide]

@@LibbyWaugh I think the only reliable way is the Pelni that goes from Ambon to Banda and continues to the Keis and later comes back the same way. This is how I went to Banda in 2017. Try to ask maybe guest houses or hotels in Ambon about the schedule, you should plan your trip around it if you want to visit Banda.

[@LibbyWaugh]

@@HighOnLowTidethanks heaps.

[@anamagalhaes7571]

Hello, I was happy to find your channel. We want to go to the Moluccas in August 2025 but there is little information. I was fascinated by the Keys. I don't want to be in a hurry. I want to get to know the people, the culture and go to the beach a lot. Let's go from Portugal to Jakarta. Can you send me more links about the Key Islands. I'm kinda lost. Thanks.

[@HighOnLowTide]

@@anamagalhaes7571 Hi! There’s really not much info online. You can check out this website: east-indonesia.info Otherwise, the good news is, if you plan to go without rushing, then you can just explore the islands by yourself, it is easy to organize transportation/accommodation/etc once you are there. I recommend staying at the place I mention in my videos, it is on a beautiful beach, from there you can go on different boat trips and also, you can go around Kei Kecil, the main island.

[@anamagalhaes7571]

@ Thanks/ Obrigada ☺️

[@HighOnLowTide]

@@anamagalhaes7571 You're welcome! Check my other videos, I made a few from the Keis, I tried talking about the practical information as well.

[@hemokkowarin]

Mntp❤

[@LibbyWaugh]

Hi there. Is it better to pay by cash or card in the Kei or Banda Islands? Thanks.

[@HighOnLowTide]

@@LibbyWaugh Cash is definitely better. Simple guest houses/restaurants don’t accept card payments. There are ATMs in cities (like in Tual in Kei Kecil to withdraw cash).

[@LibbyWaugh]

@ thanks so much! And are there ATMs in Ambon?

[@HighOnLowTide]

@ Yes, Ambon is the regional capital.

[@marco1324661]

I have been to remote Indonesia many times, mostly in Raja Ampat, and Sumba. I wanted to visit so much Triton Bay now , but the only accommodation i see is Triton Bay Divers and its just SUPER expensive, not possible . Have you been to Triton Bay? Do you have any advice on accommodation? I also wanted to visit the Aru islands but no accommodation ;(

[@HighOnLowTide]

In my experience, most of the accommodations in East Indonesia are offline, can`t be found online, but it is normally possible to find something in every village. Worst case scenario: you can ask the chief of the village (kepala desa) for a room in a village where there is no commercial accommodation and he will arrange a room for you (normally for a small fee - most of the times it is in his own house). I stayed in villages like this, I had no problems. Also, I know someone who has been to Aru, there are guest houses, especially in the main town, Dobo, but they are not online. So don`t worry about accommodation, you can arrange something everywhere (in some cases it might not be super comfortable, but still, you will have a place to stay.).

[@marco1324661]

@@HighOnLowTide Thank you very much! Indonesia is also one of my favourite countries in the whole world! And I just found your channel and can relate hugely! Especially when you talk about the recent changes to Raja Ampat, which as a frequent traveller to the region, I also found it disappointing. Since I will go again through Raja Ampat in a few months, can you recommend any homestay in West Waigeo/ Manyiafun? My next stop after Raja Ampat are definitely the Kei and Aru islands, but you are right it takes creativity to find accommodation there, nothing online lol. I was honestly looking for a more "off the beaten path" experience after Raja Ampat, because recently Raja Ampat has become a bit too touristy for my tastes. That's why i was looking at southern Maluku, and it seems from your videos it might fit what I am looking for! Thank you again!

[@marco1324661]

@@HighOnLowTide Having said that I have found literally ZERO accommodation also on google maps when it comes to Triton Bay in West Papua Province

[@HighOnLowTide]

@@marco1324661 I am sure you will love southern Maluku! I also recommend other parts of Maluku (like Saparua, Molana, Seram, Buru and Banda islands in Central Maluku, and the whole of North Maluku - Halmahera, Morotai, etc.). I didn`t have the chance to visit West Waigeo, but if you check on `stayrajaampat`, there are some homestays listed and I am sure they are all good. The Kei islands have more options to stay, even on Google maps you can find some, especially on Kei Kecil - which is the most popular base there, because of the beaches. Aru is also a big island group, the main town, Dobo is quite big I think, I am sure there are several options there, too (but don`t expect very nice hotels). My eyes are on the Tanimbar islands, I am planning a trip there for next year.

[@marco1324661]

@@HighOnLowTide The places you mentioned are superb! I am actually considering to do the Kei islands considering that I found several interesting (and cheap!) accommodations from google maps. Tanimbar looks super amazing! These are all places where its difficult to plan a trip because as you said everything is offline so you need to be adventurous and go there and see on the place. Was the Kei islands crowded? Or did it have that remote "feel" that I am looking for? I might consider it as an alternative to Raja Ampat because last time I was in Raja I was quiet disappointed with how the place has become, it felt a bit too touristy for my tastes. Maybe West Waigeo/Manyiafun is different. I am mainly interested in nature tourism on remote Indonesian islands.

[@charliefirpo8045]

A tied arra jó példa, hogy ha valakiben van vállalkozókedv, érdeklődés a világ iránt, meg egy kis bátorság + vállal némi kényelmetlenséget, akkor nem kell milliomosnak lenni egyáltalán, hogy gyönyörű helyekre eljuss. Ráadásul tömegturizmusnak nyoma sincs és nem éppen nyugat-európai az árszínvonal. 😊

[@HighOnLowTide]

Köszi, igyekszem, nekem az élmények és a szép/érdekes helyek tényleg fontosabbak, mint a kényelem. 🙂

[@braxton3731]

😠 Promo-SM