128 Travel | Morotai
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Morotai is home to some of the best Pacific Ocean surfing available anywhere in Indonesia . Isolated from the legendary surf destinations of Bali and Java , the islanders of the Maluku archipelago have developed their own unique surf culture . I ’ m joining them for a Pacific Highway road trip to find the perfect wave and Morotai ’ s best beaches .
I base my exploration of Morotai in Daruba – the island ’ s largest city . Touching down at the remote airstrip , it ’ s difficult to imagine that this sleepy port was once at the very centre of world trade . Centuries ago , the Malukus bustled with merchants from across the globe , exporting mace , nutmeg , cloves and pepper – earning the archipelago the nickname ‘ Spice Islands ’.
I ’ m exploring Morotai with Frinco , a local guide from Buho Buho , a tiny fishing village about 50km north of Daruba . Before the Pacific Highway was completed in 2013 , his village was accessible only by boat . Today the island beckons adventurous travellers and surfers to explore its hidden beaches and secret waves .
As we ’ re enjoying a quick breakfast of nasi goreng in a local warung near my guesthouse in Daruba , Frinco tells me about the unique surf culture that has evolved from the relative isolation of his home village .
“ In Buho Buho , the children make their own surfboards and ride the waves on the beach in front of our village ,” Frinco explains .
Intrigued , I ask if we can try to meet up with some of the surfers from Buho Buho to see their homegrown approach to this ancient art , first practised by Hawaiian islanders hundreds of years ago . Frinco agrees , and we ’ re soon on the road .
Driving north on the new highway , the small shops and tidy houses of Daruba give way to thousands of tall coconut palm trees lining deserted white-sand beaches . To the east lies the endless blue horizon of the open Pacific .
The Morotai jungle envelops us like a cavernous green cathedral . It ’ s easy to imagine getting lost forever in the dense palm trees and underbrush . As we drive , I remember the incredible story of Teruo Nakamura and his disappearance on Morotai more than 70 years ago .
A Japanese soldier , Nakamura was stationed on the island in 1944 , but became separated from his army division in the chaotic final days of the Second World War . Incredibly , Nakamura never realised the war had ended , and spent the next 29 years hiding out in the Morotai jungle until he was discovered in 1974 . A waterfall and monument stand in his name .
After an hour ’ s drive , we reach Buho Buho village . Turning off the highway , we pass the village school , which is adorned with a large mural featuring images of waves and surfing painted by the local students . It ’ s easy to see that the sport of surfing has made its mark on the community here .
At the beach , we find fishermen tending their handmade perahu outrigger canoes , fitted with a small sail for travelling great distances across the Pacific in search of their catch . We also find a small group of high-school students from the village , watching the waves breaking in front of their homes . A few