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Article: HEAVEN ON EARTH THE BANDA ISLANDS, INDONESIA who Writer and explorer Tim Severin WHY 'It's one of the most dramatic and beautiful places on the planet'
- Article from:
- The Sunday Telegraph London
- Article date:
- August 2, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2009 The Sunday Telegraph London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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I fell in love with the Banda Islands, a group of 10 lush
volcanic islands in Indonesia, when I visited them a few years ago.
I sailed down there on a prahu - a small native sailing boat with a
rectangular sail - and discovered a rare part of the world that was
absolutely unspoilt and idyllic.
The islands were colonised by the Dutch, who grew nutmeg there,
and for a long time they were virtually the world's only source of
the spice. It's estimated that the Dutch sold more than a million
guilders worth of nutmeg - all from these tiny islands.
As a result of the Dutch connection, the islands are dotted with
lovely Dutch colonial houses, many of which have survived thanks to
the islands' ...