Pulau Halmahera Travel Guide
Pulau Halmahera is the largest of the Maluku Islands, belonging to the now North Maluku. It is a mixed Muslim and Christian community and is largely mountainous and sparsely populated, featuring idyllic beaches and some good walking.
Pulau Halmahera lies just to the east of Pulau Ternate, the archipelago’s capital and the main gateway to the large island. Its main appeal is the remoteness and often stunning, quiet beaches around the coast. Many of these beaches feature spectacular corals reefs not far offshore with a staggering amount of life on them.
Apart from the islands and beaches, the 930-meter Mount Mamuya active volcano provides good views and walking. The Pulau Halmahera capital, Tobelo, is worthy of a few hours. It lies on the east coast and has a nice setting high over the water. Out to the east of Tobelo are the popular islands of Tagalaya and Tolonuu.
Getting There & Away
Pulau Halmahera doesn’t have any sizeable airports, with most air traffic coming through the provincial capital airport of Sultan Babullah Airport on Ternate Island. Flights arrive here from Jakarta, via Makassar, in about 5 hours. You can take a short hop from here to Galela Airport on Pulau Halmahera, which is near to Tobelo. Boats also run to Halmahera direct from Surabaya (East Java) and Manado (North Sulawesi).