Seram Island is the beginning of it all. At least according to local beliefs, which describe how all the people of Maluku originated from Seram. As such, the island is referred to as Nusa Ina, or Mother Island, which is a lot better than its official name, which translates to Scary Island.

There are a few small towns scattered around the island and the roads are basically deserted, but that is what makes Seram Island so special: Mother Nature. The island actually sits atop its own small tectonic plate fragment (known as a microplate), which is colliding with the Australian, Eurasian, Pacific and Philippine Sea plates, resulting in a massive mountain range and complex geology.

Seram’s primary attraction (and by “primary” I mean only) is Taman Nasional Manusela, otherwise known as the Manusela National Park. Trekking here was one of the highlights of my year in Indonesia; simply because it is so overwhelmingly beautiful. However, it is not the easiest of terrains, so come prepared. There is also a large amount of birds, making this an ideal offbeat destination for both nature lovers and ornithologists.