The Southwest: Maluku's Remotest Region

The southwestern islands between Tanimbar and Timor are some of the remotest and least accessible in all Indonesia. They have basically no facilities for visitors, and not even too many obvious attractions for that matter. Most of them are quite arid and somewhat barren, just like the neighbouring region of East Nusa Tenggara, though the northern arc stretching from Wetar to TNS is greener. Of course, some fine beaches and snorkelling spots can still be found here too, but the islands' original claim to fame, their once splendid forms of art, was effectively eradicated by heavy-handed Protestant missionaries long time ago and their finest masterpieces can now only be seen in overseas museums.