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Three must-see North Maluku festivals
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The view from Tidore, an island located in North Maluku province in eastern Indonesia. (Shutterstock/Anges van der Logt)
W
hile Morotai island in North Maluku has been earmarked for tourism development under the government's 10 New Balis plan, beautiful scenery and fascinating cultures can be found throughout the province.
Tourism Minister Arief Yahya and acting North Maluku Governor Natsir Thaib officially announced three festivals in North Maluku on Tuesday, the Tidore Festival, Jailolo Bay Festival and Kora-Kora Festival.
Tempo.co reported that these festivals were included among the top 100 Wonderful Events of Indonesia. These festivals have been held annually, attracting domestic and foreign tourists alike.
Tidore Festival
Those wanting to learn about the Sultanate of Tidore, the Tidore Festival is the best place to start.
Held from March 23 to April 12 on Tidore Island, the festival aims to educate tourists about the sultanate by showcasing traditional customs such as the Tupa, or Soboka Dorora, procession, which is still practiced to this day.
Read also: Five places to explore in eastern Indonesia
Jailolo Bay Festival
The Jailolo Bay Festival will be held from May 3 to 5 in West Halmahera regency.
The festival is set to showcase contemporary performing art shows under the theme "Sasadu on the Sea", which is adapted from traditional Jailolo traditional dance.
The festival will also feature Sigofi Ngolo, a ritual cleansing the ocean.
Kora Kora Festival
Those planning to visit North Maluku at the end of the year should be sure to include the Kora-Kora Festival in their itineraries.
The festival, held from Dec. 1 to 3, will give travelers the chance to watch a kora-kora (North Maluku’s traditional wooden boat) competition, staged to highlight the province’s maritime cultural heritage. (jes/wng)
