'Wild, authentic and alive': Stunning Indonesian island that tourism has barely touched

"Sick of Bali? Go here instead." It's something travellers are hearing more and more.

Indonesia is home to 17,000 islands - only 6,000 of which are inhabited - so it really is a wonder that we keep going back to the same ones.

If you want to set your sights a little further afield than Ubud and Canggu, travel experts have revealed a set of "gorgeous" islands that "tourism has not yet swallowed whole".

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According to CNN Travel, the "Spice Islands" region of eastern Indonesia, now known as the Maluku Islands, was very much off-the-grid for global travellers until just two decades ago.

But thanks to a surge in luxury expeditions to the region, it is now attracting travellers "craving new and unusual adventures at sea".

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Why were they called the Spice Islands?

Maluku Province, which lies just north of Timor-Leste and west of Papua New Guinea, was termed the Spice Islands back in the 16th- and 17th-century.

An abundance of cloves, nutmeg and mace sparked a "spice rush" by Portuguese, Dutch and British traders, who were able to make a pretty penny for these commodities back in Europe.

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What is there to do in the Spice Islands?

Snorkelling, swimming, and hiking up the sides of volcanoes for breath-taking views are just some of the main things to do in the region.

"It's a place where coral reefs explode with colour, volcanoes rise from untouched seas, and ancient cultures thrive in isolation," hospitality consultant Jason Friedman, who works with boat charter Kudanil Explorer, tells CNN Travel.

"Every island tells a different story, with traditions and languages found nowhere else. There's simply no other place on Earth that feels this wild, authentic and alive."

There are two provinces, Maluku and North Maluku. The city of Ambon is the metropolitan hub of the region.

Aside from luxury cruise expeditions, travellers can also join an Indonesian phinisi, a traditional two-masted vessel used for centuries by Spice Islands traders, pirates and fishermen.

How do you get to the Spice Islands/Maluku Islands

Qantas flies direct to the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, daily from Sydney and three times a week from Melbourne.

From there, several airlines, including Garuda, fly to Ambon.

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