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       Pulau Rhun, in the Banda Sea in Indonesia, used to be one of the world’s most valuable patches of real estate, thanks to nutmeg.

       Indonesia Dispatch

       Manhattan or Pulau Rhun? In 1667, Nutmeg Made the Choice a No-Brainer.

       Growing a spice once worth its weight in gold, a tiny isle in Indonesia was so coveted that the Dutch traded Manhattan for it. Some 350 years later, life on the two islands couldn’t be more different.

       Pulau Rhun, in the Banda Sea in Indonesia, used to be one of the world’s most valuable patches of real estate, thanks to nutmeg.Credit...

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       By Richard C. Paddock and Muktita Suhartono

       Photographs by Nyimas Laula

       Richard C. Paddock and Muktita Suhartono, along with the photographer Nyimas Laula, spent three days on Pulau Rhun to document life on the remote island.

       Feb. 9, 2024

       The isles of Manhattan and Pulau Rhun could hardly be farther apart, not just in geography, but also in culture, economy and global prominence.

       Rhun, in the Banda Sea in Indonesia, has no cars or roads and only about 20 motorbikes. Most people get around by walking along its paved footpaths or up steep stairways, often toting plastic jugs of water from the numerous village wells or sometimes lugging a freshly caught tuna.

       But in the 17th century, in what might now seem one of the most lopsided trades in history, the Netherlands believed it got the better part of a bargain with the British when it swapped Manhattan, then known as New Amsterdam, for this tiny speck of land.

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       The delight the Dutch took in the deal can be summed up in one word: nutmeg.

       With its forest of nutmeg, a spice worth its weight in gold at the time, Rhun used to be one of the world’s most valuable patches of real estate.

       Image

       Rhun has no cars or roads and only about 20 motorbikes. Electricity comes on only at night.

       Image

       Cellphone service recently arrived on the island, but connections are spotty.

       Map locates the Maluku Islands in eastern Indonesia. It also locates Pulau Rhan, an island in the Banda Island group, which is part of the Maluku Islands.

       5 MILES

       Manukan I.

       BANDA ISLANDS

       Banda Neira I.

       Naira I.

       Pulau Rhun

       Banda Sea

       800 MILES

       MALAYSIA

       MALUKU

       ISLANDS

       INDONESIA

       Detail

       above

       Jakarta

       By The New York Times

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       Richard C. Paddock has worked as a foreign correspondent in 50 countries on five continents with postings in Moscow, Jakarta, Singapore and Bangkok. He has spent nearly a dozen years reporting on Southeast Asia, which he has covered since 2016 as a contributor to The Times. More about Richard C. Paddock

       Muktita Suhartono reports on Thailand and Indonesia. She is based in Bangkok. More about Muktita Suhartono

       A version of this article appears in print on Feb. 11, 2024, Section A, Page 8 of the New York edition with the headline: Manhattan or a Spice-Rich Isle? In 1667, the Choice Was Easy. . Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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