At one time, these two small islands in the Maluku were the world's only source of cloves. Ternate Town, established by the Portuguese in 1521 and ruled in turn by the Spanish and Dutch, is dominated by the Dutch-era Fort Oranje. The ruins of a Portuguese fort are nearby. Don't miss the Sultan's Palace (Kedaton) or a ride around Ternate Island. Those in good shape will want to climb Gamalama Volcano in the center of the island.
Nearby Tidore Island has less to see but is still interesting because of the cloves, nutmeg and other spices that grow there. Tidore also has ruins of two old forts. Ternate is 180 mi/290 km east of Manado, Sulawesi.
