Ternate is a tiny volcanic island with an outsized place in history. It was one of the four sultanates of North Maluku that were once the world's only source of cloves, drawing traders from China, Arabia and eventually Portugal, Spain and the Dutch East India Company. The competition for control of these islands helped shape the course of European colonialism in Southeast Asia.
Today Ternate is the capital of North Maluku province and the main gateway into this remote corner of eastern Indonesia. The island is dominated by the cone of Gunung Gamalama, an active volcano that rises steeply from the sea. The Sultan's Palace houses a fine collection of royal regalia, while Fort Oranje, Fort Tolukko, and Fort Kalamata are scattered around the island's coast as reminders of the spice-trade era. It is well worth hopping over to neighbouring Tidore, the rival sultanate just across the strait, for more ruins and another volcanic climb.