Must see attractions in North Maluku

A tiny, beautifully situated fort surrounded by a vivid tropical garden, Benteng Tolukko was the first Portuguese stronghold on Ternate (dating back to…

A couple of kilometres past Sulamadaha, a lane runs right off the highway down to the secluded stilted village of Jikomalamo. There are some small sandy…

Despite being an active volcano that continues to belch ash and smoke, it's possible to climb the almost 1400m-high Dukono in six sweaty hours if you are…

Beyond the village of Takome, a paved lane off the road climbs to the rim of Danau Tolire Besar. Startlingly sheer cliffs plummet down to the lugubriously…

This attractive, part-shaded white-sand beach – popular on weekends with the locals – is good for swimming and there's reasonable snorkelling just…

This pretty, horseshoe-shaped bay about 13km north of Tobelo has a shady white-sand beach that's fine for swimming. There's decent snorkelling and diving…

A three-minute speedboat hop from Rum, Pulau Maitara's clear waters are fine for snorkelling and swimming but watch out for the numerous sea urchins.

Built in 1834 and restored in semi-colonial style, the Sultan’s Palace is technically a family home, although no one is in residence owing to a dispute…

Known to the Portuguese as Fort Malayo, the Dutch-built Benteng Oranye, which dates from the early 17th century, is a sprawling, largely ruinous complex…

It's hardly the Hagia Sophia, and the seaward minarets have been reclaimed by the sea (only the crumbled footings remain), but this concrete-and-tile…

A slender black-sand beach with heavy swells and sadly ruined coral, Sulamadaha is a popular local hangout at weekends. There are fine views across to the…

Danau Laguna is a pleasant, spring-fed bowl lake with a lushly forested perimeter. When viewed from above (take the steep lane to the west of the lagoon),…

The 1540 Benteng Kalamata is dramatically situated on the waterfront 1km southwest of Bastiong, staring down Ternate's old foe, Tidore. You can wander the…

On the 27th evening of Ramadan, Lailat-ul-Qadr celebrations see the sultan’s procession arrive to a mass of flaming torches at the Royal Mosque, which has…

This small island south of Pulau Tidore is famed for its attractive, simple pottery. Speedboats to Pulau Mare can be chartered in Seli (100,000Rp).

Down on Tidore's southern coast, slender and small Pantai Kajoli is the island's best strip of white sand.

The beach itself isn't special, but the modest hot-spring pool here draws a crowd of locals.