In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Indonesia
Ternate
Kota Ternate
Go for 2 nights for Gamalama's volcano, spice-era forts and a Tidore day trip; skip if you need beaches, nightlife or easy transfers.
Ternate is a small volcanic island in North Maluku and the old seat of the Sultanate of Ternate, the spice-trade power that allied with the Dutch while neighbouring Tidore sided with the Spanish and Portuguese. The forts, the 1813 sultan's palace museum and the crater lakes sit within an hour of each other, so two nights covers the island. It is not a resort destination: flights go via Jakarta, Makassar or Ambon, and the reward is history, volcano views and food rather than polished tourism.
- Country
- Indonesia
- Local name
- Kota Ternate
- Best months
- check
- Avoid
- check — any period of volcanic alert (Mount Gamalama is active; the December 2011 eruption closed regional air traffic)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- IDR
- Money
- Rupiah (Rp) in small notes for warungs, parking, offerings and drivers; large cards are common in tourist restaurants but not everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget Rp350,000–600,000 excl. bed (2026 estimate, check) · Mid Rp600,000–1,200,000 excl. bed (2026 estimate, check) · High Rp1,200,000+ excl. bed (2026 estimate, check) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telkomsel, XL and Indosat sell tourist SIMs at airports; foreign phones must be IMEI-registered if staying over 90 days — check.
- Emergency
- General emergency 112 · Police 110 · Ambulance 118 · Fire 113
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · European round pins.
- Tipping
- Warung: Nothing.; Restaurants: Often 10% service + tax on the bill; nothing more needed.; Drivers and guides: Rp50,000–100,000 a day.; Spa: Rp20,000–50,000.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; refill stations common in Bali.
- Toilets
- Western in hotels and cafés; squat toilets with a water scoop elsewhere; paper in the bin.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Nasi kuning breakfast | from Rp15,000 |
| Satay plate at a warung | Rp25,000–50,000 |
| Grilled fish dinner | Rp50,000–150,000 |
| Air guraka with snacks | from Rp5,000 |
| Coconut crab (ketam kenari) at Pondok Katu | about Rp450,000 |
| Angkot ride | Rp5,000–15,000 |
| Ojek across town | Rp10,000–30,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TTE · Sultan Babullah Airport
- About 6 km north-east of the centre; taxi to town averages Rp50,000. Flights from Jakarta, Ambon, Manado and Makassar.About 3.7 mi north-east of the centre; taxi to town averages Rp50,000. Flights from Jakarta, Ambon, Manado and Makassar.
Typical fares
- Airport → city centre, taxi
- about Rp50,000
- Speedboat Ternate → Tidore
- about Rp58,000, 20 min, leaves when full
- Ferry Kota Baru → Sofifi
- Rp15,000 plus Rp2,000 port tax, 2 h
Get around
Angkot minivans run fixed routes from Terminal Gamalama; ojek (motorcycle taxis) are faster for forts and beaches and cost a few tens of thousands of rupiah. Taxis are unmetered — agree the fare first. Speedboats link Ternate with Tidore (about 20 min) and Sofifi (40–45 min) from Semut Harbour, and only leave once enough passengers are aboard; the Tidore fare was reported at Rp58,000 in March 2025, so treat that as a check figure.
See and do
Known for
- Sultanate of Ternate and its 1813 kedaton
- Fort Oranje, Fort Tolukko and Fort Kalamata
- Mount Gamalama and Lake Tolire
- Gohu ikan and air guraka
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tidore | Speedboat from Semut Harbour, about 20 min | About 1 h each way with waiting |
| Sofifi (Halmahera) | Public ferry from Kota Baru at 06:00, or speedboat from Semut HarbourPublic ferry from Kota Baru at 6:00 AM, or speedboat from Semut Harbour | 2 h by ferry, 40–45 min by speedboat |
| Ambon | Plane from Sultan Babullah Airport | About 1.5 h in the air plus airport time |
Sleep
- Ternate Tengah (city centre)
- Walkable to Fort Oranje, the sultanate mosque and the museum; best for a short stay with no scooter.
- Jati and Bela area
- South of the centre, near the larger hotels and the airport road; needs a taxi or ojek for sights.
- Kota Ternate Utara (north)
- Closer to Tolukko, Sulamadaha and the Gamalama trailheads; quieter in the evening.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Selamat pagisuh-LAH-mat PAH-ghee |
| Thank you | Terima kasihtuh-REE-mah KAH-see |
| How much is it? | Berapa harganya?buh-RAH-pah HAR-gah-nyah |
| Where is the toilet? | Di mana toilet?dee MAH-nah TOY-let |
| I don't eat pork | Saya tidak makan babiSAH-yah TEE-dak MAH-kan BAH-bee |
| Please take me to this address | Tolong antar ke alamat iniTOH-long AN-tar kuh ah-LAH-mat EE-nee |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Light handshake then hand to chest; smile; avoid: Firm grips
- Left hand: Give and receive with the right; avoid: Passing anything with the left
- Temples: Sarong and sash; step around offerings; avoid: Standing higher than priests
- Keeping calm: Patience; indirect requests; avoid: Anger in public
- Pointing: Thumb; avoid: Index finger
Scams and watch-outs
- Mount Gamalama is active; the December 2011 eruption closed regional air traffic and killed four people in a lahar. Check the alert level before hiking.
- Speedboats to Tidore and Sofifi wait for a minimum of about eight passengers, so allow slack in your day.
- Some mosques and the sultan's palace museum require covered legs and no shoes; shorts are refused at the museum.
- Alcohol is hard to find and Ramadan changes restaurant hours.
- 1999–2000 sectarian violence left memorials and abandoned churches; the island is calm now but the history is recent.
Petty crime is low and the island is calm, but the real risks are Mount Gamalama's activity, unmetered taxis, and speedboats that only leave when full. Check the volcano alert level before any hike.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ternate yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Sultanate of Ternate and its 1813 kedaton
- Fort Oranje, Fort Tolukko and Fort Kalamata
- Mount Gamalama and Lake Tolire
- Gohu ikan and air guraka
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Indonesia.travel — North Maluku: www.indonesia.travel/gb/en/destinations/maluku/north-maluku
- Sultan Babullah Airport (Wikipedia): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Babullah_Airport
- PELNI (national ferry operator): www.pelni.co.id
- Wikivoyage: Ternate, revision 5243667 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5243667
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
TernateKota Ternate
Tolong antar ke alamat ini
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on Ternate; the nearest are in Jakarta, with a consulate in Bali. Check your own country's list before you fly.
Cover legs and remove shoes at the sultan's palace museum; shorts are refused.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ternate). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.