The once sleepy river port on sungai Siak, has transformed into one of Indonesia’s oil capitals, with all the hustle and bustle of a modern city. Long before today\'s affordable air travel, it served as a transit point for tourists between ferries from Singapore. Following the Americans striking oil back in the 1930\'s, Pekanbaru\'s economy was heavily dependent on oil revenues and now its not uncommon to have a conversation with a Western oil executive, on a business trip when visiting.
Ternate is an island in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. It is located off the west coast of the larger island of Halmahera. Like its neighbouring island, Tidore, Ternate is a visually dramatic cone-shaped island. The main city of Kota Ternate is located on the foot of the large volcano Gamalama, offering lovely views of neighboring islands but is mainly useful as a base for exploring North Maluku. Remnants of the once powerful Ternate kingdom and its successful clove trade can still be seen today by visiting the many partly restored forts and museums.