The Northern Marianas: America's Undiscovered Pacific Paradise by Various Travel Authors on Creators.com

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The Northern Marianas: America's Undiscovered Pacific Paradise

By Sandra Scott

One of America's treasures is little known to statesiders, most of whom don't realize that the beautiful, unspoiled islands of the Northern Marianas are part of the American family. Located in the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines, they are the "everything" destination with beautiful beaches, fascinating Chamarro culture and a history that played a critical role during World War II.

The 14-island archipelago is a commonwealth similar to Puerto Rico. The three main islands of Saipan (where 90 percent of the people live), Tinian and Rota are all within a short hop of one another on a small plane with Saipan as the hub. Only Tinian and Rota have any other significant population.

Citizens have American passports and speak English, and no visa is necessary to visit this tropical paradise. But before the Spanish, Japanese and finally the Americans arrived there were the Chamorros, who are thought to have come from Southeast Asia around 2000 B.C. Over the next 1,500 years they developed a distinctive culture in relative isolation, leaving intriguing stone monoliths called lattes.

The Northern Mariana Islands have long been a favorite getaway for the Japanese and other Asians, but they have seldom been visited by statesiders. The islands have everything visitors would expect except insistent beach vendors and overcrowded roads. All of them have beautiful sandy beaches, warm ocean waters, a variety of accommodations, diving, golf and plenty of history. They also offer one of the world's most equitable climates, so it is possible to visit any time of the year, and each island has its own personality.

All travel starts in Saipan, the largest island, where at low tide the beach seems to go out forever. Also on this island is a favorite wind-surfing spot. Snorkeling, scuba diving, jet skiing, riding on a banana boat and basking in the sun are all possibilities. Another is spending the day on pristine Managaha Island, which is just off shore and easily accessible by shuttle boat.

More adventurous divers and snorkelers will revel in a cool dip in the Grotto, a huge limestone cavern connected to the ocean by an underwater passage. While there are plenty of scenic photo stops, the most popular are Bird Island, located in a secluded bay, and the panoramic view from Mount Tapochau, Saipan's highest point.

Also here are the award-winning Saipan Botanical Garden and the Saipan Zoo, but to learn about the island's history, starting with the pre-contact time, it's necessary to visit the Northern Mariana Islands Museum. Most impressive is the American Memorial Park with a museum that tells the story of the Battle of Saipan and the rest of the Marianas. The displays and video are excellent. As a narrator relates, "What took 30 years to build was destroyed in 20 days," during which 43,000 American and Japanese were killed. For such a small island it was profound. Beside the museum and memorial, the park is home to community events.

At the north end of the island are Banzai and Suicide Cliffs, where hundreds of Japanese soldiers and civilians, including whole families, took their lives instead of surrendering.

Today they are somber spots with many peace memorials.

A 10-minute flight on a five-seat plane delivers visitors to Tinian. In 1945 the island was home to the world's busiest airport, North Field. Today the airport is deserted and overgrown with weeds except for one section that has glass coverings over the bomb pits that once held the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan, ending World War II. There is a bomb shelter and other remnants of the war years but little else.

At the south end of the island is another Suicide Cliff. Intriguingly, in the little town of San Jose are the remains of House of Taga, built around 1500 B.C. by the Chamarro. The massive 20-foot pillars, called lattes, supported the house of the powerful Chief Taga. Legend has it that when the last stone falls, Chief Taga will return. There are only a couple still standing. The island also has a five-star casino hotel that is popular with Asian visitors.

The beautiful island of Rota, the smallest of the three most-visited, possesses a character and charm all its own. Just north of the airport, it's possible to see where the ancient Chamorros carved giant latte stones out of the limestone rock at the Taga Stone Quarry. Here visitors can enjoy the beaches or take a refreshing dip in the cool, clear water at Rota's famous Swimming Hole or marvel at the thousands of seabirds that make their home at the Sagua'gaga Seabird Sanctuary. Taisacana's Botanical and Nature Trail offers the opportunity to learn about the local culture and dozens of indigenous plant species. Also worth a stop is the new museum of Chamorro and Carolinian culture.

A fascinating collection of artifacts is on display at the Rota Cave Museum, located inside a giant limestone cavern. At the entrance to Songsong Village is Pinatang Park, a seawater park with numerous channels out to the open sea. Inside the village Tonga Cave is a huge natural cavern with dozens of stalactites, stalagmites, tunnels and mini caves.

WHEN YOU GO

Don't be put off by what seems to be a remote destination. The Northern Marianas are easily doable for statesiders. From anywhere in the United States there are connections direct to Saipan from Honolulu or Tokyo and several other Asian locations. Saipan has excellent tourist facilities with a wide range of accommodations, car rentals and restaurants along with duty-free shopping.

While Tinian and Rota are much smaller, they also have excellent facilities. Guam is less than an hour away by air from Saipan and has even more options for air carriers. A trip to the Northern Marianas can be enhanced by adding a stop in Guam, America's other Pacific vacation destination.

For more information: www.mymarianas.com

I stayed at the five-star Hyatt, www.hyatt.com or 888-964-9288, the only American chain on Saipan. There is also a Hyatt on Guam.

Sandra Scott is a freelance travel writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.