Trip Report: Guam & Saipan

We finally got a break in the action to post a few photos. On the way to Australia, we stopped in Guam and Saipan. Guam is part of the Marianna Island chain of islands but as the southernmost island of the chain, it is itself a politically separate territory of the United States.

As part of the USA, it's home to a microcosm of American culture. There are only 4 K-Mart stores remaining and one of them is here in Guam.

Mobil, Shell and 76 gasoline stations are here. If you've ever been to Hawaii, Guam is very similar.

The Micronesia Mall has a Macy's and a food court jammed with many familiar fast food joints. A good place to get your fix of Taco Bell. Outside, a Jack-in-the-Box and Jolibee.

One of the top tourist attractions in Guam (besides K-Mart) is Two Lovers Point. It commemorates, in Guam folklore, two lovers who were kept apart because they belonged to different local tribes. They tied their hair together and lept off the cliff to their deaths rather than remain apart. 

View of Two Lovers Point from a distance.

For the best view, climb-up to this vantage point. Admission is just $3.

Views of the South China Sea and beach resorts. Guam is very popular with Japanese and Korean tourists as it's much cheaper to fly to than Hawaii or the United States mainland.

While Guam is a separate U.S. territory, the islands to the north are part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), another U.S. territory. Saipan is the main island of the territory.

Run by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Mariana Trench National Monument has numerous displays about nearby Challenger Deep, the lowest elevation on earth along with the entire volcanic Mariana Trench.

Adjacent is the National Park Service-run American Memorial Park, dedicated to World War II's Battle of Saipan.

An additional tourism destination in Saipan is Mt. Tapochau, the island's highest point. It is reached by a gravel road. No pooping on the mountain!

View of Mt. Tapochau from a distance.

From 1,555ft above sea level, one can see the entire island. During WW II the United States invaded and it took about 3 months to defeat the entrenched Japanese. At the far point is Suicide Cliff where more than 1,000 Japanese soldiers jumped to their deaths rather than be captured.

In the opposite direction, the city of Garapan. This is Saipan's largest city.

Guam's economy is booming with both tourism and the large American military bases there. The economy in Saipan is suffering from fewer Asian tourists post-pandemic. There are many shuttered shops and even the closed Imperial Pacific Palace hotel and casino resort. The one commercial advantage Saipan had over Guam was casino gambling and it's in receivership.