Micronesia — Travel Tips
Social Conventions
The Western understanding of private property is alien to many parts of Micronesia and personal possessions should be well looked after, though not necessarily under lock and key; outside main tourist areas, where normal precautions apply, it is usually sufficient just to keep items out of sight. All land, however, does have an owner and before using it, protocol in many areas demands that permission is sought; in places this includes use of footpaths as there is not necessarily immediate right of way. A clearly expressed desire to be courteous will usually see the visitor through; see individual sections for further details.
International Travel
Getting There By Air
The region’s major airline is Continental Micronesia (CS) (website: www.continental.com), a subsidiary of Continental Airlines. Consult individual entries for further information.
Scheduled inter-island travel, charters and sightseeing are offered by several local airlines. There is excellent provision for traveling from Guam, Majuro and Saipan to the various islands. Flights between the islands tend to be rarer. Airlines include:
Air Marshall Islands (CW) (website: www.airmarshallislands.com): This government-owned airline runs charters, sightseeing tours and point-to-point flights between Majuro and other islands in the Marshalls; also international flights to Fiji, Honolulu, Kiribati and Tuvalu.
Continental Micronesia (CS): Operates between islands in all four groups, and to Guam, Hawaii, Japan and The Philippines. Several smaller airlines fly to Guam.
Main Airports
Guam (GUM) (website: www.guamairport.com), Koror Babeldaob (ROR) and Saipan (SPN) when entering from the north and west, Pohnpei (PNI) from the south, and Majuro (MAJ) from the south and east.
Getting There By Water
Main ports: Koror, Majuro, Pohnpei, Saipan, Tuik and Yap.
Several cruises go to the islands. Cargo/passenger lines serving the islands include: Nauru Pacific, P&O (website: www.pocruises.com), Saipan Shipping Co and Tiger Line.
There are numerous boats for touring, ranging from small speed boats to large glass-bottomed boats for fishing, sightseeing, sunset cruising, scuba-diving and short-distance travel.
A ferry provides service between Saipan and Tinian. Inter-island vessels provide limited and irregular service between Saipan and the smaller islands. Requests for reservations should be directed to the office of the government of the following: Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas; Office of Transportation in Majuro, Marshall Islands; Koror, Palau; Kolonia, Pohnpei; Moen, Chuuk and Colonia, Yap. Cabin space is limited, and passengers may be required to sleep on deck. The field trip ships are leased by the governments to private firms, and rates are subject to change.
Internal Travel
Getting Around By Road
Good roads are limited to the major island centers.
Bus: There are no local bus systems other than tourist services. However, public transport is widely available in all the Micronesian district centers in the form of sedans, pickups and jeepneys (converted military jeeps).
Taxi: Inexpensive taxis are available throughout Micronesia.
Car hire: Each major center offers hire cars, either through international or local agents.
Documentation: A valid national driving license is required.
