[Edit]
They lie in two parallel chains known as sunrise and sunset (Ratak and Ralik) and in true atoll form, they are narrow and low and encircle large central lagoons. All the islands have glorious white sandy beaches, tall palms and are lapped by crystal clear waters.
Of the 29 atolls, 27 are accessible by small plane (Air Marshall Islands). Majuro and Kwajalein atolls, the two population centres are serviced by both Air Marshall Islands and Continental Air Micronesia Jet Aircraft. There are also regular flights to Guam, Hawaii and Fiji.
Destinations:
Arno Atoll
Arno is the closest atoll to Majuro, just 15km (9 mi) away. It has 133 islands, two airstrips and nearly 1700 people. The Longar area is famous for its 'love school', where young women were once taught how to perfect their sexual techniques.
The waters off Longar Point are known for superb deep-sea fishing; marlin, yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi and sailfish abound. About 4500kg (10,000lbs) of tuna and reef fish caught nearby are sold on Majuro each month, thanks in part to a Japanese-funded upgrade of the islands' fishing industry.
A US military presence is all over Kwajalein Atoll, a missile-testing range operated by the US Department of Defense. The world's largest coral atoll, Kwajalein includes 97 islands with a total land mass of just 17 sq km (6.5 sq mi) that surround an immense 2850 sq km (1100 sq mi) lagoon.
The lagoon is the target and splashdown point for intercontinental ballistic missiles fired from Vandenburg Air Force Base in California, 6700km (4200 mi) away. The tests generally occur at night, often lighting up the sky with a brilliant display of explosions, burning debris and sonic booms.
Majuro Atoll
Majuro is the most Westernised of the Marshall Islands, but there's still a lot that can be learned about life in the islands from a visit. You can grasp what it's like to live on a ribbon of land so narrow that, as often as not, you can see the ocean on both sides.
Most visitors to the Marshalls get only as far as Majuro Atoll, the nation's political and economic centre. Home to nearly half its population, the atoll has 57 small islets, the largest of which are connected by a single 55km (35mi) stretch of paved road.
Mejit Island
Mejit is a single, tiny coral island with a population of about 450 people. It's a beautiful island of lush taro patches and an abundance of coconut, breadfruit and pandanus trees. Mejit has a small freshwater lake, a rarity in the Marshalls, that makes for a lovely (if algae-ful) swim.
California Beach on the northwest side of the island is tops for swimming and snorkelling, and the waters around the island are prime for fishing. Best of all, and unlike the other Marshalls, Mejit has no poisonous fish. The island is also known for its pandanus-leaf mats, woven by the Mejit women, and for the quality of its schools.
Since Mejit doesn't have a protective lagoon, fishing and the unloading of boats can be perilous, especially in November and December when the winds kick up.
Wotje, the main island of Wotje Atoll, is peppered from one end to the other with WWII remains. Huge Japanese-built structures loom out of the jungle - some bombed out, others still habitable. Right in the centre of the village is a large Japanese gun that can still be moved on its pivot. The lagoon is also full of wreckage, including a few ships of interest to wreck divers.
The lagoon beaches of Wotje Island are beautiful and relatively clean. Those of the nearby smaller islands are even better, as they're mostly deserted, and you can walk right over to them at low tide. Known as the 'Marshallese garden centre', Wotje's abundant produce is due to topsoil shipped over from Japan.
Last edited by Gary (5:45, 23 June 2006)
Add Your Tip