Any Travels

The Northern Mariana islands are located in the Great Pacific. They consist of a chain of 14 islands nearly 80 km long. The islands are of volcanic origin.

The islands are really pretty with many beautiful bays, spectacular cliffs, caves and mountains on all sides. There are numerous coral reefs and the clear water makes them particularly good for diving.

Saipan
Saipan is the largest island with good tourist infrastucture and shopping facilities. Its western shore is encircled by a barrier reef, creating a lagoon with white sand beaches. Attractions on Saipan include the last command post of the Japanese Imperial Army known as Banadero, with World War II cannons, tanks and artillery preserved in a limestone cave.

Rota
Rota, about halfway between Saipan and Guam, is just beginning to get an overflow of tourists from those larger islands, but it's still a slow-moving place. The main village, Songsong, still gets by without traffic lights or shopping centres.

Located on the southwestern coast, Songsong stretches along a narrow peninsula that rises at its tip to the 143m (470ft) Mt Taipingot. Songsong is littered with latte stones and the San Francisco de Borja Church boasts a turn-of-the-century bell. You can hike or 4WD to a good view of the village from a lookout just to the northeast, or make your way along the white-coral sands of Tweksberry Beach and up the trail to the top of Mt Paipingot - watch out for the bees - for excellent views of the village, surrounding harbours and Sasanhaya Bay. Rota's airport is on the northeastern half of the island, about 14km (9mi) from Songsong Village.

Tinian
This sleepy one-village island, just 2km (3mi) south of Saipan, has escaped major tourism development and makes a good getaway if Saipan's bustle gets to be too much. It's hard to imagine that such a peaceful place could have been involved in one of the most violent events in history.

Tinian is infamous for being the take-off site for the aircraft that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

San Jose, home to the island's 2100 residents, is the site of an ancient Chamorro village. Those early settlers left the village's best sight: Taga House, a large collection of latte stones said to be the foundations of the home of Taga the Great, legendary king of the ancient Chamorros.

There are some good beaches on Tinian, including Kammer Beach in San Jose, and Taga Beach, just south of the village. Chulu Beach, on Tinian's northwestern shore, is the site of a WWII landing by US forces and a massive ongoing archaeological dig.

Culture

The Northern Marianas is the fastest growing area in Micronesia. The population has shot from just under 10,000 in 1970 to over 50,000 today, about half of which are resident aliens, mostly from the Philippines, China and Korea. Roughly 75% of the native population is Chamorro, the rest Carolinian. The local culture is a hybrid of native and Spanish colonial influences, with a powerful overlay of popular American trends.

English is the official language, though Chamorro and Carolinian are the native tongues and are widely spoken. You'll hear Japanese in most hotels and some shops. Hafa adai is the traditional greeting, though the slang term howzit is becoming nearly as common.

The predominant religion of the Northern Marianas is Roman Catholic, especially among the Chamorros and Filipino immigrants. Most cultural activities center around the Catholic church and religious festivities, including annual fiestas in honor of each village's patron saint. There are also Baptist, Methodist, Mormon, Korean Presbyterian, Evangelical and Seventh-Day Adventist churches.

Dance in the Marianas ranges from a Spanish-influenced cha-cha popular among the Chamorros to the 'stick dance,' a Carolinian import combining stick beating and foot shuffling.