Micronesia Blog. We intent to bring you updates on the islands of Micronesia with travel offers provided by various travel partners around the world.
If you have a story on any of the islands of Micronesia, please share it with us.
[ Christmas Island]
English is the primary language taught in school. It is mandatory for children of ages between 6 and 15 to attend school. Home schooling is still prevalent but parents must apply for permission. The Christmas Island High School provides education up to tenth grade only; students must transfer to the mainland or elsewhere to complete the last two years of high school or university. Australian curriculum is adopted.
[Kiritimati accommodation ]
A small amount of anglers interested in lagoon fishing (for bone fish in particular) or offshore fishing visit the island. Some surfers visit the island in winter. There is some tourism-related infrastructure, such as a small hotel, rental facilities, and food services but not up to the international standards.
[Fiji Airways ]
Cassidy International Airport is the main airport in Kirimati. Fiji Airways operates a weekly service from Nadi and Honolulu to Kiritimati with one Boeing 737. A monthly air freight service is flown using a chartered Boeing 727 from Honolulu operated by Asia Pacific Airlines.
[ Kiritimati map]
Kiritimati or Christmas Island is a Pacific Ocean coral atoll in the northern Line Islands. It is part of the Republic of Kiribati. The vast majority of the people in Kirimati speak Gilbertese (or I-Kiribati). English, which is the official language, is also widely spoken, especially on Tarawa. The island has a population of 6,000.
Nuclear tests were conducted on and around Christmas Island by the United Kingdom in the late 1950s, and by the United States in 1962. During these tests the island was not evacuated. Therefore, British, New Zealand, and Fijian servicemen, as well as local islanders, were exposed to radiation from the blasts.
[Crab Cocktail]
Fish and marine resources are a primary food source. Only the most hardy plants can grow there. Local crops include coconut, giant swamp taro, breadfruit, pandanus, and a native fig. Coconut is central to the diet and is especially valued for the sweet rich toddy (sap) cut from the flower spathe. Toddy is used as a children’s drink or as a base for syrup. It can also be soured into vinegar and fermented into an alcoholic drink. Drunkenness is a widespread problem that is dealt with on some islands by the prohibition of alcohol. Imported goods such as rice, flour, canned butter, and canned fish and meat, are becoming increasingly important in the daily diet.
[Marshal Islands map ]
The Marshall Islands are between Hawaii and the Philippines. It is an independent island country, with a population of 58,413 people. Marshallese and English are spoken in the island nation. Ninety-seven percent of the people are Christians.
The Marshall Islands is a democratic republic with an executive presidency in free association with the United States. The U.S. provides defense, subsidies, and access to U.S.-based agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission and the United States Postal Service.
In October 2011, the government declared that an area of nearly 2,000,000 square kilometers (772,000 sq mi) of the ocean shall be reserved as a shark sanctuary. This is the world’s largest shark sanctuary.
The Marshall Islands serve the international shipping industry as a flag of convenience for commercial vessels. The Marshallese registry started operations in 1990. The registry is managed through a joint venture with International Registries, Inc., a US-based corporation that has offices in major shipping centers worldwide. As of 2017, the Marshall Islands ship registry was the second largest in the world, after that of Panama.
Majuro is the capital and largest city of the Marshall Islands. Majuro port is the world’s busiest tuna transshipment port in the world, with 704 transshipment totaling 444,393 tons in 2015. Majuro has an international airport with scheduled flights to Hawaii, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Guam, and Nauru, and flights to domestic destinations around the country.
[Fanning Island ]
Tabuaeran is an atoll that is part of the Line Islands and part of Kiribati. It had a population of 2,315 in 2015. The atoll is famous for its white-sand beaches, blue-green waters, and friendly residents. It is a heaven for snorkeling, and surfing. The closest airport is Kiribati International airport. From there one has to take a boat to this atoll. Pegasus Lodges provides private air charters from Christmas Island (on a three-hour flight from Hawaii).
Copra and seaweed are produced for export. The island has no telephones, no running water, and no electricity.
The atoll has become a port of call for yachts and cruise ships sailing from Hawaii.
The Fanning Island Lodge guesthouse is rustic accommodation on the island. It has only very basic shared amenities.
[ Residents of Aranuka Island]
Aranuka is an atoll of Kiribati. It has an area of 11.6 square kilometres (4.5 square miles) and a population of 1,057 in 2010. Aranuka has white sandy beaches and blue waters. The atoll has tall mangrove trees with heights of more than 15 m (49 ft). The uninhabited islets of the island also provide swimming and snorkeling spots for tourists. The island is served by two flights a week from South Tarawa. Charter boat services are also available.
Accommodation is provided by the Island Council guesthouse.
Article by: Kate Mulalap ( first published on year 2000 ).
Yap is a wonderful tropical island. It is surrounded by lucious, green coconut trees and sandy beaches. The beaches are privately owned, and you may rent one for a low price. These beaches are exclusive and perfect for birthday parties (this from past experience) or any other parties.
Yap’s capital is Colonia, where all the teenagers go to hang out after school. During summer, you will find the place flooded with teenagers and sometimes an elderly couple going to and fro in their journey to buy canned food. There is a small “mall” called YCA (short for Yap Cooperative Association) which attracts people from all over the island, like bees are to honey.
There are ten major municpalities on Yap. In these, ten municpalities throughout the island, you may find well tended gardens as well as taro patches and clean roads throughout the island. Sometimes bikers are a common site, which would usually be teenagers who view their bikes as a way to get away from it all.
Yap is a host to a friendly, hospitable people. There will be smiles all around and the view from any high spot is breathtaking. The ocean water is just the right temperature and many children find that they like to romp with the waves of a passing motorboat. All in all, Yap is a great place for a vacation or a permanent home and you will always feel welcomed.
Article by: Kate Mulalap ( first published on year 2002 ).
Like most Micronesian islands, and I hope I am not being too immodest, Kosrae is very beautiful. Kosrae’s reef flats that surround the island are said to be the most pristine in the whole world. I myself have not been to Kosrae, but many that have been there tell me that their experience was worth everything they invested in it. There are several sandy beaches among the mangrove trees and these are exquisite.
Kosrae is made up of seventy percent of mountains. This means that most of the population lives in coastal villages, and indeed there are five of such villages. Hoping that I am not mistaken, these five villages are: Tafunsak, Walung, Utwe, Malem, and Tofol. There is also a little island right beside the big main one and the largest village is on this one, named Lelu (the island is the one named Lelu). There are ruins there, the Lelu Ruins. This island is connected to the main one by a seven hundred thirty-meter long causeway.
This taken from another source “the surrounding reef boasts some of the most amazing marine life and barracuda diving in the world.” If this is anything close to what the real thing, you can expect to see me on the first plane to Kosrae. There are snorkeling and diving tours available and like Chuuk, there are several Japanese ships as well as several American planes lying about in Lelu harbor. Also, it is believed that there is buried treasure somewhere in Utwe harbor. They say that the best advice is to hire a car, drive to different villages, and stop at some of the seriously enticing beaches for a swim. The villagers are very friendly and very hospitable, but a warning, be sure you ask around before you go swimming, you wouldn’t want to offend anyone!