Northern Mariana Islands

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Quick Facts

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Capital

Saipan

Government

Commonwealth in political union with the US

Nationality

N/A (US Citizens)

Population

80,000

Languages

Carolinian, Chamorro, English

Religions

Christianity (Catholic)

Currency

US Dollar (USD)

Calling Code

+1670

Time Zone

UTC+10

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Introduction

Sunset on Saipan

© All Rights Reserved dadmin

The Mariana Islands were lightly inhabited by the Chamorro people back in the 1520s when Magellan rocked up and claimed them for Spain. The Spanish sold the islands to Germany in 1899; the Germans lost them 20 years later to Japan; and the Japanese didn't fare much better, violently relinquishing their hold on the islands to the USA during WWII. Now, the Northern Mariana Islands are a territory of the United States, while the Japanese happily flock to the islands as tourists (after Guam, Saipan is their most popular destination). Meanwhile, the Chamorro have been more or less drawn out of the picture, so there is little cultural authenticity in the Marianas. But the photo-taking, scuba-diving travellers who spend their holidays here are not particularly disturbed by this fact. Saipan's and Tinian's collection of WWII wreckages make for extraordinary diving - that and the lush coral aquascapes.

Brief History

Geography

Regions

• Northern Islands
• Southern Islands

Cities

• Saipan is the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands.
• Garapan, on Saipan, is the centre of the tourism industry and is where the majority of hotels are located.
• Kalabera is a small village in the north of Saipan, with an impressive cave.
• Songsong is the largest village on the island of Rota.
• Susupe is another village on Saipan, population roughly 2000.

Sights and Activities

Diving

These islands have some great diving and reefs to explore. There are 18 dive sites to explore including the famous Grotto, voted the second best cavern diving site in the world by Skin Diver Magazine. Also scattered around the island are several World War II relics, including several B-29 bombers, Japanese bombers and sunken ships. Remember there are a lot of unexploded ordinances in the water making it smart to follow the policy of look and don't touch. For people that are not dive certified snorkeling and Sea Walking are also options. Sea Walking is a good and safe option for people that want to go 3 meters deep but are not dive certified.

Beaches

Relax on some stunning white sand beaches. The beaches are also a good place to do other activities as well. Such as jet skiing, wind surfing or parasailing. Remember that some of the beaches can get very crowded during the Japanese, Korean and Chinese national holidays.

Dinner Cruises

Tired of eating in every night? Check out the ocean at night by taking a dinner cruise. Most of the cruises include good food, live music and dancing. This is a great way to see an amazing sunset over the island. Here is a list of companies that offer dinner cruise service:

• Sapian Sea Ventures
• Saipan Sunset Cruise - Phone: 670 234 8230
• Stars & Stripes - Phone: 670 234 7266

Other Sights and Activities

• Gambling - Check out your luck at the Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino.
• Spa - Relax at a world class spa.
• Jungle Tours - Explore the jungle in the back of a 4 wheel drive jeep.
• Golf - Enjoy some world class golf on these islands.
• Submarine Tour - See the bottom of the sea in a submarine tour.

Events and Festivals

Weather

The climate on the Northern Mariana Islands is characterised by tropical conditions with little variation regarding temperatures, and a distinct wet season. Average daytime temperatures hoover around 29 degrees Celcius and the highest recorded temperatures are just a few degrees at most islands. At night, temperatures drop to a balmy 23 degrees Celcius with a record low of 19 degrees at Saipan!
The wet season last from July to October, with August and September seeing the most rain. During December to May, conditions are much drier but occasional downpours during the late afternoon are still normal. During the wet season, tropical storms and even cyclones are a real possibility.

Getting There

By Plane

Saipan International Airport (SPN) in the capital is the main gateway to Northern Mariana Islands. There are direct connections with several Asian countries. From South Korea, there are flights from Seoul and Busan with Asiana while from Japan, there are direct flights with Northwest Airlines from Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo.

Continental Airlines, via its subsidiary Continental Micronesia, has flights from the Philippines and Guam. People travelling from North America have to connect in the latter one.

On top of the regular flights, there are many seasonal charters from China (Air China from Beijing, China Eastern and Spring Air from Shanghai and China Southern from Guangzhou) and Taiwan (EVA Air from Taipei).

Rota International Airport (ROP) has flights to Guam by Freedom Air and Continental Connection of Continental Airlines (operated by Cape Air).

By Boat

Saipan, Rota and Tinian all have harbor facilities for yachts.

Getting Around

By Plane

Cape Air flies between Saipan and Rota. A few other small airlines fly this route as well and also between Saipan and Tinian. The latter takes 12 minutes, to Rota is about half an hour.

By Car

Renting a car is great option of getting around Saipan which has a fairly extensive roadnetwork and relatively few cars. Most roads are tarred as well. This also applies to most roads on Rota and Tinian, although some back roads might require you to rent a 4wd car. You can rent cars at the respective airport or major towns and hotels. Traffic drives on the right and your national driver's licence (in English) or an international driving permit is required.

By Bus

Shuttle buses travel between major towns and hotels. There are no scheduled passengers services and taxis are very expensive but abundant.

By Boat

There is a ferry between Tinian and Saipan taking slightly less than an hour one way.

Red Tape

The same visa waiver program as for the United States applies, though also visitors of Taiwan and Hong Kong are added to the list.
Note that people from the following countries, can not enter the Northern Mariana Islands at all (so also no visa is granted whatsoever):

Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Fujian Province of China, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Myanmar, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Details about the above and more information about applying for a visa, check the Marianas website.

Money

See also Money Matters

The US Dollar, or "greenback", is the national currency of the Northern Mariana Islands. One dollar consists of 100 cents. Frequently used coins are the penny (1¢), nickel (5¢), dime (10¢) and quarter (25¢). 50¢ and $1 coins also exist, but are rarely used. Frequently used banknotes are the $1, $5, $10 and $20 notes. $2, $50 and $100 notes can also be found, but are rarely used.

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also Travel Health

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

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