Here are a few ideas for other things to do while you are “in the neighborhood”. These are not part of the main “Agrihan Trip”. I’m not organizing these although I can make introductions and maybe provide beta.
Asuncion:
Asuncion is the highpoint of the Marianas Trench Marina National Monument. It’s 4-5 hours travel north of Agrihan. If enough team members are interested, I can investigate the permits and additional boat charter costs this sub-group would need to pay separately.
Saipan:
There are lots of activities to do here. Check out TripAdvisor for example.
- Mount Tapochau – the highpoint of Saipan. I suspect almost everyone will visit here for the views.
- American Memorial Park – it has a nice interpretive center on WWII history.
- Suicide Cliffs, Last Command Post Park, … – there are lots of WWII memorials around the island, especially in the north
- Scuba dive or Snorkel – favorite places are “The Grotto” and Lau Lau Beach, but there are plenty of other spots. I consider this “fair”/”marginal” due to several years of recent bleaching.
Tinian:
I strongly recommend taking a short flight over to Tinian, renting a car and spending the day sight-seeing.
- The North Field and the atomic bomb pits are fascinating. You can see some photos in the Tinian Gallery.
- House of Taga – a great example of latte stone structures.
CNMI:
You might consider going after the 4 municipality/”county” highpoints of CNMI: Agrihan (northern islands), Mt Tapochao (Saipan), Mount Lasso/Kastiyu (Tinian), Mount Manira (Rota).
Guam:
There are lots of activities to do here. Check out TripAdvisor for example.
- Mount Lamlam – the highpoint of Guam
- War In the Pacific – this national historic park has several units scattered around Guam. It’s interpretive center is packed with WWII history.
- Scuba diving – It was good in 2013. I hear it’s still good although I’m a bit suspicious.
Palau:
A couple of team members have shown interest in visiting Palau.
- Mount Ngerchelchauus – highpoint of Palau at 794 feet. A rental car can get pretty close with a short hike thereafter.
- Jellyfish Lake – perhaps the most famous feature of Palau.
- Scuba Diving
Pohnpei, Likiep, …:
Some team members have shown interest in other island highpoints including Ngihneni (Pohnpei) and Likiep High Point (Marshall Islands). Let me know and I’ll make introductions.
Agrihan 2019 