Pohnpei is the largest island in the Federated States of
Micronesia.With a land area of 334 square kilometres it
boasts a towering, rugged interior and is of volcanic origin.
Pohnpei Island is a deeply indented, jagged circle, some
21 kilometres in diameter, 112 kilometres in circumference.
Its main features of topography are the outer barrier reef,
the intertidal lagoon, the fringe reef and mangrove forest,
the lowland area on the outer edges of the island, and the
central mountain rain forests.
Pohnpei state is divided into 11 political municipalities.
The main island is ringed by 25 smaller widely scattered
coral atolls, which lies outside the barrier reef. Pohnpei's
population of around 34,000 lives mostly on the main island
and are engaged in subsistence agriculture and a variety
of cottage agricultural and handicraft industries. Pohnpei's
pepper for example, though expensive, is regarded as the
finest in the world. Mangrove swamps mostly cover Pohnpei
Island's shoreline and some artificial beaches have been
created to allow easier water access. The nearby atoll islands
however, boast magnificent beaches and brilliant scuba diving.
How To Get There
Pohnpei is located 1200km(750 miles) north of Papua New
Guinea and 9600km (6,000 miles) southwest of Los Angeles.
Pohnpei is served by Continental Micronesia with 4 flights
per week from/to Guam. There are daily connections to Guam
from Tokyo & the USA, along with two flights per week
from/to Cairns.
Climate
Pohnpei has a warm, tropical climate. The dry season (the
best time to travel) is between December and April; the
rainy season, April to December, with the greatest falls
between July and October. The rain is rarely heavy, however,
and there is still a lot of sunshine.
Temperatures average between 78-90 degrees Fahrenheit
(26-32 degrees Celsius), with the water temperature sitting
on a comfortable year-round 82-84 Fahrenheit (28-29 degrees
Celsius).
Culture And History
Pohnpei has recently been tagged the "Garden Island"
of Micronesia and, with one look at the luxuriant inland
vegetation, it's not difficult to understand why. The island
abounds in tropical forests, cascading mountain streams,
spectacular waterfalls, hidden pools and exquisite flora.
Most intriguing of all of Pohnpei's spectacles are the
ruins of Nan Midol, an ancient Venice-like city from which,
it is said, the Saddlers ruled Pohnpei. Apparently, the
construction and modification of Nan Midol (which is made
up of some 92 man made islets) commenced at around 500 AD
and some of the buildings have been dated to as recently
as 1500 AD. The major buildings were constructed of immense
stone logs, six meters long weighing several tons. Some
of these logs are stacked crisscross, to form walls 12 meters
high and five meters thick! The Saddlers are believed to
have taken over at around 1000 AD and remained in power
until they were defeated in 1628.
Nan Midol, because of its remote seashore location is
best accessed by boat. Also, because of the huge size (80
hectares), it is impossible to see more than a handful of
islets on any one trip.
Diving
Divers will revel in Pohnpei's underwater spectacles, especially
at Ant and Pekin Atolls. Surrounded largely by rich mangrove
forests, Pohnpei's jagged coastline is intersected by numerous
channels that carry nutrients into the vast lagoon.
These nutrients attract all manner of marine life, making
Pohnpei one of the most varied underwater environments in
Micronesia. The island's hard coral reefs and colourful
drop-offs are enchanting. Sea anemones, soft corals and
colourful gorgonian sea fans dot the walls.
Pakin Atoll boasts some of the largest gorgonian fans
in the world. The outlying islands are accessible by boat,
and in the reef surrounding the main island, 18 passes offer
a wide variety of coral and marine life viewing, including
sharks and mantas.
Other Activities
Pohnpei has two cultural centres which are located in authentic
settings and demonstrate traditional Pohnpeian activities
including handicrafts, sakau-making and food preparation.
Sakau is very similar to the kava in Fiji or Vanuatu. As
in Fiji and Vanuatu, it is the traditional drink of friendship
and with it's making and drinking comes a traditional ritual
paying mutual homage to host and guest. Pohnpei has several
Sakau bars where visitors are warmly invited to join locals
in drinking this mud-flavoured, slightly inebriating concoction.
Hotels
Independent
