Text and Photos Courtesy of the Marianas Visitors Authority

The Northern Marianas are a chain of 14 island pearls running in a lazy north-south arc in the western Pacific. Saipan, Tinian and Rota islands, each unique, offer a perfect balance of comfortable amenities, lush flowered jungles, and sparkling clear water.

Saipan’s turquoise lagoon hides wrecks and remnants of the Pacific War and is a snorkeler’s and scuba diver’s paradise found. Towering cliffs and a pristine jungle lure hikers with caves still filled with the detritus of a war now remembered by ceremonies held at inspiring peace memorials built by many nations. World-class golf is to be found on five 18-hole and two 9-hole courses, all overlooking majestic seaside cliffs. 

White sand beaches, scuba diving with visibility measured in hundreds of feet, native dancing, jungle tours, duty-free shopping, fine dining, parasailing, and relics from the Japanese era all are within your reach when visiting this, the capital island of the Northern Marianas. Saipan sports Commonwealth status as a protectorate of the United States. Her residents are American citizens; the official languages are English, Chamorro, and Carolinian. A U.S. Postal Service and phone system is in place along with high-speed, worldwide Internet connectivity. The economy is U.S. Dollar based. 

“Insatiable bliss.” That is how some describe Managaha island in the Northern Mariana Islands, a tiny isle recently named among the Top Three on Yahoo Japan’s “must-see ranking” of Best Beaches in the World. A dot of white-sand and tropic palms inside the lagoon of Saipan Island, Managaha was recently highlighted under the Summer Trip 2009 category by travel agencies associated with Yahoo Travel. 

“Managaha is somewhat magical, almost a focal point for the whitest sand, warmest sun, bluest skies, and richest marine life in Saipan,” said Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) Managing Director Perry Tenorio. “It’s is an unforgettable experience for any visitor.”

Saipan teen and MVA student intern Roseanna Sablan has been to Managaha twice. “It’s really an amazing place. The sand is so vast and white – even at night you see clearly,” Sablan said. “Moonlit volleyball is fun, and you can sleep out on the sand looking up at the stars.”

Since 2004 the island has also received six acknowledgements at the annual Marine Diving Fair in Tokyo, including being named “Best Beach & Snorkeling Spot” in the 7th Dive & Travel Awards 2008.

A few minutes on a comfortable ferry from the main island of Saipan, Managaha offers isolation in paradise from everyday life and tranquility, framed by historical landmarks and tropical nature lying in wait to be explored.

The Grotto is rated as the Top 2 scuba dive anywhere in the Pacific, and numerous shore dives await the eager diver. Underwater wonders of the Saipan lagoon can also be enjoyed in the air-conditioned comfort of the submarine Deepstar (www.submarine.co.mp. ). Enjoy the wonders of the deep through large viewports: beautiful corals, schools of tropical fish in their natural environment, and historical sunken wrecks. Free shuttle service is provided from any hotel on the island.

For the adventure-minded, see the sites with Marianas Trekking (www.marianastrekking.com ). Bike down from Suicide Cliff, trek to Forbidden Island, or Kayak to a secret snorkeling spot, then have lunch right on the beach. See beautiful views of the north coast of Saipan as you explore dirt roadways, hidden trails, and a secluded beach via All Terrain Vehicle.

Alongside all of Saipan’s amazing, 4,000-year history and prehistory resides a fringe of new, modern resort hotels, restaurants, and shopping venues worthy of a spot on Fifth Avenue. In the heart of the main tourist district, enjoy shopping at DFS Galleria, Joeten Shopping Center, Isla Moda, and other fine stores.

Tinian, the island closest to Saipan, is home to Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino (www.tinian-dynasty.com ), Micronesia’s only full-scale international-standard gaming casino. An opulent, marble-lined resort houses the casino, luxury accommodations, and many other amenities.

Enola Gay – a name that conjures up the end of the Pacific War and ushered in a new era for mankind, the Atomic Age. No one’s life has been the same since. The name of that B-29 airplane also brings to mind the “permanent aircraft carrier” that was its home base, Tinian Island in the Northern Marianas.

Most of what in the mid-1940s was the biggest and busiest airport in the world now lies hidden by the ever-encroaching jungle. Trees grow up through the runways, taxiways, and parking area “hardstands” where shiny, high-tech bombers and their crews once held sway. Big Japanese-era buildings with varying degrees of war damage are found all over this area of Tinian Island.

You don’t have to be a historian to feel the rush of emotion that sweeps over you as you stand looking down at the preserved bomb-loading pits showing evidence of the hydraulic lifts that pushed the Fat Man and Little Boy A-bombs into the holds of Bock’s Car and Enola Gay back in 1945.

After contemplating what arguably was a turning point in modern history and recalling the devastation wrought on military and civilians alike in Japan, you emerge from your thoughts to realize you are heading back to your opulent, multi-star hotel and casino on the other end of this island paradise. As you drive down Broadway, you pass the entrance to a completely different kind of airfield, a modern International Airport with runways to accept tourists from Asia and around the globe. You realize that while Tinian has a rich history and many historic sights to see, its real charm lies not in yesterday’s sorrowful reminders, but in today’s peaceful bliss.

All the roads on Tinian are named after streets in New York’s Manhattan. It seems strange to drive up Fifth Avenue to a Shinto Shrine, or to turn off 42nd street into a cow pasture. But it feels natural to turn off of Broadway into a modern hotel replete with shopping concourse and marble-lined casino. Crystal-clear warm tropical waters and shining white sand beaches let you know you are not in New York, and the ever-swaying palms and friendly hand waves of the local population make you forget any notion of big cities.

Modern Tinian is above all else, laid back. Kick off your shoes and commune with Neptune at the beach or wander the marked trails through an upland limestone forest. But don’t expect to see a lot of neon unless you’re standing near the casino. The rest of the island is basically undeveloped and waiting for you to come and explore it.

Rota Island is also accessible via air from Saipan or Tinian and boasts an eco-tourism adventure second to none. Charming, small-scale, visitor-friendly hotels or a top-rate golf resort hotel await scuba divers, birdwatchers, lovers on secluded honeymoons, and visitors who just want a relaxed and beautiful place to see and explore. The diving is some of the best in the world.

Saipan, Tinian, and Rota are an athlete’s paradise year round, home to the Saipan Marathon, Tagaman triathlon, XTERRA Saipan Championships and many more competitions. The spring Flame Tree Arts Festival and Taste of the Marianas highlight a calendar of annual festivals.

The northernmost three islands in the chain rest at the heart of the newly designated Marianas Trench Marine Monument, one of the world’s largest environmentally protected areas.