Pohnpei travel guide

Eels have a place in Pohnpeian mythology and are considered to be clan members, so the locals don't eat freshwater eels. Eel Pools is a local family's pond, where they feed the marble eels. The eels are not just big, they are huge. Since the eels know the family, the family can touch them, but a wrong move and they might bite (not dangerous, but still). Bring some fish (canned makrel), so the family can hand-feed them.

Built by German Capuchin missionaries in 1909. It was dismantled during WWII and used for construction materials and fortifications. The congregational church was used for a barracks and warehouse. Most of its concrete floor was removed to built a air-raid shelter elsewhere. Today, only the tower and the back chamber are left.

This complex includes three big guns, one with stuning views over the bay on the west side. Some of the guns have taken up to a year to place for the Japanese forces and their forced local labour. The complex lies in the jungle on Mt. Sokehs, but there cleared trails to every bunker and gun point. There are also several information boards, which give some insight into the hardship. The complex and the neighbouring summit of Mt. Sokehs is a great candidate for a day hike from Kolonia. You can also drive most of the way, but the last kilometre is very steep and rocky. But the hike is nice with shady viewpoints.

This historial sight from WWII lies on the way to Nan Madol. It's an overgrown Japanese bunker complex with four big six-inch British Armstrong Whitworth rifles. The jungle has swallowed the complex with trees shooting up and covering the gun barrels in vines. It's located about 10 minutes hiking through the dense jungle from the owners house, and it can be hard to find, if the trail hasn't been cleared for a while.

Kepirohi Waterfall is a beautiful cascading waterfall with a refreshing natural pool. Unfortunately, they are building a less pretty concrete fence and viewing platform, but it's probably to accommodate the increasing number of visitors. As Kepirohi Waterfall is located close to Nan Madol, a tour normally combines those.

The coastline of Pohnpei is covered in pristine mangrove, so there aren't that many beaches (if any at all). But for some island life and snorkeling, go to some of the smaller islands, either for a day trip or longer. Lenger, Nahlap and Laiap (Rainbow) islands are some of the options. Rainbow is a tiny island, which is privately owned by Cliff Hotel. There is one concrete building on the island, else it's just trees and a coral covered beach. The journey to Rainbow Island starts with 45 min drive from Kolonia, and then a boat trip through the dense mangrove, before reaching the sea with Rainbow island in the horizon. The caretaker family will come along and do some spear fishing, so you have something for lunch.

The hike starts at the Pohn Alamwahu Protestant church in Kipar. It follows a 4x4 track through the jungle. It's a tranquil hike with chances to both see and hear exotic birds. The track slowly becomes more rough as the jungle get more dense, until it's just a jungle trail. The trail pass a little house to the right and soon start to ascent. As the picture reveals, we never reached the waterfall. We hiked for 1.5 hours and were still climb up, so we don't actually know how far the waterfall is.

This waterfall is the closest to Kolonia and can be reached by shared taxi or even walking. The jungle setting behind the owner's house is beautiful and tranquil with views to mountain tops. The trail is well kept with picnic areas. There are two natural pools, a upper and lower, which are perfect for a refreshing dip.

There is a misconception that Pacific islands are nothing but endless white beaches. True, some of the most picture-perfect beaches can be found in the Pacific, but most islands' coastline are rocks, cliffs, or mangrove. Pohnpei is the last. Almost the entire coastline is covered in a thick belt of healthy and pristine mangrove. The problem with mangrove is, it can be hard to explore. The boat trip to Rainbow Island goes through some of the largest mangrove area on Pohnpei, and it can be done at both high and low tide.

Nan Madol is an amazing ruin city of man-made canals and 92 islets. It was deservedly enlisted as a World Heritage Site in 2016. The temples, tombs and walls were made from huge basalt pillars and boulders, which were stacked upon each other in a clever interlocking way, so mortar wasn't necessary. The construction started in the late-1100s and was the ceremonial and political seat for the royalty of Pohnpei until the mid-1600s. Today, there is only one islet, Nan Dowas, left with erected walls, the other islands have just carved stones scattered around. Nan Dowas has some of the biggest stones, weighing up to 50 tons, and holds also a royal tomb and tunnels. You can walk to the islet at low tide, else you have to wade across the canals or getting a boat tour from kolonia.