Pohnpei Island Micronesia Kolonia-Palikir
Micronesia
2
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Silversea Cruises (2 Cruises)
Frequently Asked Questions
Near Kolonia, the island's main town. Calls are rare and eagerly awaited, and Kolonia is the starting point for every excursion of the day.
Nan Madol and Kepirohi waterfall, almost always combined in the same excursion, about an hour and a half by road from Kolonia. The town itself is walkable at the start or end of the day.
A UNESCO World Heritage stone city on the island's southeast coast: nearly a hundred artificial islets built on the reef from basalt columns stacked like giant beams. It was the seat of the Saudeleur dynasty for centuries.
Nobody knows for certain. Archaeologists still debate how blocks weighing several tonnes were transported and raised. Local legend has its own answer: the magic of two sorcerer brothers who came from the west.
Yes, at Kepirohi waterfall not far from Nan Madol: a twenty-metre fall sliding down a basalt wall into a clear pool ringed by lush vegetation. Swimming is allowed and very welcome in this climate.
A section of 19th-century Spanish wall near the centre, all that remains of a vanished fort, plus markets, churches and small shops. Spanish, German then Japanese rule each left traces. The town stretches between the port and the green slopes, with no unnecessary storeys and no hurry.
Yes, but it is demanding: an hour and a half of sustained effort on a steep path, rewarded with a plunging view over the reefs, the barrier and the town's roofs. Everyone else photographs it from the shore, which is no consolation prize.
A ceremonial drink made from pepper plant roots, still prepared on flat stones to the dull rhythm of pounding. Some excursions include a demonstration: it is a living part of Pohnpeian custom, not a tourist act.
Wet, very wet: the island receives some of the heaviest rainfall on earth, and that water carved its waterfalls and forests. Bring a packable rain jacket in any season; ships often leave through a curtain of rain shot with sunlight.
With restraint. Pohnpeian society remains deeply attached to its customs: ask before photographing, remove your shoes where required, and accept the island's pace, which is not the pace of a ship's schedule.
