Kosrae, Kosrae island (Federated States of Micronesia)
Kosrae State is the easternmost state of the Federated States of Micronesia. The main island of the state – the island of Kosrae – is of volcanic origin. The mountainous terrain prevails on the island, its highest point is Mount Fincol (634 m). Mangroves are often found along the coast.
The capital of the state of Kosrae is the city of Lelu. It is located on a small island off the northeast coast of Kosrae Island.. Here is one of the most important archaeological sites of the Pacific Ocean – the ruins of the ancient royal city of the 14th century. Among the ruins, you can see the remains of basalt fortress walls that reach a height of 7 m, streets, residential buildings, tunnels and graves. It still remains a mystery how ancient people transported huge basalt blocks to build a city without special equipment. Also recently, the ruins of Menk were opened for tourists on the island of Kosrae. So far, no restoration work has been carried out here, so the ruins are surrounded by thickets of tropical forest, which makes them more mysterious. Here is the temple of the goddess Sinlaku, from where, according to legend, she fled to the island of Yap from the missionaries in 1852. This legend is held by opponents of Christianity. Among the ruins of Menk, there are several hiking trails where medicinal plants grow.
During the Second World War, the island of Kosrae was occupied by Japanese troops, so many military structures have been preserved here. These are bunkers, a radio station, a weather station, tanks, underground passages and mountain caves. Be sure to visit the Kosrae Municipal Museum, which tells about the history and culture of the island.
Climbing Mount Fincol is popular (634 m), the slopes of which are covered with dense forests. This is the highest point on the island. Hiking routes are quite difficult and long and are suitable for trained tourists. It is highly recommended to travel with a local guide. The ascent takes about 7 hours. Not far from Mount Fincol is Mount Oma. This is one of the most beautiful places on the island. Here you can see a variety of animals, plants, waterfalls and caves that were used by the Japanese during World War II. Routes can take from 45 minutes to 6 hours. Also on the island are very beautiful Sipuen and Saolong waterfalls. Their waters fall into natural pools where you can swim. Kosrae
Island is a great place for birdwatching. Micronesian pigeons and starlings, purple-capped spotted pigeon, cardinals, honeysuckers, frigatebirds live in the local forests, and on the coast there are brown fulmar, reef heron, shepherdesses and long-tailed cuckoos. In total, about 15 species of birds live on the island, and there are also about 9 species of migratory birds. An interesting trip to the cave Wiya Bird Cavewhere thousands of small cave birds Salangan live. Kosrae also offers coastal mangrove canoeing and fishing, as the waters surrounding the island are home to tuna, marlin and dorado.
Many tourists come here to surf, especially between January and March, when the steady northeast trade winds blow. However, these places are suitable only for trained surfers, because they are surrounded by coral reefs, which are very easy to get hurt. There are over 50 dive sites in Kosrae
State. Each of them is marked with buoys. Coral gardens and walls extend underwater with over 172 types of hard corals and about 10 types of soft corals, including tropical fish and large pelagic fish. Underwater visibility ranges from 30 to 60 m. The Blue Hole dive site is located near Lelu Island. This is an underwater cave with sheer walls. Here you can see stingrays and barracudas and various types of corals. At the entrance to Lelu harbor, an American reconnaissance aircraft, two Japanese ships and several whaling ships rest on the bottom. The Village Reef dive site, located at the Kosrae Village Resort, is great for snorkelling. Off the south coast of Kosrae Island are Hiroshi Point with an abundance of soft corals and a real pirate ship Bully Hayes Wreck, which sank here in 1874 and survived only in the form of wreckage. On the west coast of Kosrae Island, dive sites such as the Yela Wall will be of interest., descending to a depth of 40 m, and Shark island, where you can swim with large pelagic fish – sharks, eagle rays and barracudas.
Yap Island (Federated States of Micronesia)
According to 800ZIPCODES, Yap State is located in the western part of the Federated States of Micronesia. It includes 4 large islands (Yap, Map, Rumung, Gagil-Tomil), 7 small islands and more than a hundred atolls. Yap Island is an elevated part of the Asian continental shelf. Its highest point is Mount Tabivol (178 m). The island is dominated by hilly terrain, and mangroves stretch along the banks. A limited number of tourists are allowed into Yap State each year. It is worth remembering that almost all the lands of the islands are private property, so permission is required to visit them. State of Yap suitable for those who wish to get acquainted with the traditions and original culture of the country. Here, stone money is still in circulation, which is stored in a “stone” bank, in the villages there are traditional houses with thatched roofs, the villagers wear national clothes, and in the local tribes the elders and leaders are the main ones. One of the main attractions of the state is traditional dances. These colorful displays depict the history and legends of the islands. Another attraction of the state is stone money, which is still used as a means of payment. Stone money is a large stone disc with a diameter of 7 cm to 4 m with a hole in the middle. Nowadays, stone money is no longer produced, most of the remaining money is stored in a special bank,
In addition, in the state of Yap you can do hiking, deep sea fishing, surfing, diving and snorkeling.
The four large islands of Yap State are surrounded by a vast barrier reef. Yap is one of the world’s premier manta ray sightings, and this can be done all year round. Here there are huge individuals with a wingspan of up to 6 m and a weight of up to 500 kg. Yap State’s most popular dive sites are Miil Point, Manta Ridge and Goofnuw Channel.. Miil Point is a wall of hard corals that starts at a depth of 3m and descends to a depth of 30m. Here you can see rays, whitetip reef sharks, eels, groupers and jackfish. Next to the wall in the strait at a depth of 1.5-2 m is the Garden Eel Flats wall , which is covered with golden and red soft gorgonian corals. The dive site Manta Ridge offers sightings of manta rays, which are quite common here. Having sunk to the bottom to a depth of 30 m, you will see bizarre corals, many fish and even whitetip reef sharks. In addition, manta rays can also be seen traveling on the Goofnuw Channel. Manta Cleaning Station literally can be translated as “wash for manti”. Fish such as the bicolor cleaner wrasse, the Micronesian wrasse and the dascilla are found here, which cleanse the skin of manta rays from parasites. The dive starts from a depth of half a meter, so this place is also suitable for snorkelling. Also of interest is the Eagle’s Nest dive site, where at a depth of about 15 m, huge masses of eagle rays gather for feeding. Dive site Gilman Tip is known for its rich underwater world. It is located in the southern part of the Yap Island barrier reef. Bumphead parrotfish, moray eels, groupers, whitetip reef sharks and pilot whales are found here. In the vicinity of the underwater Lionfish Wall there are sharks, lionfish, groupers, snappers and soldier fish. Interesting underwater caves Yap Caverns, where you can meet whitetip reef sharks and gray reef sharks. The best place to watch sharks is off the northeast coast of Yap Island – Shark City.
Northeast of Yap Island is the fourth largest atoll in the world Ulithi. It consists of 40 small islands and has an area of 8 sq. km.
