In June 2007, Marine Dive Magazine named 5 prestigious awards to the Mariana Islands according to its readership:
- 1st place to Managaha Island in Saipan’s lagoon as “The Best Snorkeling Spot”;
- 4th place to Managaha Island as “The Best Beach”;
- 4th place to Saipan, Tinian and Rota as “The Best Diving Region”;
- 5th place to Rota for its Teteto Beach as “The Best Beach”;
- 5th place to Saipan, Tinian and Rota as “The Best Resort”.
The Magazine established 18 categories related to dive destinations and readers voted for any place in the world.
Saipan Beaches
Micro Beach — located in an ancient Carolinian village, the most popular beach on the island.
Lau Lau Beach — large beach divided into sections by rock formations with shallow waters and gentle waves.
Obyan Beach — Caves, World War II bunkers, secret tunnels, and latte stones, and an ancient Chamorro village are what await you at Obyan Beach. It is also popular among divers and snorkelers, and provides some great hiking trails to Naftan Peninsula.
Ladder Beach — located on the southern part of the island. This beach is surrounded on all sides by cliffs and at the bottom of the cliff you will find large open caves along the beach which are great for providing shade during really hot and sunny days.
Pau Pau Beach — located north of the Hotel Nikko Saipan (San Roque). Visitors can enjoy the long, isolated sandy beach complete with picnic pavilions and barbeque pits. |
Managaha Island is a small island off the western coast of Saipan which lies on the edge of a lagoon and accessible by boat. Referred to as the pearl of Saipan, white sandy beaches stretch all around the island and the pristine water surrounding Managaha Island is exceptionally crystal clear, a feature which is a godsend for all avid scuba divers. You'll enjoy underwater visibility for a maximum distance of fifty meters, enough to see and touch the numerous war machine wrecks, left over from World War II, which lie all over the ocean floor. |
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Tinian Island is the closest island to the capital of Saipan, situated about 5 miles southwest and easily accessible by air (10 min.).Tinian is home to Micronesia's only full scale international standards gaming casino (Dynasty Hotel). Tinian also has many clean and beautiful white sand beaches. The pristine water, colorful marine life and coral reefs surrounding the island offer an ideal environment for snorkeling, scuba diving, and fishing. It was from the island of Tinian, in the Marianas, that the atom bombs were launched against Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which ended the WWII. |
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Rota Island - beautiful island of Rota posseses a unique character and charm that wins over just about everyone that goes there. On the western side of the island, take a refreshing dip in the cool, clear water at Rota's famous Swimming Hole. Just north of the airport, discover how the ancient Chamorros carved giant latte stones out of the limestone rock at the As Nieves Latte Stone Quarry. You can reach the island by plane which is operated twice a day. |
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