This is the part of Saipan most visitors see only from the aircraft window — the airport is here — and it rewards a day or two with a hire car. In the centre, Mount Tapochau rises to 474 metres, the highest point on the island, with a full-circle view that takes in both coasts, the lagoon, Managaha and Tinian. To the east, where there is no barrier reef, the open Pacific breaks straight onto cliffs and pocket beaches: Forbidden Island, the big dive bay of Lau Lau, and the Kagman peninsula. In the south, beyond the runway, tracks lead down to Obyan and Ladder beaches, with Tinian five kilometres away across the channel.
Be realistic about access. Several of these places are at the end of rough dirt or coral roads, a few need a steep walk, and the east-coast sea is dangerous for swimming on most days. There are no lifeguards and few facilities. Go prepared and you will find the emptiest and most beautiful corners of the island. History is here too: under today’s airport lies the wartime airfield from which B-29s flew, and Japanese bunkers and ancient Chamorro latte stones stand behind the southern beaches. Most people visit on day trips from Garapan & west Saipan.
Highlights
- The 360-degree view from the summit of Mount Tapochau
- Looking down on Forbidden Island from the clifftop
- Shore diving with turtles in Lau Lau Bay
- A quiet swim at Obyan Beach with Tinian on the horizon
- Descending the steps to the caves of Ladder Beach
- Wartime bunkers beside the airport at the old Isley Field
Saipan South & East in pictures
How long to stay and where to base yourself
How long: one long day by hire car covers Mount Tapochau, the Forbidden Island lookout, Lau Lau Bay and one of the southern beaches. Add a second day if you want to hike down to Forbidden Island or the Old Man by the Sea, or to dive Lau Lau or Obyan.
Where to base yourself: the east coast has almost no visitor accommodation beyond a golf resort above Lau Lau Bay. The two resorts covered here are in the south-west corner, around San Antonio and Agingan — on the lagoon side, ten minutes from the airport and well placed for the southern beaches, though about 20 minutes from Garapan’s restaurants. Otherwise stay on the west coast and drive over. The where to stay page compares the areas.
