Originally published in Island Locator Magazine, 1993

Adventure Island

I recently found myself with some unused vacation time. I sat home, a map of Asia spread out on the floor before me, trying to decide on a place to go. Then it hit me... a lot of people would be thrilled to come to Saipan for a vacation. Why not just vacation right here? It was settled. I unpacked my bags and called up Saipan E Tours and made reservations for a jungle tour the next week.

I arrived at our departure point, the Dai-Ichi Hotel, at 8:45am, and the Saipan E Tours' distinctive pink and blue, 4-wheel drive tour truck followed soon after. The guide, Julius, introduced himself and rallied the group in the lobby. It turned out that the group consisted only of myself and Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka, tourists from Japan who had planned to vacation in Guam, but were diverted to Saipan after the earthquake. We piled into the back of the truck where Julius proceeded to show us pictures of the locations we were to visit. With that done, and a lemon tea juice box in hand, we were off on our adventure.

The first stop was to be Mt. Tapotchau, Saipan's highest point. As we made our way through Garapan heading for Navy Hill, I introduced myself to the Tanaka's and we began to talk. After discovering that I am a resident of Saipan and not a tourist, Mrs. Tanaka (Mr. Tanaka did not speak English) was not shy about asking me about various landmarks along the way. As we climbed away from the urban sprawl of Garapan into the jungle on Navy Hill I could feel the excitement building. We were now officially on safari! We reached the top of Navy Hill and the end of the pavement... this was it! Just as we were about to turn off onto the dirt trail leading into the thick of the jungle we came face-to-face with one of the most common and feared creatures on Saipan: the Giantyellowbelliedearthmover! There was a tense stand-off as he beast thrashed and growled and shook violently from side to side. We watched anxiously, not knowing if the beast would charge. Julius revved the engine and bravely stood his ground and the creature, with a groan and a puff of black smoke, backed off into the undergrowth. We were on our way again. The Tanaka's looked a little shook up, but I comforted them that at least we had not encountered the Overloadedsmokebillowingveryslowdumptruck which kills its victims slowly and painfully just by getting in front of them in the no passing lane.

The back road from Navy Hill to Capitol Hill is a winding, bumpy trail through some very lush and beautiful vegetation, made even more dramatic by a heavy rain the night before. The Tanaka's were obviously thrilled as we bounced around, low-hanging branches swatting us in the face. These were definitely city folk. I pointed out a rusty WWII mortar round by the roadside, and we entered into a brief discussion about the battle for Saipan. Mrs. Tanaka simply shook her head and said "it's a pity."

After twenty minutes in the moist, green tunnel we were happy to see that we were emerging at the base of Capitol Hill and that there was some smoother road not too far ahead. As we drove on, Mrs. Tanaka asked about the many buildings at the top of the road, "is that a hotel?" I told her no, it is a condominium complex and that she could have one for about $5 million. She just laughed and said "I think it is too difficult to get up there.” I then reassured her that there is another, more modern road on the other side of the mountain.

Another ten minutes and some more winding, bumpy roads and we were at the summit of Tapotchau. Julius pointed various points of interest such as the Dai-Ichi Hotel, Susupe Lake, Tinian, Goat Island (which I had always thought was Rota) and the direction to Japan. It is here that the Tanaka's produced a camera and asked Julius to snap a souvenir for them. There were a few grunts of approval and we boarded the truck and began the descent on our trip to the next destination: Jeffery's Beach.

A right turn at Esco's Bake House took us, yet again, onto bumpy roads and eventually more dense jungle. Mrs. Tanaka wondered aloud where all of the jungle animals and tropical birds were. She was expecting tigers and toucans, but we saw only geckoes, a few hermit crabs and a pigeon. We arrived at a clearing, parked and began the short hike to the beach. Julius explained that the beach got its name from a Spanish general (you guessed it... his name was Jeffery) who once used it as a landing site and camp. Jeffery's Beach was hit hard by Tropical Storm Steve and the ever-present beer cans were everywhere. Jeffery's Beach looked more like a wasteland than a tropical paradise... we didn't stay long. Julius explained that he has been in the process of selecting an alternative to replace this one on his tour. We hopped back in the truck and headed for Kalabera Cave.

The drive to the cave was by far the most scenic on the tour, offering everything from rustic horse and cattle ranches to more lush jungle and a breathtaking view of LauLau Bay. The roads were good, except where heavy rain had washed out massive ravines and caused mudslides which really added to the feeling of adventure and excitement. We parked at the edge of the jungle, which is a short and easy walk from the cave. Kalabera Cave, for those who have never seen it, looks very similar to the cave in the beginning scene of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, with a minor climb and thick vines covering the entrance. Here, said Julius, is where the Spanish kept prisoners and the Japanese kept supplies. Unfortunately, someone felt the need to spray paint their name on the inside and leave a few cans. The Tanaka's had another photo opportunity here and we were off. This was the end of the tour, but Julius informed us that we had a little time left to visit a bonus site. We made tracks for Wing Beach.

At Wing Beach we were treated to a demonstration of local fisherman casting their nets into the sea, but Mrs. Tanaka seemed more curious about the hermit crab at her feet. On the way back to Garapan it seemed that the tour was just enough for the Tanaka’s... not too strenuous, but an adventure just the same.

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Saipan E Tours offers three different tours of varying distance and duration. One of the tours comes with lunch, all provide refreshments. If you are new to Saipan, or just don't have access to a 4-wheel drive vehicle and would like to see another side of the island, you might want to give this a try. Local rates are available. Call 234-7781 for more information.