If you ask people around you what they know about Guam, they’ll probably tell you about the world’s largest Kmart open 24 hours a day, the duty-free shopping, and the opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, snorkeling, and scuba diving. But a trip with the media delegation for Cebu Pacific’s inaugural flight to Guam and the Guam Visitors Bureau revealed that there’s much more to the paradise island destination. Aside from sunsets, sea, and shopping, learning more about the history and traditions of Chamorro culture was one of the highlights of the Guam experience.
Tourism is the US territory island’s top industry, but only 12,000 of the record-breaking 1.4 million tourists that visited Guam in 2015 were Filipino. Mark Manglona, the Guam Visitors Bureau’s marketing manager for the Philippines and Russia, believes the number of visitors from the Philippines may rise with Cebu Pacific’s new four-times-weekly flights from Manila to Guam. It’s the low-cost carrier’s first US destination and the first new flight for its 20th anniversary this year. At P7,203 all in, the lowest year-round fares are approximately 40 percent lower than other airlines’ flights. Alex Reyes, Cebu Pacific’s long haul division general manager, said that the airline hopes to make the island more accessible for Filipino travelers and also to serve Guam’s growing Filipino community. “Wherever Filipinos are, we fly there.”
Guam and the Philippines share a colonial history and were influenced by a similar blend of cultures, so it’s no surprise that Guam’s many Filipino residents (they make up over one fourth of the population) feel right at home there. The Western Pacific island territory was claimed by Spain in 1565, ceded to the US in 1898, and occupied by Japanese forces during World War II. The US reclaimed Guam after the war and expanded its military interests. Strategically located between Asia and the mainland US, Guam became a center for economic and commercial development and a popular destination for visitors from both sides of the ocean.
Around 71 percent of its annual visitors are from Japan, though Manglona says Korean tourism has increased 100 percent in the past year. Asian tourists like the balmy, fairly predictable weather; scuba diving and snorkeling; and the tax-free shopping. The island is accessible to neighboring Asian countries and the two- or three-hour time difference makes it ideal for a quick family getaway. Just 30 miles long and four to 12 miles wide, Guam can be easily navigated by rented car or tourist trolley, though the roads aren’t pedestrian-friendly and public transportation and taxis can be hard to come by. For those who believe a new place is best explored on foot, there’s a two-mile, 17-stop Heritage Walking Trail through Guam’s historical sites.
One of the must-see landmarks is Two Lovers Point (Puntan Dos Amantes), a cliff with a stunning view of Tumon Bay. The sightseeing highlight is named for an ancient Chamorro legend in which the daughter of a wealthy Spanish landowner fell in love with a Chamorro warrior. When her father demanded that she marry a Spanish captain, the girl ran away and met her Chamorro lover at the high point of the shore. Her father, the captain, and Spanish soldiers pursued them until they were trapped near the edge of the cliff. Because they couldn’t bear to leave each other, the lovers tied their hair together into a single knot and threw themselves off the cliff and into the sea. This story is important to the Chamorro people because it symbolizes their devotion, strength, and resilience.
Travel from the highest cliff to the depths of the ocean by crossing the 1000-foot wooden boardwalk in Piti Bay to enter Fish Eye Marine Park, an underwater observatory 12 feet beneath the surface of the ocean. Descend a long spiral staircase to peer through the 24 windows that allow you to view over 200 species of tropical fish swimming through coral reefs. More water activities in this area include kayaking, snorkeling, and the SeaWalker underwater walking tour.
On Guam (according to a Guam Visitors Bureau representative, they say “on Guam” not “in Guam” because it’s an island), the fiesta is considered a national pastime, and food plays a big part in bringing people together. Kelaguen is a signature Chamorro dish that is served as an appetizer, side, or main dish at almost every meal. Similar to ceviche and kilawin, kelaguen is made of chopped seafood, broiled chicken, or meat cooked in lemon juice, grated coconut, salt, and hot peppers. The peppers deliver a satisfyingly spicy kick that goes well with the tanginess of the citrus juice. Guamanians are also justifiably proud of Chamorro ribs and chicken barbecue, a fiesta staple served with red rice cooked with achote, garlic, peas, and bacon fat.
Visitors can enjoy these dishes and more along with a cultural presentation of authentic Chamorro dance by Pa’a Taotao Tano at a beachside buffet at the Sheraton Laguna Resort & Spa. The group will perform at the upcoming 12th Festival of Pacific Arts, a two-week cultural event held every four years that will bring 2,500 performers, artists, and scholars from the remote island communities in the Pacific region to Guam to celebrate their cultures and exchange ideas. The festival will run from May 22 to June 4.
For another glimpse of Chamorro culture and community, the Chamorro Village Wednesday Night Market is an event to plan a vacation around (the village is open every day but the night market only happens on Wednesdays). The scent of barbecue wafts through the air as live music entertains the crowded dance floor from the center court. Stalls and boutiques sell handmade jewelry and souvenirs next to food vendors showcasing the best of local cuisine. One of the most popular items with a prominent place at the entrance of the market is a whole smoked turkey leg. Those who don’t want to gnaw on a bone may opt for the more low-key turkey stick made from a three-foot long sausage. There’s also coconut sashimi, a unique street food that’s been featured on television in Korea and Japan. The thinly sliced young coconut meat is served with soy sauce and wasabi. Expect long lines for skewers of barbecued chicken and beef from Kris BBQ. For extreme eaters, there are indulgent American food fair favorites like deep-fried Oreo cookies and candy bars. Wash it all down with refreshing fruit slushies that blend the best of local produce in one cold beverage.
Of course, shopping is still an important part of visiting Guam. If you’re a serious shopper and you start early enough, it’s possible to visit five malls in one day. Some of the stores at Guam Premier Outlets open at 8:00 a.m. for bargain hunters who want to make the most of their time on the island. T Galleria by DFS, Guam – which houses international luxury brands Celine, Louis Vuitton, and Saint Laurent and beauty brands La Mer, MAC, and Kiehl’s – closes at 11:00 p.m. Drop by the Macy’s department store in Micronesia Mall (owned by Lucio Tan) for one-stop shopping. For late-night last-minute souvenir hunting and drugstore product hoarding, there’s the aforementioned 24-hour Kmart.
Shopping on Guam is so huge that there’s even an annual shopping event, the Shop Guam Festival, which runs from November 1 to February 15 and is the largest festival of its kind in the region. Last year, the Guam Visitors Bureau recruited YouTube sensation Mikey Bustos for an online video promoting the island as a shopping destination set to the tune of Justin Bieber’s “Sorry.”
The festival also launched a free mobile app with maps, promos, and exclusive offers. The next Shop Guam event is bound to be even bigger. With that and the upcoming 12th Pacific Festival of the Arts, plus music festivals, culinary fairs, and sporting events lined up to attract new visitors, 2016 is set to be another record-breaking year for Guam tourism.
Cebu Pacific flies from Manila to Guam four times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday) for as low as P7,203. Visit cebupacificair.com to book a flight.
Go to visitguam.com for more information about Guam’s activities and events.