Rota – Travelwands

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Roadtrip Rota

DRIVING aimlessly around the island of Rota is one of the most rewarding experiences on island, especially if it is your first time there and you came with a thirst for adventure. Upon your arrival, rent a car from the car rental companies outside the arrival area of the airport and as soon as you…

ROTA—The drive from the village of Sinapalo to Songsong is not only breathtakingly beautiful with the pristine waters and the soft white sand along the coastal road but it is also littered with historical treasures dating back to the World War 11. One must-not-miss destination on Rota is the Marianas Trench Cave Museum in Lotgan…

Scary afternoon at As Matmos Fishing Cliff

Panic gripped me. I had made sure that I stood on dry rocks not reached by the water and that one single wave got me. ROTA, Northern Mariana Islands—There was no debate when I saw that sign by the roadside, a temptation too strong to resist, and I knew I was not going to…

Rota road trip

IF there is one place in the CNMI that provides the perfect location for driving around at your leisure and following all roads free from the thought that someone from behind will blow their horn, it is the island of Rota. This untouched gem in the Pacific, which carries loads of character and charm, is…

Coconut Kingdom by the Sea

ROTA — One of my favorite spots here is the abandoned Coconut Village, a row of wooden cottages facing the Pacific Ocean. Driving from Sinapalo to Songsong, you can see a signboard by the road side directing you to the Rota Coconut Village Hotel about a third of a mile away. If you are new…

Panoramic Stopover in Sinapalo, Rota

ROTA — A few miles past the Sunset Hotel in the village of Sinapalo, there is a spot by the roadside you must not miss. There is nothing spectacular about it — a couple of unused benches covered by leaves and twigs and a pile of stones bordering the edge of the cliff. I’ve driven…

‘Enchanted’ wood on a mystical island

The first time I stumbled into this particular “enchanted” spot was during my first trip to the island in 2011. I returned to the same site the next day, and again last March, and then again and again when I was here in May. – It’s as enchanting as ever every time I go there,…

The bell by the fire pit

ROTA–A few yards behind the swimming pool at the Rota Resort & Country Club is a lovely spot that’s perfect for outdoor parties at sundown or at night. We discovered it at noontime a few months back after an hour at the Swimming Hole when my buddy Pat decided to rinse off the salt water…

Rota: Visiting a prayer mountain

It was a place I never knew existed here and we reached it by taking the first left turn off the highway on the way up to Mt. Sabana one hot afternoon. We were on the rough, bumpy road w hen our tour guide, Jack, instructed my buddy photographer, Pat. to take the grassy path…

The first time I saw the flat-top mountain everybody referred to as the Wedding Cake, it did not look like a layer of cake to me at all. It was just like any other elevated piece of land. I later learned that it got the name because it resembled a tiered cake. When I drove…