International Destinations » Kosrae »

The tiny island of Kosrae may just be the place to experience a tropical week like no other. Kosrae has but a few tiny stores, so there will be no shopping frenzies and traf¬fic jams here. Few other places can boast this kind of holiday tranquillity. Kosrae, steeped in history, is ripe for exploration. There are mysterious ancient ruins of the forefathers of the Kosraean people, an immense bird cave which holds an an¬cient curse, and World War II artifacts. And for the diver, the undersea envi¬ronment off Kosrae is superb. Incidently, Kosrae may have more Christmas tree worms per coral head than any other Pacific location.

Diving operations
Phoenix of Micronesia has another largely Japanese-oriented dive opera¬tion here, while the Kosrae Nautilus Resort and the Kosrae Village Resort are dedicated dive hotels. The Kosrae Nautilus has 16 rooms on a white, sandy beach near town. A pool, a good restaurant and an equipment storage facility make this nifty operation a con¬venient venue. Owner Geoff Rasschou has identified more than 50 of the best dive sites surrounding the island. Kosrae Village sits nestled in the man¬groves, offers private bungalow accom¬modation, and has fine local and inter¬national fare on offer.

The clear, clean seas that surround the island are home to healthy and di¬verse coral reefs. Heavy hard coral growth has formed gardens all around the island, perfect for shallow dives and snorkelling. A deep blue hole just in front of Lelu village is just a short walk across the sea grass flats. You can snorkel in the shadow of the famous Sleeping Lady mountain range formation, while further out, deep dropoffs around Shark Island hold pelagic surprises, such as dogtooth tuna schools, turtles and reef sharks. Visibility is rarely a problem — the island is known for its gin-clear waters.

A yacht at anchor in the bay below Kosrae's Sleeping Lady. The name of the mountain sums up the laid-back atmosphere of the island.