Pacific Islands - Day 9 🇲🇵

We had a lazy start today and decided to go for an early lunch at Himawari Restaurant.

The menu was quite extensive, and we were spoilt for choice. We really enjoyed the Japanese food there.

After a nice lunch, we drove to Navy Hill to see the Japanese Lighthouse. It is one of the few surviving pre-World War II civilian structures built by the Japanese on the island.

Our next stop was Mount Tapochau. There were multiple routes to the top, and we followed the instructions provided by Google Maps. The ride up was on an unpaved road—bumpy and borderline treacherous in some places—but eventually, we made it.

Mount Tapochau is the highest point on Saipan, standing at 1,554 feet. A set of stairs led us from the summit’s small parking area to the main viewing platforms.

The summit of Mount Tapochau features a large white statue of Jesus Christ.

Mt. Tapochau played a strategic role during World War II, and there were many displays highlighting its history.

The summit area provided an unobstructed 360-degree view of the entire island, including the Philippine Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east.

The road down from the summit was much better. We drove towards Forbidden Island Lookout, a popular scenic viewpoint on the southeastern coast of Saipan that provides a dramatic bird’s-eye view of the offshore islet known as Forbidden Island.

Next, we crossed over to the northwestern side of the island to visit Pau Pau Beach. There was ample parking and facilities, including several concrete pavilions with picnic tables and public showers.