Saipan is the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands. Saipan, Guam, and many other islands of the Marianas were all important battle sites during World War II, and there are still many Japanese bunkers and armaments on these islands. These sites are managed by the National Park Service under the "War in the Pacific" Parks designation.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Saipan is 23 km (14 mi) long and 8 km (5 mi) wide. The best beaches and most populated areas are on the western and southern coasts, with the north and east being rugged and mountainous. Because only one branch of the US military, the Coast Guard, has even a small permanent presence on Saipan, many Chamorros on Saipan consider their culture more intact than on Guam. Therefore, comparisons between the two islands should take this into account. Furthermore, Chamorros on Saipan and throughout the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) still primarily speak Chamorro at home, while the same isn't true of Guam.
There is no public transport as such, excluding shuttle buses running between hotels and the Duty Free shopping center in Garapan. There is no public bus service on Saipan, but on Saipan PDI and other companies run a shopping shuttle bus to and from the Duty Free mall (DFS Galleria) in Garapan. DFS also has their own free shuttle from most of the major hotels. Taxis on Saipan are expensive but plentiful, however the only place they are allowed to pick up or drop off passengers is at the airport or a hotel, and sometimes at DFS. There is also a large network of illegal taxis run by Chinese immigrants, that will take you anywhere for $15.
Saipan is fairly small and by renting a car or moped, it is easy to drive around the island and take in the natural splendor, as well as visit a number of parks. Scuba diving is also popular, and the underwater world should definitely be seen. 1 Banzai Cliff and 2 Suicide Cliff, on the northern tip of the island, were sites where thousands of Japanese civilians, trying to escape the fighting and convinced by the Japanese military that they would be killed by the American military, jumped to their deaths in the Battle of Saipan in 1944. The former is by the sea while the latter is on the rock outcropping overlooking it.
Scuba diving and snorkeling on Saipan are deservedly the most popular activities here among western tourists, though gambling and karaoke/hostess bars are most popular among Korean businessmen, as well as some Japanese travelers. Garapan is coastally located, so other watersports abound as well. For scuba divers, the term "Fun Dive" is used for those who have already been certified and just want to recreational dive, while "Taiken dive" is used to designate first-time divers that take classes on Saipan. The same is true for the rest of the CNMI and somewhat so for Guam. While boat dives are available, you can still drive to some awesome dive sights, like Grotto.
There are many nice bakeries in and around Garapan and local breakfast places are within walking distance of the main hotel area. Seafood from the local street markets is understandably very fresh. Commercial chains on Saipan include Hard Rock Cafe, Tony Roma's, McDonald's, KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Subway. Vegetarian options are possible to find as well. For self-catering options, try one of the Joeten supermarkets for fruits and vegetables, some locally grown. Canton Restaurant, ☏ +1 670 234-7236. Fantastic Chinese food and excellent service. Delicious roast duck and excellent steamed parrotfish. Oldest Chinese restaurant on the island. Coffee Care, Capitol Hill.
Karaoke/Hostess Bars abound in Garapan all of which allow ample drinking opportunities if one is so inclined. Oleai Beach Club. A great 'sunset' bar and lunch spot on the beach in San Jose Village. It's popular with the locals because of their lunchtime $1 Taco Special. If you like to run, drink beer or both, there is an active chapter of the Hash House Harriers (a drinking club with a running problem). The Saipan Hash House Harriers meet every Saturday at the Bank of Guam building in Garapan at 3:30PM in Winter, and 4PM in Summer. Join the Hash if you'd like to meet people from Saipan, see some of the lesser known areas of the island, and enjoy a bit of outrageous partying.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Nov, Saipan typically sees ~31°C daytime highs and 26 rainy days.
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