DRIVING northbound late on a cloudy Sunday afternoon led me and a buddy into a deserted boonie road leading into thick bushes just past Marianas Resort in Marpi to visit what can be considered as one of Saipan’s hidden gems.
A sign post that threatens to fall down anytime told us we were heading to Wing Beach, one of the famous diving spots on Saipan. We were not going diving but just to temporarily cure our wanderlust.
Driving on the road that resembles like a dried-up river minus the huge boulders is breath-taking, especially if you are driving your own car. By breath-taking, it means you’re not driving a four-wheel drive vehicle and you hold your breath as you maneuver through one deep rut after another, anticipating that final groan that would leave your car stranded in the middle of the road.
After what felt like an eternity, we heard the splashing of the waves in the distance. When we emerge into the clearing, the hardship of driving through that snaking clearing they call a road was worth it. No one was about as we took our Subway sandwiches out and headed to the shore a few steps down. My attention was not on my sandwich though. Four years after the last time I stepped on the same shore, I got busy taking pictures of everything.
Gloomy, mystical afternoon at Wing Beach
It was a gloomy afternoon and the huge waves crashing on the reef was not a comforting sight. It was downright scary. The Suicide Cliff loomed from a distance. The thick jungles surrounding us and the vast ocean suddenly made me feel caved in. It was weird to be out in the open and feel claustrophobic at the same time.
We didn’t stay long. I didn’t wish to be there when darkness falls because my imagination was starting to create havoc with my senses.
Wing Beach is known as a popular destination especially on the weekends for barbequing and enjoying the sun, a perfect site for shell collectors and as an entrance for divers to a beautiful dive spot, and I would like to be back again soon, although I prefer to be there when a lot of people around and not with darkness only a few minutes away.
When you have some time, or better yet try to find time to visit Saipan’s hidden jewels. A lot of people from other parts of the world are willing to pay thousands of dollars just to experience what you always have, and may have taken for granted.