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 have your car keys, the island is yours. If you are adventurous enough to adopt a ‘follow the…
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Second trip to a trip back in time (cave museum)
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 just before you reach Songsong Village. The museum is housed at a cliff side overlooking a beautiful beach side…
Read MoreCoconut 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 to the island and not that daring, you might think twice before taking the right turn past the…
Read MorePanoramic 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 by this same spot alone a couple of times in the past but I didn’t pay attention to…
Read More‘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, regardless of what day and what time. Everything about Rota is enchanting, but there is something about this…
Read MoreThe 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 with a dip in the swimming pool.The pool was deserted but I did not goin and instead ventured…
Read MoreRota: 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 on the left for “a surprise.” I looked at Jack and then at the road doubtfully. There was…
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