Fun Things to Do On Guam

Guam offers an amazing variety of leisure activities. In addition to its beaches, duty free shopping, and varied nightlife, Guam boasts seven world-class golf courses, some of the best scuba diving and snorkeling in the world, underwater parks and submarine tours, sunset dinner cruises, jet skiing, wind surfing, kayaking, parasailing, sky diving, and deep-sea fishing.

Golfing. With seven world-class golf courses designed by famous U.S. and Japanese golf greats, Guam is truly a golfers' paradise, sure to challenge all levels of skill and professionalism. Leo Palace golf resort, in central Guam has four 9-hole courses including one designed by Jack Nicklaus and two by Arnold Palmer. The 18-hole Talafofo golf course, in the Southern part of the island, was designed by nine of the top senior golfers in the world (Ben Hogan, Sam Sneed, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Billy Casper, Doug Ford, Gene Sarazen, Bob Toski, Orville Moody, and Gene Littler), each of whom designed two holes. Mangilao Country Club golf course, designed by Robin Nelson, has been described by George Fuller in "Asia-Pacific Golf" magazine as ranking among the best golf courses in the Pacific. Additional golf clubs and resorts include the Country Club of the Pacific; Guam International Country Club; Alte Guam Golf Resort; Windward Hills Country Club.

Guam's Golf courses are known for their breathtaking scenery with immaculately manicured fairways and greens surrounded by lush tropical jungles or perched atop ocean cliffs with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean . Most courses are 18 holes with their own pro and specialty shops and each of Guam 's golf courses has its own special character and appeal. Mangilao Country Club and golf course, situated atop cliffs with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, is considered exceptionally breathtaking.

All of Guam 's golf courses are open to the public and all skill levels, beginner to pro, are welcome. Greens fees start at $80, including the cart which is required at most courses. No golf course is more than 20 minutes away by car from any one of Guam 's major hotels, and transportation can be arranged by the hotel or the golf course. Leo Palace resort offers accommodations at the course that include more than 100 condominium units, a swimming pool and tennis courts. It is advisable to book with the golf courses in advance because they are all in great demand, especially in high season. Guam also offers a Target 9-hole, par 3, golf course, a number of public driving ranges and, for authorized military personnel, two outstanding military golf courses, Andersen Air Force Base and the Navy Nimitz Golf Course. Add the breath taking ocean and lush tropical jungle scenery surrounding most clubs and any golfer, regardless of skill levels, will find that Guam will more than satisfy their needs.

Atlantis Adventures Guam Submarine Tours. Explore Guam 's tropical reefs and expansive marine life up close without getting wet. Atlantis Adventures offers underwater tours aboard a 65' submarine. The submarine carries up to 48 passengers in air conditioned comfort. Each tour begins with a 15 minute boat ride from the Atlantis docks at Aqua Marine World in Piti, to the dive site just inside Apra Harbor . The dive lasts approximately 45 minutes after which passengers are shuttled back to the docks on one of Atlantis's large surface tenders. Atlantis tours are popular with tourists and military personnel stationed on the island. Current prices are $82 for adult and $42 for children under 12 years. Tour guides speak English and Japanese.

Fish Eye Park. Fish Eye Park is an undersea observatory that descends into a World War II bomb hole a couple hundred yards off the beach in Piti. During the shelling of Guam during WWII, a number of bombs dropped between the shoreline and coral reef surrounding the village of Piti , the site of a number of Japanese costal gun emplacements. An abundance of coral and marine life abound in these craters which have become prime dive locations and have been designated a marine preserve. The 71 foot Fish Eye Park marine observatory extends 31 feet below the surface into one of the bomb holes. Visitors walk down into the air conditioned observation chamber where they have a 360 degree view of the surrounding coral and marine life. Visitors often find themselves being viewed by the marine life and scuba divers. Cost is $28 for adults and $15 for children under 12 years.

Underwater World. Another Guam underwater adventure can be found at Underwater World. Located next to Sam Choy's in Tumon, Underwater World is a large aquarium complex where you will stroll through a 7' wide by 7' tall tunnel in 10 feet of water separated by 3 inches of clear acrylic. As you stroll through 3 floors of exhibits you will view various undersea habitats from ocean depths to shallows and varied marine life to include various varieties of sharks, rays, groupers, lion fish, pufferfish, guitarfish, napoleonfish, clownfish, octopus, eels, crabs, clams, anemones, sea horses and live coral. An audio tour guide, available in English, Japanese or, provides general information and allows you to obtain specific information about a fish or marine animal that you see. The tour lasts from 45 minutes to 1 and ½ hour. Admission fees are $22 for adult and $14 for children under 12.

Scuba Diving and Snorkeling. Guam‘s exceptionally clear waters that maintain temperature between 82-86 degrees year round, varied undersea life, unspoiled coral reefs and a number of World War II airplane and ship wrecks make it one of the best diving destinations in the world. Located just off the Marianas Trench, the deepest part of the ocean in the world, Guam offers the dedicated diver numerous reefs and sheer walls, hundreds of varieties of coral and fish, dolphin watching, and wreck diving. A number of marine preserves have been established to protect Guam's undersea life which are open to, and offer great experiences, to divers and underwater photographers. Dives can be initiated from the shore or boat, depending on the destination. There are a number of commercial dive operators on Guam that offer tours and instruction. Both Andersen AFB and COMNAVMAR Naval facility have on-base dive shops with bargain prices for military personnel. Stop by the Guam Visitors Bureau and pick up a copy of their free dive Guam pamphlet and click here for Guam dive pictures. Below are links to Guam scuba dive operators and centers.

Micronesian Divers Association - Let's Dive Guam
Guam Tropical Dive Station - Fun Dive Guam
Guam Adventure Diving - Real World Diving Guam

Water Parks and Beach Clubs. Water parks on Guam offer diverse activities as swimming pools, water slides, swim through aquariums, kayaking canals, water zoos, scuba and wind surfing, water aerobics and more. The largest and most extensive of the water parks are located at the Pacific Islands Club and Onward Beach Resort. Both of these parks offer an extensive variety of water activities, a number of restaurants and live entertainment. The Pacific Islands Club has a windsurfing pool sufficiently large to allow would-be wind surfers to learn the basics from trained instructors before hitting the ocean. Somewhat smaller than the Pacific Islands Club or Onward water parks, Tarza is conveniently located in upper Tumon behind the Guam Plaza Hotel overlooking Tumon Bay .

Beach clubs offer various activities on Tumon and Hagatna Bays such as wind surfing, kayaking, paddleboats, jet skiing and parasailing. The Pacific Islands Club and Onward hotels offer beach club services as well as their water parks. The Alupang Beach Club is located next to the Alupang Beach Tower on Hagatna bay with full selection of activities. The Ocean Jet Club is located just south of Alupang Beach Tower on Hagatna Bay . Activities vary among the various parks and clubs. Click on the above links to visit their web sites.

Cocos Island. Cocos Island is a small 100-acre island located approximately 2 miles off the Southern tip of Guam, surrounded by a vast barrier reef and blessed with good beaches and turquoise lagoons. Cocos Island has recently gained international notoriety as the site of a major Spanish treasure galleon wreck with billions of dollars worth of treasure that has yet to be recovered. Cocos Island Resort offers water sports activities such as diving, jet skiing, windsurfing and parasailing. The club house has full facilities including restaurant, bar and swimming pools. Wind surfing is a popular sport on Guam and windsurfers can be seen daily down the coast and in the Cocos Island bay. The Cocos wall is also a popular scuba dive spot. Dives can be arranged through one on Guam 's many dive operators. Although Cocos Island is mostly privately owned, Dano Park on the West Side of the island is part of the territorial park system, has picnic and camping facilities and is open to the public.

There are no commercial accommodations on Cocos, so plan on staying on the main island of Guam . To get to the park, you must either hike over from the resort dock or arrange for a private boat. While somewhat off the beaten track, Cocos island offers many attractions for those who make the effort to visit.

Boat Charters. Guam has a number of boat charter operations providing day charters, snorkeling, dolphin watching and on-board barbeques. Many are available for parties and special occasions. Guam offers excellent wind conditions for sailing. Trade winds are prevalent over the island from the East to West. The island provides a lee on the Western side keeping the winds manageable, usually 10 to 15 knots, and surf mild, permitting a bit of speed, without fighting rough surf. A number of moorings are available for snorkeling, diving and fishing. At present, there are no bare boats of crewed sailing charters operating on Guam . However, SailGuam expects to be offering crewed charters buy the end of the year.

Deep Sea Sport Fishing. Located on the edge of deepest point of the ocean in the world, the Marianas Trench, and ringed with coral reefs, Guam offers some of the best open ocean sport-fishing in the world and still holds the world record for Pacific Blue Marlin. Book one of the local fishing charter boats, such as Lucky Strike Guam Sport fishing Charter, and head out for sailfish, marlin, yellow fin, mahi-mahi, skipjack, wahoo and more. Your charter captain will provide the gear and bait and know where to go to bring back the fish. All you need to do is relax and enjoy the fishing.

Web www.Guam-Online.Com

Boonie Stomps and Eco Tours. Guam “boonies” include the large areas of undeveloped jungle and virgin beaches that cover a large part of the island. "Boonie Stomping", or hiking through these natural wonders is a popular, though demanding pastime for many residents and visitors alike. The government of Guam 's Department of Parks and Recreation offers public boonie stomps every Saturday to destinations all around the island. You may also want to check out Guam Safari Tours who offer eco-tours of off-the beaten tourist track Guam beaches, forests, waterfalls, WW-II battlefields, caves and other sites not normally seen by tourists.