Kosrae

Kosrae is one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia.

Understand
Kosrae is unlike most Micronesian islands that have other nearby islands that can be easily traveled to by boat in one to two hours. Kosrae is hundreds of miles from the nearest island, so a day trip to an outer island is out of the question.

Talk
Kosraean is the native language, but most people speak at sufficient English to understand visitors. It is a requirement of all government staff to be able to speak and write English, and the staff at hotels, restaurants and rental car companies speak English.

By plane


If you are traveling to Kosrae from Europe, the common flight paths are via Manila (Philippines), Seoul (Korea), or Tokyo (Narita Inl, Japan), and then connecting through Guam.

From Australia the most common way is to take a Continental flight from Cairns to Guam, which then has a short connection time onto Kosrae.

From the U.S. mainland, the common flight path is via Honolulu, but you can also take a direct flight to Tokyo from many U.S. cities, and then travel via Guam.

Get around
Taxis are available on Kosrae. They are very cheap ($2 to $5/person), but you get what you pay for, and they are rather unreliable. They're OK if you don't mind long waits, or walking if they don't arrive. Rental cars are relatively modern and normally in good condition. Most are US standard auto, left hand drive, and cost around US$50 per day, or right hand drive automatics can be arranged for around $40/day. Most hotels can pre-arrange them. Most of the roads are flat and run around the edge of the island near the ocean. Bicycles are not readily available to hire.

Do
A photographer’s paradise, Kosrae Island is stunningly beautiful, with a mountainous interior, lush rain forest, and pristine hard coral reefs. The traditional cottages, within 50 feet of the ocean, incorporate modern amenities. Explore Kosrae: cultural tours, excursions to ancient ruins, outrigger canoe or kayak trips through the oldest mangroves in the Pacific, rainforest hiking and climbing as well as snorkeling and Scuba diving with local guides.

Take a 2-hour outrigger canoe trip through the Utwe/Walung Biosphere Marine Reserve. This tour can be booked through most hotels and is a must-do when visiting Kosrae. The guide has an 8-hp engine on the canoe that has been made by hand from a local breadfruit tree, so you don't even need to paddle, just sit back and take in the amazing scenery. At $25 per person (max 4 guests), it's great value for money.



Drink
There are three licensed restaurants on Kosrae where anyone 21 or older can buy a drink. Due to strong church influences, consumption of alcohol on Sundays is prohibited. Do not drink water straight from taps or streams. Bottled water is widely available.

Stay safe
Kosrae is generally safe, and crime is uncommon.

At 5 degrees above the equator it rarely experiences winds above 20 knots. It does receive a lot of rain when a tropical depression forms north of the island that will head east north-east and turn into a typhoon about a week later somewhere near Guam, Japan or The Philippines.

There are no snakes, crocodiles or any other nasty animals on the island.

Kosrae is like a pin coming up from the rather deep ocean floor, and because of this, it is believed that tsunamis pass right on by it without being noticed, as there is nowhere for the energy to build up.