To be completely honest, Guam was never on my radar before this trip. I love seafood so much I suspect I was a sea monster in a past life—though probably one that drowned, which would explain why I’m terrified of water and can’t swim to save my life. Naturally, beach destinations requiring me to face the vast open ocean aren’t usually high on my bucket list.
So why was this aquaphobic sea monster heading to Guam? There’s only one truth: it was a company trip! The other group tour options didn’t appeal to me, but the Guam itinerary was a free-and-easy trip. The thought of lounging on the beach or by the hotel pool with great colleagues—without ever stepping foot in the ocean—sounded like the ultimate post-work recharge. Just zoning out while staring at the ocean was too tempting to resist. And so off to Guam I went! (Spoiler alert: reality turned out to be completely different, but keep reading…)
[ Trapped on this self-contained little island? Count me in! ]
Three things that impressed me most about Guam
ONE. Guam plays a role similar to Green Island in Taiwan, while its sights feel a lot like Kinmen.
Guam is roughly twice the size of Taipei City. Though a US territory, it sits far from the US mainland and much closer to Asia. You get that distinct American vibe—small-town streets straight out of a Hollywood movie, classic US brands, and comforting diner fare. However, because almost everything is imported, prices and variety don’t quite match major US cities. In a way, it feels like an offshore island such as Matsu or Green Island. While the island boasts a few outlet centers and even a Macy’s, the prices and selections aren’t particularly wallet-friendly. I came armed with credit cards ready to go on a spree, only to find my suitcase frustratingly empty!
Starting out as a strategic military outpost, Guam has been occupied by Spain, Japan, and the United States over the centuries. Combined with the indigenous Chamorro culture, the island is a fascinating melting pot. Its historic structures and scenic lookouts are picturesque, though mostly compact. A leisurely drive around southern Guam takes only about four hours. It reminded me of visiting Taiwan’s Kinmen—stopping by coastal artillery, Wind Lion Gods, and historic cliffs. Taking photos, soaking in the view, and reading information boards are the main ways to sightsee here—and bringing your own sense of fun is the secret sauce.
[ Guam’s miniature Normandy landing—every spot tells a story ]
TWO. The ocean in Guam is stunningly blue and crystal clear
Without a doubt, Guam’s true treasure is its coastline. (Because honestly, why else come to Guam?) The beaches here have a unique feature: an unusually wide shallow reef flat. You can wade out nearly a kilometer and the water barely reaches your waist (well… shoulders for someone my height). Beyond the shallow flat, the seabed drops off dramatically into a deep ocean trench—a shift you can clearly see in the changing color of the water. This creates a massive safe zone for water fun. Even if you trip and swallow a mouthful of seawater in the shallow area, you just dust yourself off and stand right back up—an exceptionally forgiving environment for an aquaphobic non-swimmer like me.
[ The light blue marks the huge shallow shelf, while the sharp blue line marks the deep ocean drop-off ]
Under the sunny sky, the ocean glows a brilliant shade of blue. The water is so crystal clear you can see right down to the bottom. Even in the shallowest spots along the shore, tropical fish swim around your feet. You can snorkel and feed them without ever boarding a rocky boat—when you get tired, just turn around and walk back onto the beach. It officially gets my seal of approval as a sanctuary for lazy, water-fearing folks! Scuba diving here is equally hassle-free: no boat ride needed, just strap on an oxygen tank with your instructor and walk right in. Once you pull out some fish food, the swarm of fish is so overwhelming every photo looks like an underwater mob attack. We literally had to fight through a wall of fish just to show our faces to the camera!
[ Believe it or not, schools of fish swim right by the shore! ]
[ Playing peek-a-boo behind a school of fish… Guys, can I get at least a tiny slice of the camera shot? ]
THREE. Guam is the closest US territory to Taiwan—and trust me, it genuinely gives you the feeling of a long-haul trip to America.
Because the jet lag is real!
Even though the flight from Taiwan is only three and a half hours and Guam is just two hours ahead, the red-eye flight schedules are brutal. You depart Taiwan at 11 PM and land in Guam at 5 AM local time, plunging straight into a full day of activities without sleep. The return flight leaves at 6 AM, landing back in Taiwan at 8 AM. Running on zero sleep, I spent my first day roaming Guam like a zombie—not even a shopping trip to the outlets could revive me. After returning home, I slept like a log for an entire day to reset my inner clock, feeling like I had just returned from a long-haul flight. Guam is definitely tailor-made for energetic night owls… clearly, I’m getting too old for this!
[ Look, the moon! Arriving in Guam meant looking up at the bright moon—and instantly passing out from exhaustion… ]
And as a bonus fourth highlight: visiting Guam—the birthplace of typhoons—meant we were fortunate enough to welcome the birth of “Baby Typhoon” Soudelor. Out of four actual days on the island, only day one blessed us with sunshine. The next three days brought overcast skies and intermittent rain showers (though thankfully Guam’s rain passes quickly). To top it off, Typhoon Soudelor literally followed us all the way back to Taiwan, making landfall just two days after we returned. Achievement unlocked: Bringing a typhoon home as a souvenir! Who needs gift shops when you can bring back a tropical storm for the whole country? All in all, visiting typhoon-prone Guam in the summer definitely requires a bit of luck weather-wise.
[ You were just a tiny storm when we met in Guam—how did you grow into a monster typhoon two days later? ]
[ Storm clouds rolling in over the beach, blowing the palm trees’ “hair” sideways ]
Flights & Accommodation
Direct flights from Taiwan to Guam are offered exclusively by EVA Air and China Airlines. A direct round-trip ticket costs around NT$15,000 (about US$500) with a quick flight time of just 3 hours and 40 minutes. Alternatively, budget-conscious travelers can fly Philippine Airlines via Manila for as low as NT$8,000 (about US$260), though that layover stretches the journey to a brutal 15 hours.
For accommodation, prime oceanfront resort rooms along Tumon Bay run about NT$4,000 to NT$5,000 (about US$130–165) per night for a double. If you’re on a tighter budget—or traveling solo or as a duo—non-beachfront hotels, Airbnb, and Couchsurfing offer plenty of wallet-friendly alternatives.
For this trip, we opted for an EVA Air flight paired with a stay at the beachfront Fiesta Resort Guam on Tumon Bay. Booking a flight-plus-hotel package through a travel agency turned out to be much cheaper than booking everything separately. Since Guam package deals are super flexible for pairs, our package ended up costing around NT$23,000 to NT$26,000 (about US$760–860) per person. (That was NT$26,000 (about US$860) per person for a high-floor oceanfront double room, versus NT$23,000 (about US$760) for a standard street-view room). The bundle came packed with perks: round-trip airport transfers, a two-hour island orientation tour on day one, a shopping trip to Guam Premier Outlets (GPO), and a lunch at Capricciosa. Plus, our tour guide was always a quick phone call away throughout our six-day stay whenever we needed help booking extra activities.
[ The view from our top-floor oceanfront double room at Fiesta Resort—perfectly centered for sweeping views of the entire bay! ]
Whether you fly EVA Air or China Airlines, both direct routes are proper red-eye flights. Throw in arriving at the airport two hours early plus travel time from Taipei to Taoyuan International Airport, and you will definitely be flying with bloodshot eyes.
Taipei > Guam Flight time: 2015/7/31 22:45 – 2015/8/1 04:40 (Local time, +2 hours time difference)
Guam > Taipei Flight time: 2015/8/5 06:10 – 08:05
EVA Air’s Guam route typically features their iconic Hello Kitty-themed jet, complete with pink Hello Kitty headrest covers, cushions, magazines, and cutlery. Unfortunately, our outbound flight was swapped for a smaller aircraft. Likely due to understaffing, inflight service dragged on forever. The cabin lights stayed on for three out of the four-hour flight, making sleep impossible. To top it off, landing music started blasting through the cabin half an hour before touching down. At that moment, I realized the zero-service approach of budget airlines is actually a blessing. Combined with unusually dry cabin air and a visibly stressed cabin crew, it was a rough night that definitely knocked EVA Air down a few pegs in our book. Thankfully, the return flight was on a larger jet with better legroom—or maybe we were just too exhausted to care and slept right through it, slightly redeeming the airline in our eyes.
[ From check-in and boarding to inside the cabin, you are completely surrounded by Hello Kitty! ]
[ Hello Kitty-themed utensils were expected, but opening my meal to find a carrot cut into Kitty’s head scared me wide awake. ]
Our accommodation of choice, Fiesta Resort Guam, sits right on the beach along Tumon Bay, the island’s main tourist hub. Among the beachfront strip, it strikes a great balance between price and quality—a total high-value choice. Downstairs, you’ll find inviting swimming pools with direct access to the beach and ocean, plus a cozy little gym that kept us from wasting our early wake-up calls when morning rain ruined our outdoor jog.
Itinerary Planning
Because of flight schedules, a 6-day/4-night Guam trip from Taiwan effectively spends the first and last days in transit, leaving us with four full days of exploration. Standard travel agency packages often dedicate a day or two to water resorts like ABC or PIC, which offer endless pool and water sports facilities. However, to get your money’s worth out of their US$100–140 admission, you really need to go all-out on activities. Since we preferred a more relaxed pace, we decided that paying that steep fee wasn’t for us. Instead, we went for a 100% self-planned road trip itinerary, booking a few local tours on the fly with our guide after landing.
Here is our four-day breakdown:
Day 1:
Touchdown in Guam > 2-hour central island tour included in package (Statue of Liberty, Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica, Latte Stone Park, Plaza de España, Two Lovers Point) > Hotel breakfast > Shopping at Guam Premier Outlets (GPO) > Lunch at Capricciosa > Hotel check-in, pool time, and much-needed catch-up sleep > Dinner at Men Kui Japanese Ramen > Adult show
(We squeezed three days of energy into this single, endless day!)
Day 2:
Road trip through Southwestern Guam: War in the Pacific National Historical Park > Lunch at Jeff’s Pirates Cove > Inarajan Natural Pool > Fort Soledad > Spanish Bridge > Dinner at Tony Roma’s Ribs > Late-night gossip session at the hotel
(As you can see, rest was still not on the agenda!)
Day 3:
Drive to Ritidian Point in northeastern Guam (Star Sand Beach was closed due to a typhoon, so we pivoted to neighboring Coco Palm Garden Beach for water fun) > Lunch at PROA for authentic Chamorro BBQ > Playing baseball in the park > Pool time back at the hotel > Late-night dinner at Wendy’s > Board games at the hotel
(More partying, more drinks—what even is sleep?)
Day 4:
Skydiving, scuba diving, or pilot-a-plane experience > Lunch at a roadside hot dog stand > Outlet shopping > Dinner at Ban Thai > Packing up and prepping for departure back to Taiwan
# These photos are just a teaser! Don’t panic—the next post covers the ultimate guide to Guam’s attractions, eats, and shopping spots. Hold your horses!
| Real Guam, Little America | The Ultimate 6D4N Guam Sightseeing Guide: Mountain Peaks, Deep Seas, and Everything In Between
Getting Around the Island
Since our group totaled 18 people, we rented cars for two of our four days to explore the southwest and northern regions. We booked through the Guam Travel website with EZ Rent A Car (run by a Taiwanese owner). Even with third-party liability insurance added, the two-day car rental averaged under US$40 per person—an absolute bargain for group travel that gave us total freedom over our schedule. Best of all, driving in Guam is hassle-free: Taiwanese travelers don’t even need an International Driving Permit, as a valid Taiwanese driver’s license is fully recognized!
[ With so little traffic and standard right-hand driving, Guam is actually a fantastic place to practice your driving skills. ]
[ The main traffic rule in Guam: speed limits are painfully slow, though locals seem to view them more as casual suggestions! ]
If you plan to stick around Tumon Bay, most spots are easily walkable. Alternatively, you can hop on the public Lam Lam Red Shuttle Bus, which charges a flat rate of US$4 per ride regardless of distance. They run on fixed routes and schedules, so a bit of advance checking helps. If you book day tours or activities, transportation is even easier—most providers include complimentary hotel pick-up and drop-off!
[ A cute bus that feels slightly out of place in Guam. Timetables change occasionally, so it’s best to grab an updated schedule from staff at bus stops. ]
Wi-Fi & Internet
Wi-Fi isn’t everywhere in Guam. Hotels usually offer it, but if you need to stay connected on the go, you have three options: rent a Wi-Fi router, buy a local 3G SIM card, or set up international roaming (stating the obvious here!). For this trip, I took advantage of a credit card promotion for a free 5-day Wi-Ho Wi-Fi router rental. Starting July 2015, however, the threshold bumped up to spending over NT$30,000 (about US$950) in foreign currency during the rental period to get it free—talk about a spending spree! Luckily, even if you don’t hit the target, you can rent it for a discounted rate of NT$199 (about US$6.50) per day. Since one router supports up to five devices, splitting the cost with friends makes it super affordable. The catch? You and your group are practically joined at the hip. Plus, the router battery only lasts about four hours, so carrying a high-capacity power bank is non-negotiable.
A few of my colleagues opted for a local DOCOMO 3G SIM card. For US$25, you get a new SIM card plus 5 days of unlimited data, along with local calling capabilities—extremely handy for making local reservations or emergency calls. If your group members aren’t heavy data users, you can easily share a hotspot and split the bill. The tradeoff? Island time is real. Getting a SIM card set up can take a while—my colleagues joked that after a relaxed setup full of friendly chat, the staff gave a dramatic sigh of relief upon finishing! If you choose this route, line up right when the store opens and mentally prepare to spend some shopping time waiting.
[ The DOCOMO counter at Guam Premier Outlets (GPO), opens at 10:00 AM ]
As for international roaming from Taiwanese carriers, only a few offer unlimited data plans, so it’s best to check with your provider directly before flying out. For our group, sticking to Wi-Fi routers and local SIM cards worked out great.
Language
Being a U.S. territory, English is the primary language in Guam, though you’ll also hear locals chatting in Chamorro. However, with so many visitors from Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, it hardly feels like you’ve left Asia for American soil. Japanese tourists make up the largest group, so many hotel staff, waiters, and shopkeepers speak fluent Japanese—a great plus if you know a bit of Japanese yourself. Menus and store signs frequently feature Japanese and Korean translations as well. While Mandarin signs and Chinese-speaking staff are less common, you can easily find Taiwanese-operated businesses for services that require clear communication, such as car rentals or scuba diving. All in all, language barriers are hardly an issue here!
[ Trilingual menus in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, Japanese signs in convenience stores, and Korean coffee brands in hotel rooms—are we sure this is America? ]
Visas
Taiwanese citizens flying direct to Guam do not need a visa—just present a passport valid for at least six months along with a Taiwanese National ID card for a super hassle-free entry. We were pretty nervous going through border control, anticipating strict U.S. customs officers (especially after seeing a fellow traveler pulled into the dreaded side room!). But when it was our turn, the officer was all smiles and jokes, even playfully complimenting Taiwanese women. Talk about a relaxed welcome!
Weather
Located slightly south of Manila in latitude, Guam enjoys summer-like weather year-round. Thanks to ocean breezes, the average temperature stays around a comfortable 26°C, so light summer clothes are all you need. The dry season runs from November to May, while our August trip fell right in the rainy season (June to October). Thankfully, tropical showers here pass as quickly as they arrive, rarely ruining an entire day.
[ Just a bit south of Manila (Screenshot from Google Maps) ]
That said, the tropical sun here is no joke—the UV index is reportedly four times higher than usual. Despite constantly reapplying sunscreen, us girls still ended up with a noticeable tan. Meanwhile, the stubborn guys in our group thought they could skip sunscreen on an overcast day. Big mistake! By evening, every single one of them sported a permanent “tank top” sunburn, glowing red like boiled lobsters and peeling the next day. Don’t skimp on sunscreen unless you want a built-in sunburned tank top!
[ Custom-made “tank tops” courtesy of the blazing sun ]
Guam is all about the ocean. Its stunning beaches and scenic spots are perfect for couples looking for a romantic tropical backdrop or friends seeking outdoor adventures. Stay tuned for the next post, where I’ll share top sights, scuba diving tips, and where to eat and shop!
Further Reading:
| Real Guam, Little America | What Kind of Place is Guam? 6-Day 4-Night Itinerary Guide
| Real Guam, Little America | 6-Day 4-Night Guam Sights & Activities: From Peaks to Ocean
| Real Guam, Little America | Photo Album
