Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Mosley]

Don't really understand why one would choose Guam over the myriad of choices in E. Asia. That said, I've been(briefly)to Guam and all I can say is...if you're determined to go to that part of the world and drop that kind of coin, flip off Guam and go to...SAIPAN.

Sure, you have the same high prices and Japanese/Korean/Taiwanese tourist traps but to me, the natural scenery & the WW2 historical sights beat Guam hands down.

My 2 cents....

[jdsolo]

yah, but you'll get bored in 2-3 days. At least in Guam, there's civilization

[Louis VI]

I spent 9 days in Guam two winters ago over New Year's and liked it a lot. I took a direct flight from Busan (a route since discontinued I hear) and arrived at 2am in a mere three hours. I taxi'd to a 24 hour restaurant locals use (King's something) and ate a nice meal, walked and enjoyed the night air, soaked up the ambience and it was dawn of the first day before I knew it. A balmy 24 C at night sure was pleasant and as I'd napped the afternoon before, I didn't check into a hotel until later that first day. It was easy to find a $50 a night hotel within a 10 minute bus ride of Micronesia Mall (It's just a bloody mall, I say in response to a previous poster. It's actually not as big or diverse as Bangkok malls or even one in Chiang Mai, but of course it IS refreshing as a departure from Korea's shopping complexes). From the mall, I got a one week pass on that tourist trolley bus and used it most days.

The first couple of days were chilling time. After all, I was on bloody holiday and wanted to RE-LAX from the grind of hagwon teaching all year long. So, the lovely white and blue collage of sand, water and sky in permanent 30-32 C afternoon weather was welcoming. There's a park at the end of the hotel strip and the beach was enough for me. NOT too crowded, which was nice. No beggars, no pimping products, no visible stresses, just nice and quiet couples, families and others there to relax.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_tLAED_YQ7es/SB2Bg7rtblI/AAAAAAAAATo/YHreV63QCWE/DSC04546.JPG

I had preplanned my trip to be: 2-3 days beach, 2-3 days travel island, 2-3 days shopping. And that's how the 9 days went.

For the first few days I swam, read a couple of novels on the beach, wandered to hotel restaurants and strip eats for lunch, dozed on the sand in the shade, spent hours floating in the water actually, fully appreciating the weather, the sea and sky, not an ounce of suffering, perfect really as a winter getaway (except for those friggin' huge tour buses with their choking BLACK exhaust pipes. Guam allows the worst polluting buses imaginable because, well, there is no other form of air pollution around and it's blown out to sea, but not before it wafes over those standing on the sidewalk along busy roadways. I cannot overestimate how foul - though temp - is that experience. I mean, two minutes after one of those dinosaurs go by one can still SEE and smell their exhaust!).

For two days I travelled the island, using taxis, buses, walks and hikes. I did a bit of shopping but really only away from the main shopping places. I hit a variety of restaurants well away from tourist spots and found lots of good eats!

The last three days was dedicated to shopping and this is when I hit K-Mart, the mall and other places hard with the wallet. I bought over 30 CDs (yes, I still use that technology and the selection was awesome there), tons of clothes stuff for big and tall (especially nontailored stuff like big socks! nice big shoes, big sweaters - was funny buying those in such a tropical place).

I would go to Guam again in a heartbeat for a long weekend winter getaway in January or February. It's a short flight, the weather is great, a weekend at the beach is assured to be relaxing and enjoyable to do your own thing (as opposed to those seeking a party beach to meet and drink), the vast majority of perfect English speakers locally makes for nice conversations while out about, it really feels like a break from Asia, which is nice for a weekend. And it is NOT expensive if you rent a car. Taking the buses can be limiting and taxis are expensive; hotels aren't very expensive if you can get around and avoid the touristy spots.

A week in Guam seemed like enough (ideally 3-4 days, twice a year). I've spent a month travelling Thailand and that had been nowhere near enough time!! This is not a criticism of Guam. It is what it is. A winter getaway. Some Western shopping and restaurant variety. Scuba diving and beach chillin'.

[jdsolo]

thought this was a relevant article

http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20110207-guam-the-best-place-you-never-considered-going-to

[createasaurus21]

A good article recently by the BBC on traveling to Guam:

http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20110207-guam-the-best-place-you-never-considered-going-to

[createasaurus21]

woops, didn't notice someone had JUST posted that same link...

[Yaya]

The "budget" carrier Jin Air flies to Guam from Incheon.

[fadedgirl]

I went to Guam. I was told it was like Hawaii and the guys were hot and the girls were beautiful. I was expecting it to be a bit like America.
Really...I only went because I had 5 days and I wanted to spend it on the beach.

I was SO disappointed. The Hilton was average with average service. The beaches were terrible. They had green algae. I tried to lay out on the beach only to be approached by a guy who wanted to take a picture with me. The guy wouldn't take "No" for an answer and my friend had to throw a towel over me. I mean...panic-stricken and mortified DON'T even begin to describe how I felt. The sand was NOT soft. It was average.

The women looked like men and the men looked...terrible. The only decent looking people there...well...if you find one let me know...

The highlight of the trip was eating at a dessert shop called Sweet Relief.

Don't waste your money. AVERAGE is not what you want on a vacation. There was really nothing remarkable or special about this place.

[West Coast Tatterdemalion]

Uh, Guam is a part of America, you know. US territory. So, yeah, if you couldn't feel the US vibes you might be a bit culture blind. Anyhow, what's not to like about Guam? I loved it. The majority of your post seems to deal with the superficiality of appearance. Did you expect models to be prancing on the Ypao beach? Did you expect it to be a fantasyland of beautiful people? Have you been to Hawaii? The beaches there aren't exactly overrun by the "beautiful" people. If you want that kind of environment then the best bet is a Hugh Hefner sponsored Bahamas vaction party or perhaps an orgy porn shoot at a secluded beach in Southern California.

If the highlight of your trip was the dessert, then I would say that you lack perspective.

[warmachinenkorea]