Considered the hub of the West Pacific, Guam is a meeting point for East and West, serving as a stopover for travelers from Asia, Hawaii and the U.S. Guam is Micronesia's largest (212 square miles) and most populated island with more than 150,000 residents. The island is an Unincorporated Territory of the U.S. and home to important U.S. military installations.

Guam's tropical clime — an average 81-degrees and 80 inches of rain a year — gives rise to spectacular vegetation. The more than 600 plant species have been a cornerstone of Chamorro life for centuries, providing shelter, sustenance and healing. Fragrant flowers and tropical fruits and abound for enjoyment by locals and visitors alike. The wood of the ifil tree — Guam's state tree — is prized by carvers who craft it into tables, clocks and other decorative items. Weavers work with pandanus or coconut fibers to create hats, mats, bags and baskets.

Offshore lies an oasis of beauty atop and below the sea. Water sports and recreation such as windsurfing, fishing and kayaking abound for the active and, for the less athletic, a dolphin watch or sunset dinner cruise are perfect ocean pastimes. The waters off Guam are ideal for diving, offering visibility up to 150 feet and a vivid assortment of hard and soft coral, colorful marine life and underwater wrecks to explore.

When in Guam, do as the Chamorros (and other locals do): be sure to partake of island favorites like red rice, barbecued ribs, taro leaves stewed in coconut milk, or kelaguen, an exotic blend of grilled chicken, lemon juice, coconut and hot peppers. Work off your meal with a trek to Guam's beach heads and famed latte stones or a tour of Spanish ruins or WWII battle sites. There's always something to do, see and savor in Guam.

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