Help! I'm only on Saipan for a short time, and I want to see as much of the island as possible!"--Suzanne

...the newest, most current, all-photo travel guide & souvenir book about Saipan as it exists in modern times!"

"I had an unbelievable time on Saipan!!! Thank you so much for all of your help with organizing such an awesome experience! I will definitely write more later, but I just couldn't let one more second go by without letting you know how much I appreciate what you've done!!!"--Kay H. Read what Kay wrote later!

"I’ve been to Japan over a half-dozen times over the past decade. Recently, I learned how easy it is to visit Guam via Tokyo’s Narita airport. For this year’s Japan trip, I decided to do just that and visit Saipan and Tinian as well. The overriding reason was to visit the latter two islands as my uncle participated in their invasion by U.S. forces (his unit was the 534th Amphibian Tractor Battalion) during WWII. He lived a long and full life, but like many vets, he did not discuss his service. So, this visit was very personal. I am so happy that I learned of Walt and DiscoverSaipan.com, and with a friend booked Walt’s personalized tour. Although the tour had a WWII site focus, Walt ensured we also visited other sites that helped us also better understand Saipan, its history, and its citizens and their culture. This comprehensive tour let us take many photos, which will be much easier to caption, remember, describe to friends due to Walt’s meticulously timestamped post-tour itinerary. He even sketched an itinerary for our next-day’s visit to Tinian. Walt was open to all questions, and he even now continues to provide us more information and amplification via his post-tour research updates. Having Walt as a tour guide was like having another close friend in the tour group to share the experiences. Walt and DiscoverSaipan provide an excellent personalized tour of Saipan that my friend and I thoroughly enjoyed and learned much. Because of Walt and his focus on a personalized tour experience, I felt my personal mission was fulfilled and that I made a new friend. I highly recommend Walt and DiscoverSaipan.com! "--Reginald R. (April 2017)

"We have been on many tours in many countries and this tour is among the best. Walt is a transplant from Jamaica via NYC but has fallen in love with Saipan. He is incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastically shares that knowledge. He is incredibly attentive to every detail. The tour was exhaustive and insightful. We felt we really knew Saipan at its conclusion. If I had a complaint, it would be the high cost. Although initially reluctant because of the price, we are glad we chose to do the tour."

"Thanks for the photos, and thanks again for your kind serving and arrangement of our tour. We had a great time in Saipan, and too bad we just don't have enough time to taste the place. Hope we have chance to visit the place again."--R.F., Hong Kong

"Thank you for sending the pictures and also your kindness and help during the trip. It was a good experience for us. I would be happy to see you again when I return to Saipan in the future. I wish you success!"--Jian G., Weihai, Shandong, China more
p.s. WeLoveSaipan.com is really cool!

Hi Walt, Thanks a lot for house and tour of island! It's what I really want! :) "--Dmitry M., Khabarovsk, Russian Federation

"Hi Walt, We are coming to Saipan just for 3 days to run away from the busy/crazy life of Seoul. The world is big, but we decided to come to Saipan without any clues about the island, or the things to do and visit. Your website about discovering Saipan just gave me the will to visit the island!"

"Thank you for everything and see you there next time ! :)"-- Bruno Le Toullec, The French Embassy in Korea

Thank you so much! This is more than we've seen and done on any other port on our cruise! [Kagman, Forbidden Island, Tank Beach, Grotto, Suicide, Banzaii, Memorial Park] - Bruce No.1, Bev, Jill, Bruce No.2 from Australia; along with the Sun Princess in the harbor over Bruce No.1's shoulder

"I moved to Saipan from New York in late 2009, and was very fortunate to come across one of a number of very informative web sites maintained by Walt Goodridge, director of DiscoverSaipan, that are dedicated to Saipan. I wrote to him shortly, and was amazed to discover what a caring, knowledgeable, and accommodating person he is. From the moment I met Walt all my uncertainties and questions about my new life on Saipan have disappeared. Walt came up with a myriad of lodging options for me, which met my budget, and the choice was basically between "very good" and "even better". Walt knows the best places on Saipan for lodging, shopping, and entertainment that will not cost you a fortune. From telecommunications, to farmers' markets, to postal service – Walt's got the answer as to what, where, how much, and what's best. He anticipates any pitfalls you may encounter arising from your newness to the island, and is swift in helping you avoid same. Most of all, he is down to earth, gracious, very genuine and easy to communicate with, optimistic and unmercenary person. In my opinion Walt is the best guide on the island, by far, that you may find. At times forgetting of his own needs, and generous with his time and knowledge, he is at all times concerned that your experience on Saipan is the best possible one. Thank you Walt!!!" --Alexander P., New York

"Hi Walt, I'm a history professor at Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu, and I'm doing a research project on government systems in the Pacific. So, I'm interested in historical sites and buildings related especially to government history (and WWII history)...."

"Walt provided an excellent tour of Saipan. It was both interesting and informative. I wanted to see a number of sites off the beaten path, and Walt did the research to insure that we found those places easily. What I especially liked was that Walt personalized my tour based on my interests. He's also a wealth of knowledge about the island and has a genuine passion for what he does. If you really want to see what Saipan has to offer, go with Walt!"

I discovered Saipan through my interest in off-the-beaten path travel, world geography, World War II history, Manhattan Project history, and island life. While Guam is moderately well known, the remaining Marianas islands are often overlooked. Saipan is a tropical Pacific island where US ditizens can enter with little to no hassle or visa limitations. Specifically, I discovered Saipan in 2012 while researching potential side trips from a work trip to Guam. I have already visited Palau, Pohnpei, Chuuk, Majuro, and lived on Johnston Atoll so the Northern Marianas were a natural extension. Walt's user friendly website will assist other travellers who might be less familiar with Oceania.

"The best part of my trip was interacting with other people on Saipan, whether they be hoteliers at Mango Resort, Walt (guide extraordinaire), or the staff at American Memorial Park. Of course, this is set in an amazing island atmosphere with gorgeous Pacific sunrises and sunsets. From the flame trees to the mango trees, from the World War II bunkers to ancient Chamorro stones, Saipan has it all. Even though I am an experienced solo traveller, it was fun to spend a day without having to be completely immersed in the decision making. I would definitely recommend Walt's guide services."--Eric

I was surprised at the amount of history, both World War II and island history that Walt was able to orally pass on as well as show me. Saipan and Tinian are different from Guam, Walt was able to explain the different backgrounds and how they play out in today's society. Reading about the history and then daily life of a location like Saipan doesn't have the same impact as being there, touching history and putting ones self in the place where that history happened. That's why I went, and that's what Walt was able to deliver for me. Thanks for a fascinating and fun two days!"--D.D.

We really enjoyed getting to meet you and hope that we can join up again sometime in another part of the world. You truly showed us a local friendship we were longing for. Thank you for all you did to make our time here enjoyable and for your continued support through the health information. We feel truly blessed to have crossed paths with you :-) We got the great pics of our tour, and thanks for being such an amazing host." --Lyn and Judi

"Hi Walt, Thanks so much for that wonderful, personalized tour of Saipan. I did get the maps and your sweet card when I checked out and thank you for them. It was a great day which I will remember with fondness for the rest of my life. Good luck to you in all of your various endeavors and I hope that you will have many more travelers heading your way. Fondly, Maxine" (Oct 2015)

EXCERPT: When you see sand stars, you may be looking at some of the oldest fossils known to man. There is fossil evidence of them dating back 550 million years, and molecular evidence suggesting 800 million to 1.2 billion years. The best time to find some is after a typhoon when the raging ocean has washed them up from its depths as the sea bottom lets loose some of its treasures. One reason they are so abundant on beaches in the Indo Pacific Oceanic area is that they prefer shallow waters, often combining with sea algae anchoring them – so you might find some living ones if you look very closely.[Excerpt from this site]

Walt provided my wife and I an excellent tour of Saipan and Tinian. We did a self guided tour of Saipan, on our first day. Having done this, when Walt took us around Saipan on day two we modified some stops to our great satisfaction. His excellent narratives of WW2 sites as well as history of Saipan were absolutely great. Walt was even able to get us in to see a private collection of WW2 artifacts. Really cool stuff...Our next day started with a really great airplane flight to Tinian. If anyone goes to Saipan, you also have to go to Tinian. Between both islands, Walt made history come alive. All I can say is Walt made this a very cool experience."--Gary and Nancy, Feb 2017