Client Testimonials
for Walt F.J. Goodridge
The Jamaican on Saipan!
Maybe your photo will appear here…with your permission, of course!
“Let me just say that Walt G took Saipan’s war history experience to a whole new level! Not only was he patient and knowledgeable about each and every detail, he made me feel as if I was living the experience in real time. Walt went above and beyond to help me see this beautiful island when it was at its most vulnerable. He helped me appreciate the sacrifice, blood and tears that each and every service member and local experienced at a critical moment in history. I salute you Walt for your due diligence!”–Barbara G.
“Walt took me on a customized Nature trek. At my request, we hiked Forbidden Island. Breathtaking and surreal! The hike isn’t easy but Walt is safe, considerate, and super knowledgeable! I cut our hike to Bird Island short because I did not have any more gas in the tank but Walt did! He is super human and also doubles as a photographer capturing moments I could not. Can’t wait to sign up for the WWII Pilgrimage Tour and other nature treks!!!”–Pinkie A.
Visitor, Reginald, tours the Old Japanese Jail where it’s said Amelia Earhart was detained after her capture by Japanese authorities even after the rest of the world assumed she had perished at sea….
Note: Lloyd and I communicated by email for several months prior to his arrival. He sent me detailed recollections, facts, figures, war-related and cultural triva of that time in American life, and even photos of his early life and his time on the battleship, USS North Carolina. Using all of that fascinating info–and unbeknownst to Lloyd while I was doing it–I compiled his 1945 war experience, and chronicled his hero’s return in 2014 and, once he landed on Guam, I presented him with a personalized surprise: a paperback book I rush printed entitled From Bugle Boy to Battleship! Read more about the hero’s welcome on Saipan, and the special treat I arranged on Guam (See Saipan Tribune tribute: pdf jpg)
(Now, I can’t promise you that I’ll write a book about your life when you come to Saipan, but we can discuss it when I see you!)
ADenise's first trip outside of China was to Saipan!
“塞班岛的美丽是无法用照片诠释的。那种沁入心里的蓝色是那样震撼。这座经历过二战战火的小岛，如今以它独特的美丽和热情在等待我们。 广告：本次游玩的导游牙买加人Walt，给了我们很特别的体验，他非常客观地介绍了这坐岛的状况，从特别的角度，让我们看到了这坐岛的美丽。” (translation)
Patrick Hayes came in search of answers...
“Hi Walt,
thank you for the impressive effort you put forth on my behalf yesterday on the tour. You certainly planned the tour around my obvious desires and fulfilled all of the curiosity and then some that I had when I arrived on the island of Saipan as a son of a critically wounded Marine from the 2nd Marine Division. I leave the island enriched with historical data that can live on for generations in my family. Thanks Again!”– Patrick Hayes (READ MORE and see the article that appeared in Saipan’s local newspapers!
Hasse from the Netherlands visited Saipan, Tinian and Rota!
Kay from Guam had a great "Tours by Natives" adventure!
“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!
Nuclear Physicists Al and Reginald took the WWII tour!
“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)
Bill and Antoinette did Saipan AND Tinian! (Feb 2018)
“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.”
R.F. from Hong Kong enjoyed the activities!
“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
BEFORE:
“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!”
AFTER:
“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
My friend Joe and I met them randomly at a coffee shop and decide to show them around!
“41 Australians and the Jamaican on Saipan!!” Read the adventure of a big tour I did for a cruise ship group “The Short Happy Tale of 41 Australians and….”
BEFORE:
“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)….”
AFTER:
“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
Travel agents on a “fam” (familiarization) tour!
Kay and Barbara at Bird Island !
“Tinian native tour guide, Laila, describes daily life (and where to find the island’s world famous hot peppers) to Marcia, Patricia, Linda and Del! who took a Tinian day trip from Saipan”
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.
“I came to Saipan and Tinian to explore the history of the Mariana Islands and focus on visiting historic sites from World War II. I desired a tour guide, not because I was afraid to travel alone but because of the desire to see off the beaten path locations, gain local knowledge and not have to do even more research into times, directions and the location safety. I’d never met or spoken with Walt before and, going only by his website, took my chances.”
“Walt delivered and exceeded on all expectations for my two day tour. Things started right with Walt awaiting me at the Saipan airport, getting us over to Tinian and seeing all of the sites I desired to see along with many other hidden locations that where unknown to me including the SEABEEs monument and both of Tinian’s Shinto Shrines. We returned to Saipan early the first day in order to make the documentary at the American Memorial Park before they closed at 5pm (local knowledge kicking in). Walt dropped me off at my hotel, and I was off to dinner on my own.”
“Punctually the next morning, Walt was waiting for me in a car to start my exploration of Saipan. We took a quick 15 minute detour to the harbor to assist two customers from another group who were having a small issue, and Walt was there to help out. We proceeded south visiting World War II sites and other Saipan related historical/scenic locations I didn’t know about ahead of time including the garment factory district, Ladder Beach and the Old Japanese Jail. We drove, hiked at various spots and sometimes stopped for the photo opportunity. Walt was never pushy and listened to what I wanted to do, and if I wanted more or less time at a location, he was happy to oblige. We finished the tour after seeing everything on my World War II list along with much much more. We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to catch my flight and reflect on the wonderful two day trip.”
“When I see beauty like this I feel like Nature has forgiven the world.”–Claudia Claudia and Christian from Germany*
*the only tour clients who got me to go into the water for my first and only snorkeling experience!
The Schmidt family from Japan enjoying Saipan’s secret cave pool as part of their Saipan in a Day & day trip to Tinian adventure
Jermaine and Nikki from Shanghai by way of Vancouver!
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]
s.
I write on behalf of ZANYBROS staff thanking you for the great collaboration during pre-production and production days. We are very satisfied with the results and excited for future possibilities to film on Saipan. As this big production consisted of 4 different nationalities, languages and cultures, I am glad things went as well as they did. Mr Kim, Lee and Nomura give their best wishes to you and your family as well. Hope to work together again soon. –Angelina Foss, Overseas Marketing Producer, ZanyBros on Facebook
My husband is in the US Navy and first went to Saipan as a port visit 2 years ago. We visited Saipan last year for our honeymoon and again this year! It has crystal blue waters and is a great place to relax. We booked our tours through Saipanbookings and would recommend them for future travels. They arranged pick up to and from our activities as well as fast responses on any questions I had before my trip!
Q: What was the best part of your trip?
I enjoyed spending time at the beautiful beach at our hotel as well as the dinner cruise with my husband. Last year we went para sailing and jet skiing and had a blast with both activities!
“I lived on Saipan with my family for several years and loved it! After I left for school and married Austin, I just had to come back and show him all the places and people I love. My friends and I used to camp out on Managaha all the time and I wanted to do that with him! Talk about the most romantic trip ever! The weather was perfect on Managaha and my husband LOVED it!! We snorkeled in the bright blue water and then pried open some coconuts for a snack. We had the whole island to ourselves for a very peaceful, beautiful night. He loved the crabs all over the beach in the morning and it was super romantic of course. Thanks for being so helpful! You made the whole experience easy and enjoyable. I can’t thank you enough!”
Thanks again,
Tikla
Thanks again,
Tikla
p.s. Sorry for the delay getting back to you! We had such a great time I didn’t even check my email!! 🙂
And I love the newsaipan.com site! What a great mission. Here is an official statement if you like it better:
“We booked a ferry to Managaha through SaipanBookings. The whole thing was super easy thanks to the prompt feedback I received before I came. When we arrived on the dock the boat operators were extremely friendly.
And I love the newsaipan.com site! What a great mission. Here is an official statement if you like it better:
“We booked a ferry to Managaha through SaipanBookings. The whole thing was super easy thanks to the prompt feedback I received before I came. When we arrived on the dock the boat operators were extremely friendly.
Here is a photo (I think we look pretty good for having just camped on an tropical island, wouldn’t you say? 😉
“My wife and I were considering moving to Saipan when we took the trip in December 2009. Walt at DiscoverSaipan helped us to secure the night on the arriving day with a nice and clean hotel in the tourist area. It was also a breeze when we wanted to extend one night with the same hotel. We wanted to stay with a local family and Walt also helped us in finding the homestay. Walt even accompanied us to rental car return and the airline check-in counter on the departure day. We found the service to be reliable and responsive…. We recommend the service to visitors who want to have a tour of Saipan more catering to their individual tastes and/or an off-the-beaten-path experience.
Q:What did you like best about Saipan?
“…I found that what really impressed me are the following:
- The color of the water near Managaha island and Memorial Park, and in other locations around the island. It is the color of bright Jade. Just loving it!
- How safe it feels. During the days that I did the homestay, the entrance was never locked. I used to do that in California so it was not surprising to me, but it would be shocking to a person who has only lived in the urban areas of most cities, where a steel door entrance is a must to fend against break-ins.
- Beautiful, but uncrowded beaches. Better yet, beaches that are all public! It is definitely touching to a person who has gotten used to seeing signs saying “private property, do not trespass” in many scenery spots in other parts of the US.
I know this is probably not an exciting testimonial, but it is true to my heart.
MommaD wrote a review Feb 2020
Canada
Canada
DO NOT HESITATE BOOKING THIS EXPERIENCE
Review of: Saipan in a Day-World War II Pilgrimage Tour
We hope to encourage you to book this tour. With Walt waiting for us at the port in a private rented van, with his the full day itinerary he planned & arranged, anxiously waiting to share his wealth of knowledge and experience; our ship could not dock due to rough seas. Months earlier, we looked for the perfect tour of Saipan, this was it! Booking the tour on Pay Pal was simple. With the unfortunate event of aborting the port, Walt refunded our money back within a day with no fees for an FULL REFUND. We know you should book this Saipan tour as we experienced his associated tour in Guam, with Ed two days earlier. Wonderful experience. Do not hesitate to book both!
mmtrip wrote a review Feb 2020
Kaneohe, Hawaii
Amazing, Thorough Private Tour of Saipan
Review of: Saipan in a Day-World War II Pilgrimage Tour
Kaneohe, Hawaii
Amazing, Thorough Private Tour of Saipan
Review of: Saipan in a Day-World War II Pilgrimage Tour
I can’t say enough wonderful things about Walt and this private tour. We were picked up at the airport and spent an entire day catered to what we wanted to see and do.
We enjoyed a personal experience at a private collection of WWII artifacts along with a private viewing of the “long” version of the film at the War Memorial. Not to mention the golf cart trip out onto a luxury golf course to view an amazingly intact rusted tank. No artifact was too obscure or distant to find. Thank goodness Walt doesn’t swim or he would have had us out in the water swimming to the abandoned tanks on the reef! I mean this in a good way.
We watched and spoke to local canoe carvers, saw beatiful beaches and even climbed a few rocks here and there for a better view of things.
There is no way we could have gone to the places we went and have seen all that we saw without Walt’s insider knowledge. He is a smart guy who has an interesting perspective on life.
If you have one day to spend on Saipan, this is the way to do it!
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
X4288QVvickie wrote a review Feb 2020
Clifton, Virginia
Clifton, Virginia
EASIEST REFUND EVER
Review of: Saipan in a Day-World War II Pilgrimage Tour
We were really looking forward to our full day tour with Walt and had prepaid months prior for the privilege. Unfortunately our ship could not dock because of rough seas. Although Walt had hired a van and been waiting at the dock, he processed a full refund immediately upon learning that we were unable to come ashore. It was more than generous considering he had incurred expenses. He is great to deal with and we hope to get to Saipan in the future and will surely book his tour. Thank you Walt for the FULL REFUND!
Samuel T wrote a review Jan 2020
Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Amazing Tour Amazing Tour guide best worth every penny
Personalized experience this man knows every inch of these islands and the hundreds of years of history behind everything. VERY WELL RECOMMENDED YOU WILL GET AN EXPERIENCE YOU CANT JUST BY SIMPLY googling or trip advisor lists
DMc13 wrote a review Apr 2019
Los Angeles, California
Fantastic tour of Saipan and WWII sites
Review of: Saipan in a Day-World War II Pilgrimage Tour
Los Angeles, California
Fantastic tour of Saipan and WWII sites
Review of: Saipan in a Day-World War II Pilgrimage Tour
My 15 year old son and I toured Saipan with Walt in March 2019. I was impressed with Walt from the first emails we exchanged about setting up the tour. He was incredibly responsive, informative, and focused on understanding our interests so he could tailor the tour to us.
Walt met us at the Saipan airport and confirmed our goals for the day. He made a special effort to understand my son’s objectives for the tour. Walt was a friendly, well-informed and tireless leader, taking us to more than 20 sites in the course of the day. There is no way we could’ve seen half of the sites in the same amount of time if we’d toured on our own. Two things made Walt’s tour particularly valuable. He arranged a few private meetings with Saipan residents who shared unique aspects of Saipan and military history which were real high points of the tour and gave us insights into the place far beyond what we could’ve discovered on our own. Second, Walt brings a unique perspective of someone who has lived elsewhere and now made his home in Saipan. He loves Saipan but can also talk objectively about the island based on his broad experience.
Walt is also available for tours to Tinian. We did not engage him for that but he generously shared his insights about Tinian and walked us through an itinerary that we could follow. Having spent the day with him on Saipan, I know now we could’ve had a much richer experience of Tinian if he had guided us there as well.
I’m usually skeptical of individual tour guides, but I can’t recommend Walt highly enough for travelers of any age who want to understand the history and culture of the Marianas.
Walt met us at the Saipan airport and confirmed our goals for the day. He made a special effort to understand my son’s objectives for the tour. Walt was a friendly, well-informed and tireless leader, taking us to more than 20 sites in the course of the day. There is no way we could’ve seen half of the sites in the same amount of time if we’d toured on our own. Two things made Walt’s tour particularly valuable. He arranged a few private meetings with Saipan residents who shared unique aspects of Saipan and military history which were real high points of the tour and gave us insights into the place far beyond what we could’ve discovered on our own. Second, Walt brings a unique perspective of someone who has lived elsewhere and now made his home in Saipan. He loves Saipan but can also talk objectively about the island based on his broad experience.
Walt is also available for tours to Tinian. We did not engage him for that but he generously shared his insights about Tinian and walked us through an itinerary that we could follow. Having spent the day with him on Saipan, I know now we could’ve had a much richer experience of Tinian if he had guided us there as well.
I’m usually skeptical of individual tour guides, but I can’t recommend Walt highly enough for travelers of any age who want to understand the history and culture of the Marianas.
johnbarrygrehan wrote a review Mar 2019
Brighton, United Kingdom
THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC
Review of: Saipan in a Day-World War II Pilgrimage Tour
The one day Saipan military history tour with Walt far exceeded my expectations. I was impressed with his knowledge but it was his easy manner and the way in which he was genuinely happy to take as long as we wanted without rushing us along which was particularly pleasing. I am sure there is no better tour of Saipan. John Grehan
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