Guam, Australasia and Oceania travel resource.

Guam,Australasia and Oceania.

Guam is considerably more developed and faster paced than most islands in the Western Pacific: It has upscale shopping centers, golf courses and chain restaurants (Japanese tourists throng its links and stores all year). The island does have its share of natural wonders, but you'll have to wend your way through traffic and bustle to experience the hilly jungles, rocky cliffs and sandy beaches. And you'll have to go a bit out of your way to experience Guam's cultural traditions, which have survived primarily in the villages on the south side. There, residents continue to fish, farm and live at a decidedly slower pace.
Guam's residents are a mix of native Chamorros, immigrants from the outer islands, Filipinos, Japanese, Southeast Asians and immigrants from mainland U.S. Although Guam's culture was almost completely erased by 400 years of Spanish colonial rule, many native Chamorros are now trying to establish an identity by reviving their native tongue and customs. They are trying, too, to reclaim some of the land now controlled by the U.S. military, which has had a major presence on the island since winning it back from the Japanese in 1944.