Mariana Islands -

ome destinations carry the weight of expectation. Take Micronesia. Say the word and immediately the travel brochure of the subconscious conjures images of island oases ringed by virginal sand; oceans of violet and blue; lush tropical vegetation extending to mist shrouded crags – everywhere vigorous with life. One could get carried away. And that's a problem. The mind's-eye view can be a dangerous thing when reality does not match your expectations.

Yet, that the Marianas don't quite fit the stereotypical image of tropical oasis is to their credit. For one, they defy a singular definition. Take the southern part of the archipelago: Saipan, Tinian and Rota. Though of identical parentage, each has its own character. Like siblings separated at birth.

Saipan is for package holidaymakers – a one-size-fits-all destination. In terms of modern history, Tinian is a colossus. And Rota stands alone. As a budding eco-tourist destination it most closely matches the vision of a modern island paradise – a place of unspoiled beauty and sympathetic development. As Governor Juan Babauta says, "The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands [CNMI – the official title] is three destinations in one."

On a regional map, the Marianas look little more than a careless flick of ink from a cartographer's pen. Yet for nations with strategic ambitions in the north Pacific, they couldn't be better placed. It explains why almost every imperial power has sought to rule them. They have been fought over, immolated and exploited since the days of Ferdinand Magellan – who first spied them on his famous circumnavigation and claimed them for Spain. Each island has its own story based on the rise and fall of empires, and all too often they've been unwitting pawns in games of global risk. It's why Saipan, Tinian and Rota are so diverse, and why they offer a great deal more than your average untamed tropical retreat.

Though the hand of history rests heavily on the islands, peace has come at last. They have entered a new chapter with tourism taking the lead. Colonial influences continue in the form of a commonwealth relationship with the States: Uncle Sam's lovin' arms providing federal funding and naval protection. And that's not all.

America's influence goes way beyond the 'cash and carrier'. English is the official language – US Dollars the official currency. There are malls and supermarkets selling super-sized everything. Drive along any of Saipan's highways and you could be in suburban LA, were it not for flame trees and the occasional flashes of coral fringed ocean between featureless two-storey buildings. Tune into a commercial radio station, and the sensation deepens: Bonnie Tyler and Bon Jovi numbers peppering a curious blend of Tropicana and Country.

But that's as deep as it goes. California is renowned for being body conscious and self-obsessed, hardly characteristics of the indigenous islanders. The Chamorro came to the archipelago by outrigger canoes approximately 4,500 years ago and now number around 25,000. Many are as hefty now as they were then – even more so thanks to an American diet. And far from being naval gazers, they are outgoing and friendly. They have to be. It doesn't do to cheese someone off when almost everyone on the island knows your name.

In honour of this tradition, a native of the Marianas must acknowledge fellow islanders when they pass on the road. Though a simple raise of a finger is fine for an acquaintance, a Chamorro must pull off a virtuoso performance if they spy a good friend coming the other way. It's as much a duty call as a sign of friendship. Fail to do so and you could be shunned.

Despite this, you could imagine a Chamorro forgiving any faux pas. In their long history they have weathered so many storms that social blunders must hardly matter. Aside from Jesuit missionaries, Japanese, German and American occupation, their home is right in the path of 'Typhoon Alley'. As recently as 2003, the Marianas were battered by a tropical storm with gusts exceeding 200 miles per hour.

The external forces of nature and nations have made the islanders fatalistic, as if their destiny is not theirs to design. Yet the people of the Marianas are taking charge of their future. And, given the sheer diversity of experiences available across all three islands, they know where it lies: tourism.

SAIPAN

"Saipan is like Guam 20 years ago. Not too many people and still relaxed," says Peter Callaghan, press secretary to the Governor. The capital of the Marianas is developed, though not over-commercialised, and clean so any whiff of the exotic is strictly natural. For Japanese, Chinese and expats in the PRC, Saipan is about a four-hour flight away – perfect for those seeking a seven-day packaged holiday with sun, sand and siestas in mind.

Naturally, the beach is a top draw. Obyan is quiet, ideal for a secluded picnic, and Laulau Beach is ranked one of the finest. Yet, to become a true castaway for a day, head to Managaha Island. Here desert island discs are surplus to requirements. You'll be too busy snorkelling.

Beyond Managaha, Saipan is a veritable playground for divers, sailors and windsurfers. The Grotto has been referred to as one of the seven wonders of the diving world – an electric blue shaft of sunlight beamed through a hole in the roof of a subterranean cavern. Other sites feature extensive coral banks, second world war militaria, a wrecked Spanish galleon and marine life the envy of any aquarium. And Asian champion Dan Ellis ranks Saipan as one of the region's best windsurfing destinations (see Play feature, page XX).

Sightseeing is mostly geared towards second world war remembrance. Suicide Cliff provides a stunning view to the northeast, and afforded hundreds of Japanese military and civilians what they considered an honourable death by evading capture. It's a serene and peaceful setting. The American Memorial Park Visitors' Centre illustrates the horrors of war with equal sensitivity. Spend more than half-an-hour there and the remainder of your trash novel may go unread.

TINIAN

The cataclysmic events of August 6, 1945 assured Tinian's place in world history. Early that morning, a solitary B29 bomber carrying a top secret cargo named Little Boy took off from an airfield in the north of the island bound for Japan. The resulting explosion over Hiroshima signalled the dawn of the nuclear age. The world would never be the same again.

When the Marianas signed the US covenant that made them a commonwealth, they agreed to lease two-thirds of Tinian to the military. That area included the airbase, now completely derelict. Fortunately the space is only occasionally used as a training ground, so it's access all areas most of the time.

The airfield and operational buildings resonate with history. Stand over the bomb pits from which the deadly cargo was hoisted into the belly of the bombers, and the magnitude of the place is almost too much to bear. It is impressively eerie. Even if you visit alone, there's a distinct feeling you're in company.

Given all the military activity during the '40s, diving near the coast offers a myriad of wrecked planes, boats and ordnance. The natural environment is equally rich. Deep drop-offs featuring hard and soft coral support over a thousand species of marine fauna. Two Corals and Turtle Cove are particularly beautiful.

The beach scene is a rival for anything Saipan has to offer. Tachogna and Kammer are both secluded, even though they are right beside the main resort hotel.

ROTA

Nowhere in the archipelago evokes hula girls swaying to the rhythms of a slack key guitar quite like Rota. It's the Marianas islands' model for eco-tourism and the closest thing to accessible au naturel in the area. There are laws on the statue book prohibiting anything other than sustainable development and, according to the Governor, it'll stay that way.

Bird Sanctuary is a fine place to feel like Charles Darwin racing ashore from the Beagle after months at sea. The cliff vantage point hundreds of feet above a forest canopy provides a bird's eye view of red-footed booby and white tern swooping and diving in their thousands.

Below decks, it gets even better. Two dive sites have earned reputations worldwide. Senhanom Cave is an illuminated grotto with everything from white tip sharks to turtles, and the Shoun Maru is a 100-metre Japanese freighter sunk at the end of the war. According to Mark Michael of Dive Rota, "I can always see halfway down
the boat from the prow, even on a bad day. That's unique to Rota." Few places in the world can claim the same visibility on a regular basis, he says.

For an immersion in Bombay Sapphire blue water without the scuba gear, head to Swimming Hole. It's a natural family-sized swimming pool with a sandy bottom, nestled in a costal fringe of coral and tucked away from the Pacific currents.