Things to Do in Palikir in December

Nan Madol justifies the logistics of reaching Pohnpei. December is prime viewing time. The ancient megalithic city, built on 92 artificial islets off Pohnpei's southeast coast between the 12th and 17th centuries, occupies a shallow lagoon where massive basalt columns were stacked by engineers whose methods remain disputed. Lower December tides sometimes expose more canal systems. Reduced rainfall means fewer cancelled boat rides from Temwen Island. The scale disorients: prismatic basalt walls rising 7.6 metres (25 feet) from the waterline, overgrown with pandanus and mangrove. Reef herons call. Lagoon water laps stone eight centuries old. Morning visits before ten o'clock deliver the best photography light and calmest boat approach.

Pohnpei's barrier reef encloses one of the Pacific's largest lagoons. The passes cutting through create drift-diving conditions matching Palau or Chuuk. December's reduced freshwater runoff improves pass visibility. Water temperature holds steady at 28 to 29 degrees Celsius (82 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit) year-round. A rash guard suffices. Palikir Pass and Kehpara Pass see the most diving: grey reef sharks, manta rays on certain tides, coral walls dropping into deep blue. Inner reef soft coral coverage is extraordinary. Gorgonian fans and sponges display colors that seem artificially saturated until you check your camera. December mornings before afternoon storms bring prime conditions.

Sokehs Rock dominates the skyline west of Palikir. The ridge trail to its base delivers the island's best panoramic hike. The climb gains roughly 230 metres (750 feet) through dense tropical forest. The canopy closes overhead. The air smells of wet earth, rotting guava, and wild pepper plants. In December, the trail will be muddy. This holds true every month. Mornings tend to be clear enough to see across the lagoon to the outer reef. On good days, you can spot neighbouring atolls. The hike takes two to three hours round trip at a moderate pace. The final approach involves scrambling over root systems and exposed rock that gets slippery after rain. Start before seven in the morning. Beat both the heat and the afternoon storms. You will likely have the trail entirely to yourself.

Pohnpei's interior ranks among the wettest places on Earth. The upside of all that rain is a concentration of waterfalls that would draw crowds anywhere more accessible. Kepirohi Waterfall, the most visited, drops into a pool surrounded by moss-covered boulders and thick jungle. In December the flow is strong without becoming the dangerous torrent of the wettest months. Liduduhniap Falls, deeper in the interior, is a double cascade. It requires a longer trek through knee-high mud and river crossings. The reward is near-total solitude. The forest along these trails is loud with birdsong. The Pohnpei lorikeet flashes green and red through the canopy. The air is so saturated with moisture that your skin is wet within minutes of leaving the vehicle. Stand in the spray of a tropical waterfall after an hour of muddy hiking. Feel 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit) heat pressing from above and cold freshwater hitting from the side. This contrast stays in your body after you leave.

Sakau, Pohnpei's ceremonial kava, is not a tourist performance. It is a living social practice that runs through every significant occasion on the island. The root of the pepper plant is pounded on a flat basalt stone. The rhythmic thudding carries from a distance. It is squeezed through hibiscus bark into a coconut shell cup. The result is a grey, viscous liquid with a mildly numbing, earthy taste unlike anything you have encountered before. In December, with Christmas gatherings and end-of-year community meetings, sakau sessions are frequent. Visitors who show genuine respect for the protocol are often welcomed. Accept the cup with both hands. Drink in the order offered. Sit quietly rather than performing enthusiasm. The ceremony typically happens in the evening. It develops in an open-air nahs (meeting house) lit by a few bare bulbs. Conversation in Pohnpeian moves at a pace that slows further as the sakau takes effect. It is not a party. It is closer to a meditation with company.