Majuro - A hidden jewel
I arrived in Majuro and unbeknownst to me, crossed the international date line and found that I arrived one day later than when I had left Honolulu on an early morning four and a half hour flight.
Upon descent, I saw Majuro atoll and it resembled one long strip of land, divided by a road flanked by ocean on both sides – that’s how narrow some parts of the island are!
The main terminal reminded me of what the Hawaiian interisland airports used to look like before they got built up. It looks like Continental has a monopoly on the flights in this region.
It was exciting to get another stamp in my passport upon arrival. The Marshall Islands is one of those exotic places that would not otherwise be on my list of travel destinations, so the opportunity for a peek at islands in the South Pacific and bragging rights was well worth the business trip!
I felt exhilarated to be here.
I walked out of the airport terminal and a friendly looking gentleman who was all smiles came up to me and asked if I was Marilyn. The Marshall Islands Resort (MIR) sent him to fetch me. He had a gentle face and wide grin that showed off his sparkly gold tooth. If he represented the Marshallese people, I knew I would like it here.
The MIR is one of three main hotels on the island. Formerly under Outrigger management, it had seen better days. A face lift would do it well. But it was clean and offered all the basic amenities I needed to be comfortable during my stay. Next time I’ll try the RR Hotel, if I could opt for it – went there for dinner on my last night and it looked like a place that was tightly run.
So I didn’t get to sample Marshallese cuisine. I had all my meals at the two hotels and they served basic American fare. Actually, I think the two hotels knocked of each others menu because it seemed they served the same things. They need to fly in some top chefs or shore up their culinary skills – the food and service were pretty subpar…but I’m on an island…no complaining allowed.
I just went with the flow…ordered chardonnay and got cabernet instead; ordered a caesar salad and was presented with mixed greens; asked for some parmesan cheese to put some taste on my bland shrimp scampi with linguine and the kitchen didn’t have any (even though the description for the scampi described that it was topped with parmesan cheese); ordered orange juice for breakfast and they ran out; asked for desert and was offered a strawberry pie when it was really a cherry filling; and most disappointing of all, I ordered a breakfast burrito for its salsa accompaniment, only to find that my order came sans salsa…because they were out! How can one have a breakfast burrito without salsa!
Oh well! To be sure, this is not an island that has embraced customer service and the tourism industry with finesse! With just 7,000 tourists per year, they are still figuring things out. 7,000 is much more than the 4,000 the island has been accustomed to in the last few years.
The Japanese have discovered the secret – excellent diving and snorkeling off the outer atolls of Majuro. In October, JAL (Japan Airlines) will be running regularly scheduled flights into the island offering dive packages to its clients.
To me, the island is a hidden jewel. This must’ve been what Bali looked like before it became the visitor’s mecca it is today. It’ll only be a matter of time when word gets out about its nearby ocean treasures before keen divers and snorkelers come in droves!
I’m going to stamp my memory with what will inevitably soon be referred to as “what Majuro used to be…”
Upon descent, I saw Majuro atoll and it resembled one long strip of land, divided by a road flanked by ocean on both sides – that’s how narrow some parts of the island are!
The main terminal reminded me of what the Hawaiian interisland airports used to look like before they got built up. It looks like Continental has a monopoly on the flights in this region.
It was exciting to get another stamp in my passport upon arrival. The Marshall Islands is one of those exotic places that would not otherwise be on my list of travel destinations, so the opportunity for a peek at islands in the South Pacific and bragging rights was well worth the business trip!
I felt exhilarated to be here.
I walked out of the airport terminal and a friendly looking gentleman who was all smiles came up to me and asked if I was Marilyn. The Marshall Islands Resort (MIR) sent him to fetch me. He had a gentle face and wide grin that showed off his sparkly gold tooth. If he represented the Marshallese people, I knew I would like it here.
The MIR is one of three main hotels on the island. Formerly under Outrigger management, it had seen better days. A face lift would do it well. But it was clean and offered all the basic amenities I needed to be comfortable during my stay. Next time I’ll try the RR Hotel, if I could opt for it – went there for dinner on my last night and it looked like a place that was tightly run.
So I didn’t get to sample Marshallese cuisine. I had all my meals at the two hotels and they served basic American fare. Actually, I think the two hotels knocked of each others menu because it seemed they served the same things. They need to fly in some top chefs or shore up their culinary skills – the food and service were pretty subpar…but I’m on an island…no complaining allowed.
I just went with the flow…ordered chardonnay and got cabernet instead; ordered a caesar salad and was presented with mixed greens; asked for some parmesan cheese to put some taste on my bland shrimp scampi with linguine and the kitchen didn’t have any (even though the description for the scampi described that it was topped with parmesan cheese); ordered orange juice for breakfast and they ran out; asked for desert and was offered a strawberry pie when it was really a cherry filling; and most disappointing of all, I ordered a breakfast burrito for its salsa accompaniment, only to find that my order came sans salsa…because they were out! How can one have a breakfast burrito without salsa!
Oh well! To be sure, this is not an island that has embraced customer service and the tourism industry with finesse! With just 7,000 tourists per year, they are still figuring things out. 7,000 is much more than the 4,000 the island has been accustomed to in the last few years.
The Japanese have discovered the secret – excellent diving and snorkeling off the outer atolls of Majuro. In October, JAL (Japan Airlines) will be running regularly scheduled flights into the island offering dive packages to its clients.
To me, the island is a hidden jewel. This must’ve been what Bali looked like before it became the visitor’s mecca it is today. It’ll only be a matter of time when word gets out about its nearby ocean treasures before keen divers and snorkelers come in droves!
I’m going to stamp my memory with what will inevitably soon be referred to as “what Majuro used to be…”
posted by Islandmele at 9:40 PM
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