As seen in Transitions Abroad Magazine March/April 2002

Homestays

Micronesian Homestays

Find Out What It's Like to Live There

By Joan Huyser-Honig

The Micronesian islands of Palau, Yap, and Kosrae, known mainly to divers, eagerly welcome travelers who want to experience traditional culture in local homes. Micronesian homestays helped my husband and me answer the true traveler's question: "What's it like to live here?"

Despite the relatively modern appearance of its main city, Koror (12,000 people, two traffic lights, one Internet café), clan connections mean everything in the Republic of Palau. Our host told us he spends over half his salary paying "customs" (obligatory money gifts to clan members) for birth, first home, and funeral ceremonies. "I'm related to about 15,000 people on Palau-the other 2,000 I don't know," he said.

Most homestays are on Babeldaob, Palau's big island, in the villages of Ngchesar and Melekeok. Given its scanty signage, we recommend hiring a driver or booking a 1-day cultural tour and asking to be dropped off at your homestay, which might be a room in a family home or a private cottage.

At our homestay in Yap's Wanyan village, Cy and Susan Mugunbey had a cold dinner waiting for us: parrotfish fried with onions and spinach, chestnut and coconut balls, taro topped with coconut cream, fresh bananas, and papaya. We ate it on the porch of our private thatched cottage on stilts (see photo), then joined our hosts outdoors for Budweiser and conversation.

On Kosrae-where about 95 percent of the people belong to the Congregational Church started by Boston missionaries in 1852-over a dozen families host visitors in their homes.

We stayed with school principal Swinfred Silak in Walung. Its 200 residents choose to forego electricity, phones, and a road-which would cut through a ka grove. (Ka trunks make the best outrigger canoes.) At dusk, Silak switched on a battery lamp and we sat in his large cookhouse talking about church, school, and families. Tina Silak served fish her husband had speared. They gave us their bedroom for the night-an 8-by-8 room with a thin reed mat, two pillows, and two sheets.

Though it's best to make arrangements months ahead, visitors bureaus can often find a homestay host after you arrive. Ask which meals are included. Try to stay at least two nights, so your new friends can take you fishing or boating or invite you to church or a get-together. Bring small gifts, such as postcards or photos of yourself, canned food, tee shirts, or school supplies. You might also need to bring bottled water and a sleeping pad. Palau, Yap, and Kosrae all use U.S. dollars. Costs on Palau and Yap average $25 to $50 per lodging per night.