What's on in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands through the year

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Season

  Dry season

  1 Jan – 15 May · usually

  The trade-wind months, when the rain comes in short bursts rather than by the day and the lagoon on the west side is at its clearest for snorkelling and diving the Grotto.

Still on: Winter swell on the exposed coasts (15 Nov – 31 Mar (usually))

Busy — one of its best months for weather

• Hazard

  Dry-season brush fires

  1 Feb – 31 May · usuallySmoke season

  The grass hillsides above Kagman and out towards Marpi burn most dry seasons, largely from deliberate fires, and the smoke hangs under the trade wind on still mornings. Source ↗

Still on: Dry season (1 Jan – 15 May (usually)), Winter swell on the exposed coasts (15 Nov – 31 Mar (usually))

Busy — one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Dry season (1 Jan – 15 May (usually)), Dry-season brush fires (1 Feb – 31 May (usually)), Winter swell on the exposed coasts (15 Nov – 31 Mar (usually))

Busy — Golden Week arrivals, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Golden Week arrivals

  27 Apr – 6 MayCrowdedBook early

  Japan's run of public holidays at the turn of April fills the direct flights and the Garapan hotels, and Korean breaks do the same in shorter bursts. Book the Managaha boats before you land. Source ↗

Still on: Dry season (1 Jan – 15 May (usually)), Dry-season brush fires (1 Feb – 31 May (usually))

Busy — Golden Week arrivals

• Nature

  Flame trees in bloom

  1 May – 30 Jun · usuallyWildflowers & blooms

  The island's flame trees turn the roadsides orange for about six weeks in late spring. It is the image the place puts on everything, and the festival that carries their name is named for it.

• Nature

  Green turtle nesting

  1 May – 30 Nov · usually

  Greens nest on the quieter east and north-facing beaches through the warm half of the year and the nests are marked and monitored. Torches and vehicles on the sand are what ruins a night.

Still on: Dry season (1 Jan – 15 May (usually)), Dry-season brush fires (1 Feb – 31 May (usually)), Golden Week arrivals (27 Apr – 6 May)

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Festival

  Flame Tree Arts Festival

  28–30 JulMajor festival

  Four days of Chamorro and Carolinian craft, food and music at Civic Center Beach Park, the longest-running festival in the western Pacific. It has moved between April and late July, so check the year's dates. Source ↗

Still on: Flame trees in bloom (1 May – 30 Jun (usually)), Green turtle nesting (1 May – 30 Nov (usually))

Busy — Liberation Day, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Liberation Day

  3–4 JulNational holidayClosuresCrowded

  The 4th of July here also marks the 1946 reopening of Camp Susupe, and the parade, carnival and fireworks at the Civic Center are the biggest civic event of the year. Government offices close for it. Source ↗

Still on: Green turtle nesting (1 May – 30 Nov (usually)), Flame Tree Arts Festival (28–30 Jul)

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Hazard

  Typhoon season

  1 Aug – 30 Nov · usuallyClosures

  The Marianas sit in the middle of the western Pacific storm track and take a serious hit every few years. Even a near miss closes the airport and the power for days, and September and October are the peak. Source ↗

Still on: Green turtle nesting (1 May – 30 Nov (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Green turtle nesting (1 May – 30 Nov (usually)), Typhoon season (1 Aug – 30 Nov (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Green turtle nesting (1 May – 30 Nov (usually)), Typhoon season (1 Aug – 30 Nov (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

• Hazard

  Winter swell on the exposed coasts

  15 Nov – 31 Mar · usuallySurf seasonClosures

  North-east swell through the cool months puts heavy surf on the outside coasts and shuts the Grotto and the Banzai Cliff side for days at a time. The lagoon inside the reef stays flat throughout. Source ↗

Still on: Green turtle nesting (1 May – 30 Nov (usually)), Typhoon season (1 Aug – 30 Nov (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: Winter swell on the exposed coasts (15 Nov – 31 Mar (usually))