Pohnpei-Between Time & Tide . Useful Advice for Pohnpei Travelers

Advice for Pohnpei Tourists

Protect your skin aggressively by keeping your clothes on as much as possible and applying strong sunblock to any exposed areas (reapply frequently). Wear a t-shirt when swimming/snorkeling.
Stay hydrated by drinking fluids consistently.
Take care of cuts, scratches or wounds of any kind. Infections occur easily.
Wear light, cotton clothes that allow air to get to your body readily.
Have all fresh fish checked by an informed local person before eating it.
Make sure you are up to date on your shots for tetanus, typhoid fever, and polio.
Get the full series of vaccinations for Hepatitis A & B before departing.
Dress modestly--Micronesian culture is sensitive to exposure of areas of the body that Western people think nothing of. Shorts are okay for men and women, but should be below the knee (same goes for skirts). Women should wear a t-shirt and shorts over swimming suit, bikini, etc. Though some local women go topless, foreigners are looked down on if they do the same.
Be careful of drunks on the roads after dark, especially on Friday evenings.
Stay on established roads or footpaths to avoid trampling crops that may not be easily recognizable to visitors.
Obtain permission to cross private land, when hiking off the main roads.
Travel in pairs or small groups (females).
Be wary of strange dogs--they will sometimes bite.
Leave your footwear outside, when visiting a Pohnpeian home.
Learn to recognize culturally-unique body language. Often, much is communicated without verbalization. A quick raising of the eyebrows, for example, indicates a 'yes' response to a question.
Be sensitive to brother-sister taboos. Sexual subjects are off-limits when siblings of both sexes are present. Comments to a male on the subject of his sister(s) good-looks are considered very offensive.

No-No's

Don't drink tap water, unless it has been boiled or properly purified. Freshly-caught rainwater is fine.
Don't pick fruit off trees without permission of the owner (it ALL belongs to someone).
Don't have unprotected sexual intercourse. Micronesia is definitely not immune to the world's STDs.
Don't engage in public nudity. It is extremely offensive and inappropriate in Pohnpeian culture.
Don't refuse Pohnpeian hospitality. It is good form to respectfully decline once or twice, but then graciously accept an invitation.
Don't be picky about foods you aren't familiar with. If food is offered, try it.
Don't harvest shell life. This harms the marine ecosystem.
Don't add to Pohnpei's litter problem. Dispose of your garbage properly.
Avoid close, physical displays of affection in public, such as hugging, kissing and hand-holding. Micronesians have very conservative views (fed by the missionary movement) about unmarried male-female relations. Dating is not practiced, though the younger generation is attempting to change this.
Avoid direct prolonged eye-contact with Pohnpeians. Micronesian culture emphasizes indirectness and staring is interpreted as aggressive or overbearing behavior.