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Voykit pocket guide · Federated States of Micronesia
Kolonia
Kolonia is a small, wet, cash-only town: do the market and the walls in the morning before the rain, keep US dollars in small notes, and treat every trip beyond the town, above all Nan Madol, as a separate half day with a guide and a car.
Kolonia is the main town of Pohnpei state, a few blocks of shops, offices and eateries along the harbour road, with the airport and the capital Palikir a short drive away. It rains on most days, taxis are shared and informal, and cards are not accepted everywhere. The trips that go wrong assume an ordinary resort town: no cash for a guide, no plan for the tide at Nan Madol, or a landing after dark with no hotel desk open. Four short walking clusters cover the town; the ruins and waterfalls are trips from one kept bed.
- Country
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Best months
- Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · Dec
- Time zone
- Pacific/Pohnpei
- Stay
- 2 days: Kolonia market, Spanish wall and harbour; Nan Madol with a guide
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Cash for taxis, guides, site fees and most food; cards at a few hotels, often with a surcharge. US dollars are the currency.
- Daily spend
- Budget US$40–70 excl. bed · Mid US$70–130 excl. bed · High US$130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Bring an unlocked phone; a local SIM may be available in town, but coverage and plans vary: check with your hotel.
- Emergency
- Hotel front desk Ask on arrival · Pohnpei police and hospital Ask your hotel for the numbers on arrival · Your embassy Write the 24-hour line here before you go · Insurer assistance line Save before you fly
- Plugs
- 120 V; US-style two-pin sockets (types A and B). Bring an adapter if you need one.
- Tipping
- Not expected.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; use bottled, filtered or boiled water.
- Toilets
- Hotels, restaurants and the market; carry tissues.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea at a cafe | US$2–4 |
| Rice-and-fish plate at a local eatery | US$6–12 |
| Imported beer, bar or restaurant | US$3–6 |
| Taxi across town | US$2–5 |
| Airport taxi to Kolonia | US$5–12 |
| Local SIM, about a week | US$10–25 |
| Nan Madol guide and site fee | US$30–80 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Pohnpei International Airport (PNI)
- PNI to Kolonia: one pre-booked hotel car or taxi, about 10–15 minutes by road; the risk is not the ride but a hotel with no night desk and no cash in your pocket.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Pohnpei International Airport (Airport) | The island-hopper flights and regional services (check schedules) | Taxi 10–15 min |
| Harbour and quay (Kolonia harbour) | Cargo and inter-island ships (check) | Walk or taxi 5 min |
Typical fares
- Airport to Kolonia, taxi
- US$5–12, about 10–15 minutes
- Short taxi ride, town
- US$2–5
- Nan Madol trip with guide and car
- US$60–150 per group (check)
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk inside a cluster in the morning or late afternoon; take a taxi between clusters, to the airport and out to sites. There is no rail or bus network; taxis are shared and cheap, but few after dark.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Main street, wall and harbour by day |
| Taxi (often shared) | US$2–5 in town | Between clusters, the airport |
| Hotel car or driver | US$40–90 for a half day | Nan Madol, waterfalls, Sokehs Rock |
| Rental car | US$50–90 a day (check) | Independent island loop |
| Boat with a guide | Check | Nan Madol, atolls and dive sites |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. Agree the fare before you ride; a half-day hire for Nan Madol with a driver is the norm.
- Late at night
- No rail; taxis thin out after dark: book your ride home before you go out.
See and do
01Nan Madol with a guide
A city of basalt-walled islets on the reef, and a World Heritage site.
Hours: best Morning, on a suitable tide · Price: US$60–150 per group · Time: Half day
02Kolonia town marketKolonia market
Fresh fish, breadfruit and coconuts; the best introduction to Pohnpeian food.
Hours: best Early morning · Price: Free to browse · Time: 45 min
03Spanish wall
A physical trace of the Spanish colonial garrison.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free · Time: 30 min
04Tuna sashimiSashimi
Fresh tuna, a Japanese legacy, at a harbour eatery.
Hours: best Lunch or early evening · Price: US$9–16 · Time: 1 h · 6.9655, 158.2150
05Sokehs Rock hike
A steep trail to a harbour view and a chapter of history.
Hours: best Early morning · Price: Guide fee · Time: Half day
06A waterfall walk
A short walk to a forest waterfall.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Small fee plus car · Time: Half day
07Harbour at sunsetKolonia harbour
The working quay in the evening light.
Hours: best Late afternoon · Price: Free · Time: 45 min
08A sakau evening with a hostSakau
The island's traditional drink and a key custom.
Hours: best Late afternoon · Price: US$1–3 · Time: 1–2 h · 6.9630, 158.2085
09A local staples plateMai, taro and fish
Breadfruit, taro and fish, the island's own cooking.
Hours: best Lunch · Price: US$6–12 · Time: 45 min · 6.9635, 158.2090
10Snorkel or dive at Ant or Pakin Atoll
Reef and pass diving in a lagoon.
Hours: best Calm season, Jan–Mar · Price: US$120–250 · Time: Full day
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Nan Madol | Car about 30–40 min, then a boat or walk depending on the tide | Half day |
| Sokehs Rock | Car and a steep walk | Half day |
| Kepirohi Waterfall | Car about 30 min, then a short walk | Half day |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery and cafe, main street | Coffee and a pastry · Main street | US$3–9 | Budget |
| Chinese and Filipino lunch, main street | Noodles or adobo with rice · Main street | US$6–12 | Budget |
| Local plate: breadfruit, taro and fish | Breadfruit, taro and fish · Main street | US$6–12 | Budget |
| Tuna sashimi, harbour road | Tuna sashimi plate · Harbour road | US$9–16 | Mid-range |
| Kolonia waterfront eateries | Grilled fish or seafood with rice · Harbour road | US$10–20 | Mid-range |
| Hotel restaurant dinner | Seafood or a set menu · Hotels | US$20–40 | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate. Hours are informal: check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | US$55–90 | Kolonia guesthouses | Guesthouses and small hotels |
| mid | US$90–180 | Kolonia centre and harbour | Small hotels |
| splurge | US$180–300 | Harbour-side hotels | The best hotels on the island |
Per room per night in US dollars, 2026 estimate. Hotels are few and prices are high for the standard.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Kaselehliekah-say-LAY-lee-ay |
| Thank you | Kalahngankah-LAHNG-ahn |
| How much? | How much?how much |
| Please take me to this site | Please take me to this siteplease take me to this site |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greetings: Greet people with 'Kaselehlie' and a smile; a friendly greeting matters more than fast business.
- Dress: Cover thighs and shoulders in town and villages; swimwear only on the beach or boat.
- Land and sites: Sites are owned by clans: ask permission and pay any fee before entering, and never take stones or objects.
- Photos: Ask before photographing people; do not photograph sakau ceremonies without permission.
- Sakau: Drink only when invited, and follow the host's lead, including who drinks first.
- Chiefs and elders: Show respect to traditional leaders and elders; let them speak first.
- Sunday: Sunday is a day of church and rest; many shops close, and noisy activity is discouraged.
Red lines
- Ask permission and pay any fee before entering a site or private land; the sites are owned by clans.
- Dress modestly: cover thighs and shoulders in town and villages.
- Do not take stones or objects from Nan Madol or the Spanish wall.
Scams and watch-outs
- Unagreed taxi fares: agree the price before you ride.
- Site fees asked twice: keep the receipt or the name of the person you paid.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover between flights. Skip: Nan Madol: it needs its own half day.
- 07:307:30 AMKolonia market
- 09:009:00 AMSpanish wall
- 12:0012:00 PMLunch of local staples
- 17:005:00 PMHarbour walk and sashimi
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Federated States of Micronesia national government: www.fsmgov.org/
- Wikivoyage — Pohnpei: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Pohnpei
- UNESCO — Nan Madol: whc.unesco.org/en/list/1503/
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Kolonia
Please take me to this place (English is widely understood)
Please take me to this place
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- Kolonia marketKolonia town market
- SashimiTuna sashimi, harbour road
- Kolonia harbourKolonia harbour waterfront
- SakauSakau (kava) market and bars
- Mai, taro and fishLocal plate: breadfruit, taro and fish
- Hotel front deskAsk on arrival
- Pohnpei police and hospitalAsk your hotel for the numbers on arrival
- Your embassyWrite the 24-hour line here before you go
- Insurer assistance lineSave before you fly
Few embassies are in Pohnpei; write your own embassy's 24-hour line below and keep a paper copy.
Give the driver the place name and a landmark; addresses are informal.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/kolonia). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.