Nan Madol

Nan Madol trip

I like the look of that bit of ocean for lazing about in…This is Na (sp?) island, our lunchtime stopover on the boat trip to Nan Madol, after a morning of snorkelling at Manta Road (but there were no Mantas to be seen this time unfortunately. They are within kayaking distance from our house so will definitely visit again and hope for better luck).


Our kayak man leading the way towards Nan Madol. This type of boat pretty much dominates the lagoon transport around the island, and they can definitely boogy along, especially if both motors point in the same direction…


The ruins of Nan Madol. A quick rundown courtesy of Lonely Planet (and others).
“An important political, social and religious centre built during the Saudeleur dynasty (construction began about AD1100-1200 and continued for 200-300 years), Nan Madol was a place for ritual activity, and the homes of royalty and servants. Comprising 92 artificial islets extending 1.5 km (covering 200 acres), it’s built on the tidal flats and reef off the south eastern side of Pohnpei. Wide basalt pillars, up to 7.5 metres long (weighing up to 50 tons) formed naturally into hexagonal columns. They were quarried on Pohnpei Island (some from Sokehs Rock nearly 40 km away by sea) and hauled to the site by raft (or magic or other supernatural / alien / occult assistance, depending whom you ask), then stacked around the islets as retaining walls; the resultant twisting canals are known as the ‘Venice of Micronesia’. On the level surface were temples, burial vaults, meeting houses, bathing areas and pools for turtles, fish and eels. It was uninhabited, though only recently abandoned, when the first westerners arrived in the 1820’s. Some believe that the legendary lost continent of Mu, or Lemuria, may lie off its waters and that Nan Madol was built as a mirror image of a sunken city that, at the time of construction, could still be seen lying below the water’s surface.”


The islet of Nan Douwas, the most intact of the ruins. The walls are nearly 8 metres tall. There are 4 crypts within the inner compound, burial places for the Saudeleur dynasty and later nahnmwarki (district chiefs). The entire complex was originally covered by a large thatched roof, but being biodegradable generally had to be replaced yearly. There is a strong local belief that the ruins should not be disturbed. In 1907, the then governor of Pohnpei, a German named Victor Berg, died suddenly and mysteriously the day after excavating a burial tomb here Stranger things have happened…


The central crypt of Nan Douwas, where we were greeted by one of the original inhabitants…


Kayaks are the best way to navigate the canals throughout Nan Madol. A lot of the canals are impassable due to mangrove growth, and a lot of the ruins have collapsed. Dredging and some restoration work has been suggested, but I wonder if the sites would be further damaged if this took place. I think preservation of some of the more intact areas would be wonderful, but a lot of it has disappeared, especially where the jungle has taken hold. If Nan Madol were elsewhere, I expect it would be given world heritage protection, and probably have a similar status to Machu Pichu.





The islets were originally constructed on coral reef, which has slowly sunk under the weight of the basalt logs.

Ben