At a JTB-hosted event, Peco, also known as Tetsuko Okuhira and serving as a campaign ambassador for the Guam Visitors Bureau, spoke passionately about what makes Guam so special!
Theme park media outlet Happyell brings you Peco’s favorite ways to enjoy the island, along with plenty of recommended local attractions and food spots.
1. Peco’s Take on Guam: Why She Loves It and How to Spend Your Time
Guam is just a three-and-a-half-hour flight from Japan, making it the closest place to experience the United States.
For Peco, Guam’s greatest appeal is “how completely relaxed it makes you feel.” In the best possible way, the streets, buildings, and local people do not feel overly polished or staged. It is a place where you can simply be yourself. Instead of dressing up, the classic Guam style is to spend the day in a loose-fitting dress or casual clothes.
2. Peco’s Top Recommended Shops
These are Peco’s favorite authentic hidden gems where you can shop like a local.
Salvation Army
This large, warehouse-like thrift store is packed with locals and rarely visited by tourists. Digging through piles of secondhand clothing to find the perfect piece feels like a treasure hunt. Peco says she has picked up cute dresses and pajamas here, too!
LeaLea SANDAL
This shop lets you create your own original sandals. Choose a sole color, strap shape, and adorable charms to match your foot size, then combine them into a one-of-a-kind pair. It is easy and fun for kids, making it a wonderful family-trip memory.
Hafaloha
This is another shop with a strong local feel, filled with American-style party supplies and accessories. Colorful disposable tablecloths, baby-shower decorations, birthday decor, and other cheerful items that are hard to find in Japan make browsing fun all by itself.
3. Family-Friendly Sightseeing and Activities
This highly satisfying attraction is an absolute recommendation for families traveling with children.
Fish Eye Marine Park
In addition to an underwater observatory where you can look beneath the sea without getting wet, the park offers a wide range of hands-on programs.
- Traditional costume experience: Choose your favorite outfit from several options, including traditional Chamorro costumes, and take commemorative photos. You may even get to step onto the actual stage used for the evening dinner show!
- Coconut experience: After learning how coconuts are structured, you grate one yourself, squeeze out the juice, and drink it. You can also dip the remaining flesh in soy sauce and eat it as “coconut sashimi,” which has a texture similar to squid sashimi—an unusual and memorable experience.
Big Sunset Dinner Cruise
Cruise across the blue ocean while watching the scenery shift from a beautiful sunset to a sky full of stars. Along with tasty BBQ, the crew may make bracelets from long, narrow leaves, and after dinner everyone dances to upbeat music for a lively, far-from-home experience. With a little luck, you might even spot dolphins or wild sharks!
4. Forget the Diet and Dig In: Guam’s Must-Try Food
These are the dining spots Peco enthusiastically recommends, saying, “When you come to Guam, forget about dieting and just enjoy yourself!”
California Pizza Kitchen
This is the place for satisfying, unmistakably American pizza and a wide selection of desserts. The food is excellent, and the warm, friendly staff will happily help make birthday celebrations feel special.
Hambros
Just off the main shopping district, this burger shop is hugely popular with locals. There are few tourists, and the burgers are outstanding. It is a flavor you should not miss on a trip to Guam.
Mighty Purple
This hugely popular acai bowl shop sometimes draws a line before it even opens. When Peco visited on her own time, she polished off a large bowl all by herself. The acai bowls are piled high with fresh fruit and taste amazing. Peco’s tip is to keep breakfast light and arrive right after opening.
5. Why Guam Is Ideal for a First Overseas Trip with Kids
To wrap up, Peco shared this message about the appeal of traveling to Guam with children.
- Easy travel and minimal time difference: The flight from Japan takes only three and a half hours, and the time difference is just one hour, keeping the burden on young children to a minimum.
- An easy way to experience the United States: As the closest place to experience authentic American culture and hear English, Guam is an outstanding choice for a child’s first international trip.
- Endless fun in the pool and ocean: Pools and beautiful beaches that kids love are right in front of you. While the children play, moms can unwind poolside with a tropical drink—an ideal way to relax!
Guam’s locals welcome visitors with genuine warmth. On your next extended break, why not take the whole family on a Guam getaway where everyone can relax and be themselves?
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