Things to Do in Micronesia in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
December Weather in Micronesia
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
Is December Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
- + By December the rains are in retreat—afternoon downpours shrink and scatter, gifting mirror-calm mornings tailor-made for slipping a kayak between Pohnpei’s mangrove channels.
- + Once the surf-adventure crowd departs after November, island-wide hotel rates drop 25–40 %; on Kosrae and Yap you can walk straight into beach bungalows with no advance booking pressure.
- + Mackerel and yellowfin tuna hug the reef edges, and dock-side morning markets in Kolonia and Colonia reek of soy-grilled skipjack hauled straight from the boats.
- + Village Christmas pageants—choral hymns in Chuukese over ukulele—fill the second half of the month, and guests are welcomed into communal sakau circles after sunset.
- − Rough seas still scrub two out of every five outer-reef dives; live-aboards bound for Truk Lagoon wrecks reschedule more often than they sail.
- − Humidity sticks at 70 %—cotton shirts stay damp all day and camera lenses fog the instant you step out of air-conditioning.
- − Inter-island flights ride 19-seat prop planes; one stubborn storm cell can delay the entire Yap–Chuuk–Pohnpei loop by 24 hours.
Year-Round Climate
How December compares to the rest of the year
Best Activities in December
Top things to do during your visit
December’s slack tide and lighter showers turn the 4 km (2.5 mile) paddle up the Nanpil River to Sokehs Rock into the year’s smoothest glide; fruit bats chatter overhead and the sweet rot of breadfruit drifts across the water.
These 13th-century basalt ruins rise straight from a tidal lagoon; December’s lighter rainfall lets you explore the 92 islets without knee-deep wading, and the low-angle sun striking black stone after 3 PM is made for photography.
With 60+ WWII wrecks lying 12-40 m (39-131 ft) down, December’s clearing water lifts visibility to 20 m (66 ft) on the calm mornings that follow overnight rain.
December swaps the brutal equatorial sun for a steady 28 °C (82 °F) breeze; the 25 km (15.5 mile) coastal road rolls past stone-money banks in Gachlaw and finishes at a beach where women still weave lavalava from hibiscus bark.
North swells from December storms bend around Utwe-Walung Marine Park, shaping gentle learner waves over coral gardens—good for split-day surf lessons and drift-snorkel sessions inside the fringing reef.
December Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Held in early December in Colonia town, this island-wide party rolls out stick-dance performances, traditional navigation demos, and communal sakau pounding that keeps coconut-shell cups circling back to you.
Outrigger canoes draped in palm fronds and LED lights glide past Kolonia’s seawall; ukulele carols bounce across the harbor while grilled reef-fish plates move from folding tables on the dock.
Essential Tips
What to pack, insider knowledge and common pitfalls