One of Kosrae's crowning jewels is her stunning fringing reef. The abundance of marine life and pristine hard corals make this a prime destination for divers from around the world. Many of the island's best dive sites have mild currents and are good for novice divers. This coral reef is unique in that novice divers can enjoy an easy diving experience, while the more experienced diver will marvel at the sea life.

The ecolodge's six-pack boats facilitate small custom dive and snorkel tours. The boats are fully equipped with safety equipment, including oxygen, binoculars, flares, radio, and PFDs. The dive guides are experienced local divers who must be certified to Rescue Diver before they can begin leading tours, and the diving supervisor is a certified Dive Master. Kosrae Village’s full service five star PADI dive center offers a variety of diving courses as well as equipment rental and sales.

Rainforest hikes, kayaking, surfing, and bird watching are among the many activities on Kosrae. This beautiful tropical island ecolodge and resort is not just for sunbathing, dining and diving. The island of Kosrae abounds with natural beauty and treasures that beg to be explored.

Hike through the dense rainforests that cover the slopes of Kosrae's mountains, explore the sea coast and mangrove swamps in a kayak, visit ancient Micronesian or World War II ruins, take binoculars and go bird watching or snorkel, surf, and dive in Micronesia's blue, blue water.

Island accommodations are traditional Micronesian style cottages situated under the shade of mangrove, pandanus and coconut trees at the ocean's edge and interconnected by paths of naturally hard packed sand. Strategically placed torches provide night lighting along the paths.

Something truly unique, many of the cottages at Kosrae Village are ramped for wheelchair accessibility. Every public building is ramped and every bathroom is handicap accessible. All the cottages have large rooms to allow easier access. Walkway entrances are ramped (starting with the parking area), with resting places where necessary. 

The spacious individual cottages at Kosrae Village Resort are built in the traditional style. The floors are raised above the ground, the walls are constructed of locally woven reed siding, and the thatch roof raises to a steep pitch about 20 feet above the ground. Timbers are wrapped and tied throughout the cottage, from the spacious porch to the large bathroom and garden shower. The techniques work just as well now as they did 500 years ago.

Although the look is traditional and construction interesting, modern amenities have been tastefully added for the comfort of guests. These include queen beds draped in mosquito netting, ceiling fans, electricity, hot and cold running water, a large table, chairs, in-room refrigerator and coffee pot. The queen beds can be exchanged for three twins, a large work table can be added (photographers - take note!) or any other adjustments needed can be made.

The Inum Restaurant has a regional reputation as one of the best in Micronesia. Specializing in local and international dishes, the dinner menu changes nightly, depending on the availability of fresh local produce, chicken and fish. Click here for a sample menu.

Guests always receive a warm welcome from the local people of Kosrae. All staff and tour guides are local residents, and they enjoy sharing their local culture and beautiful home with guests.

Kosrae was originally populated by people sailing ocean going canoes from other parts of the Pacific. By the time the first Europeans landed on Kosrae in 1824, the descendants of these early settlers had evolved into a complex feudal society.

The Kosraean people were well known for the quality of the fabric they wove from banana fiber. Today many excellent weavers carry on this tradition, weaving hats, mats, bags, baskets and wall hangings from pandanus, coconut, hibiscus and other fibers.

New traditions evolved over time. New England missionaries arrived on Kosrae (via Hawaii) in 1852 and over a period of years successfully converted the majority of Kosraeans to Christianity. Now, Kosrae is one of the most devout and conservative of the Micronesian islands. Kosrae is famous for the choral singing which developed as an off shoot of the Christian conversion.

Today these devout and peaceful people continue their daily lives in much the same manner as their ancestors. Many people continue to prepare food, build houses, farm, fish and carve canoes and other tools as they have for hundreds of years.

Kosrae Island has been populated for several thousand years and as a result the island is a treasure trove of ancient artifacts which allow experts to draw conclusions about the original settlers on Kosrae and throughout the Pacific.

The most famous site is Lelu, a small island that is almost completely man made, during a time when a lever and a strong back were the only "heavy equipment" available. Lelu was a series of walled compounds with paved streets inhabited by the royal family and other high chiefs. Lelu was connected to the main island by a handmade causeway. The walls and compounds in the center of the island are still partially intact and are considered one of the archaeological wonders of the Pacific.

In addition to Lelu there are many other sites throughout the island. One inland site is Menka, situated in a river valley. Oral history says that Menka was a religious settlement and that people from all over the island would travel there for periodic ceremonies relating to the Goddess Sinlaku. There has not been any archeological work done to date at the Menka site.

Learn more about the recovery of ancient Kosrae here.

Pristine reefs, untouched jungles, and crystal clear waterways that stretch through groves of mangrove trees. Dive in the Pacific to see the stunning array of marine life and corals. All this is Kosrae Village. Yet it is so much more.

The first and only ecolodge and dive resort in Kosrae and one of the first in Micronesia, Kosrae Village was eco-friendly before it was the “in” thing. Kosrae has several coral monitoring projects that are a collaborative effort between KVR and Kosrae State Marine Resources. Sport divers are welcome to join one of the monitoring teams, or they can participate in clam planting or fish counting.

Guests may have an opportunity to see one of the various archaeological projects around the island in action as it reclaims some of Kosrae's ancient history.

• The International Ecotourism Society
• Professional Association of Diving Instructors
• Pacific Asia Travel Association
• Australian Ecotourism Association
• Diving Equipment and Marketing Association
• Kosrae Conservation and Safety Organization (board member)
• Kosrae Chamber of Commerce
• Kosrae Visitors Bureau (board member)
• Kosrae Visitors Association (founding member)
• Divers Alert Network
• National Instructors Association for Divers with Disabilities
• International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers

Kosrae Village Ecolodge is the result of a lifestyle change by Bruce Brandt and Katrina Adams and the happy accident of their meeting with Madison Nena.

In the late 1980’s Bruce and Katrina began thinking about a major life change. The children (Bruce’s 3 and Katrina’s 2) were growing up and they were in a position to make a change. Living in the San Francisco Bay area and working in the construction and information technology industries was challenging and interesting, but Bruce and Katrina wanted to live and work in an area where they would have a more direct impact on development, cultural and environmental preservation.

After a great deal of thought and research Bruce and Katrina decided to visit the islands along Continental’s “circle Micronesia” route. The island of Kosrae is the first high island after leaving Hawaii and the lush green mountainsides have quite a visual impact when seen during the landing approach. Kosrae is also populated by friendly caring people, and surrounded by a vibrant healthy reef.

During their first visit to Kosrae, Bruce and Katrina fell in love with the island and met Madison Nena, then the State Tourism Officer. Madison’s first training was in archaeology and he had long dreamed of establishing a demonstration “100 year old village.” Madison (winner of the 1999 Seacology “Indigenous Conservationist of the Year” award) has always been a proponent of sustainable tourism and of maintaining the cultural traditions of Kosrae. Bruce and Katrina had found the ideal partner, someone who shared their concerns and beliefs.

Although the original plan had been to start a diving operation in cooperation with an existing hotel, it quickly became obvious that Kosrae Village would need to offer lodging and meals as well as recreation. The resulting 10 traditional style cottages, first class restaurant and PADI 5 star diving operation is extremely popular with guests and island residents as well. In addition to offering guest services, Kosrae Village is a local focal point for marine and cultural preservation activities as well as a showcase of traditional building skills.