Guam Guide #2: Shopping in Guam

The impression of most people to Guam is a place best for "Shopping". My experience says yes it's true you can buy a lot of items in Guam that are way cheaper than their price in the Philippines. But still you need to be aware of the prices in the Philippines to be able to determine if it is really cheaper.

Listing here are some places we visited and where you can shop in Guam:

1. K-Mart

It is a big grocery (very similar to SnR in the Philippines) that opens 24 hours. It sells most items that you probably want to bring home (souvenir items, clothes, shoes, bags, cosmetic brands, grocery items, toys, etc.). However, it does not sell much fresh food items that you may want to consume while in Guam (fruits!). Also note that the operating hours of the pharmacy (inside K-Mart) is different from the grocery.

How many hours needed: 1.5 to 2 hours
What we bought: macadamia nuts, chocolates, ref magnets and some grocery items

2. Guam Premier Outlet (GPO)

It's like a mall or a depot of different outlet stores of brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Nine West, Sketchers, Calvin Klein, Ross, Famous, etc. All stores offered discounts on their items.

[TIP:] Don't miss out shopping at Ross for extreme good finds at cheap price but a lot of patience is needed since the store is too crowded and unorganized. In addition, pass by Famous if you need some new shoes. They have hundreds of shoes for Children and Adults (male and female). Some brands they cater are Nike, Adidas, Sketchers, Converse, Sperry, etc.

How many hours needed: 4 to 5 hours since we tried on various items
What we bought: Shoes, bags and clothes

3. Micronesia Mall

This is their biggest mall in Guam having brands such as Macy's, Lacoste, GAP and Ross. They also have their own supermarket, Payless. There are also a lot of souvenir shops inside the mall.

[TIP:] Although we already shopped at Ross in GPO, we still passed by at their branch in Micronesia and still bought items. Not all items at GPO are sold here and vice versa so if you have time try to visit both branch.

How many hours needed: 4 to 5 hours

What we bought: Shoes from Ross and souvenir items


4. DFS The Galleria 

Our tour's meet up point was in DFS that is why we went inside the mall. However, we still have time to looked around after our tour and bought some items at the cosmetic section. Please note that most stores in this mall are luxury brands.

How many hours needed: 1 to 2 hours
What we bought: cosmetics and beauty products from Mac, Clinique, Kiehls

5. JP Superstore

At first I thought JP Superstore was a mall however upon visiting their store just beside DFS I found out it's a department store. They have a huge selection of souvenir items (but it's a little more expensive than other stores). They also have a branch inside Micronesia Mall.

How many hours needed: .5 to 1 hour
What we bought: none

6. ABC Store


It feels like a convenience store such as 7/11, Family Mart or Ministop but they have a huge selection of items being sold. From souvenirs (shirts, magnet, mugs, etc.) to foods (sandwich, salad, fruits) to beauty products they all have it. I have seen several branches in the island including one at Grand Plaza Hotel and in Micronesia Mall.

How many hours needed: .5 hour (depending what you need)
What we bought: Basic grocery items such as water, souvenir items

7. Tumon Sands Bay

We visited this mall while waiting for our check-in time on our hotel. It was a two storey mall with limited number of stores and a coffee shop. Most of the stores in the mall were high-end stores.

How many hours needed: .5 to 1 hour
What we bought: none


NOTE: I will be sharing on how to go to this shopping malls on my next entry

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Guide #1: Staying Connected in Guam

Wifi is very accessible and free in most hotel, mall and public areas however on the hotel we are staying I read on reviews that the Wifi was very poor. I decided to rent a Wifi pocket device. I was torn between: Smart Travel Wifi , Flytpack or ECOM.

At the end I decided to book from ECOM and pick it up at AB Won Pat International Airport. Wifi pocket in Guam is much pricey compare to Taiwan. Daily rental cost us 10 USD. But ECOM is offering free rental for the day if the device will be returned before 12 NN. Since our flight is at noon I could take this offer. I paid for three days instead of 4.

One week before our flight, I booked the wifi device through their website. Upon booking, I immediately received a reservation summary on my email. Reservations can be checked on their website. No credit card is needed to reserve.

On the day of my arrival in Guam, I visited the booth after baggage claim and exiting Customs. Upon exit turn right, you will immediately spot their booth.

I presented the printed reservation summary, paid in Credit Card for the daily rent (Cash is also accepted) and picked up the device. They are requiring USD 100 as deposit (you may pay in Cash or Credit Card, numbers are copied but not swiped). The staff instructed us what were included (device, charger, case) and reminded us that they have this sticker or tag at the battery and in the device that changes color when it gets wet, which is already equivalent to a damaged 

device. 

During our stay in Guam, the internet speed was good. However there are times we need to check the device to see why we suddenly could not connect with the wifi. A little press on the power button and suddenly we could connect again. (This incident happened 5 or more times during the four days). The battery life of the device was also good. A full charge device can be used for the whole day without recharging. We charged the device at night and it took 3 to 4 hours to fully charge the device. 

On the day of our flight back, we returned the device before we checked-in. It was to be returned on the same booth where we got it from. Upon surrendering the case with the device, the staff checked whether all inclusion are complete and the color of the sticker/tagging. After checking the staff signed on the Rental Agreement and gave me a copy. 

Overall I am satisfied with the service despite it's a little bit pricey however it is more important to stay connected all the time. 

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Guam 2017

Too busy for the past few months that I was not able to continue my blog in Taipei. I will find time to share my Taiwan travel someday. However I feel like I need to blog first my trip to Guam. 

Welcome banner at the Airport

The Guam trip was the primary reason I wanted to start my blog. While I was planning and researching our Guam trip early this year, I found out that the available online resources and detailed blogs on Guam were very limited. I decided that I will share my experience in my blog for other traveler's future reference.  

Some Useful on Guam:

AB Won Pat International Airport in Guam is 4 hours away from Manila, Philippines. We booked our round trip ticket via Cebu Pacific. Flights of Cebu Pacific from the Philippines is at 4:00 AM arriving at Guam, 10 in the morning (Guam is ahead by 2 hours).  United States (US) Visa is required on entering Guam for Filipino Passport Holders. English is the primary language used in Guam. However, Filipino language is widely spoken due to the number of Filipinos working and residing in Guam. 

See my next entries for detailed Guam experience.

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