Real Life in the Western Pacific, From Guam to the Philippines

Life in the Tropics is an affliction there's no cure for, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Est. 2012 · Recognized as Best Philippines Expat Blog 2017.

From Guam to the Philippines, everything is about culture,
peoples, palm trees, and tropical ocean breezes.

Welcome to Living in the Pacific, a blog about choosing island life in the Western Pacific and everything that comes with it.

Since 2012, we've been documenting life from Guam to the Philippines: the culture, the communities, the food, the chaos, and the calm. We're not travel influencers, we actually live here. What you'll find on this site are honest stories, real observations, and practical perspectives from people who made the leap and never looked back.

Whether you're dreaming of retiring in the Philippines, curious about expat life on Guam, or just fascinated by life at a different pace, you're in the right place.

Featured Posts!

black and white bed linen

Topics from the Tropics

Living in the Western Pacific is a lifestyle choice, one that trades urban convenience for something harder to put a price on: a slower pace, tighter communities, and an existence shaped by ocean and sky rather than deadlines and commutes.

From the close-knit family networks of the Philippines to the unique cultural blend of Guam, daily life here runs on what locals simply call island time. Family stretches well beyond the household, aunts, cousins, neighbors, friends, forming a web of mutual support where food, childcare, and community are shared freely.

This is what we traded the West for. We think we got the better end of the deal.

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Tropic Travels

Your Next Adventure Is Closer Than You Think

One of the great advantages of living in the Western Pacific is the access it gives you to the rest of Asia and the Pacific. A short, affordable flight can put you on a beach in Palawan, in the streets of Bangkok, skiing in Japan, or exploring the city-state perfection of Singapore.

Low-cost carriers, efficient regional transport, and increasingly streamlined visa processes make this corner of the world a traveler's home base like few others.

From the diving paradise of Palau to the rock formations of Biri Island, Samar, from Micronesian beaches to the lush jungles of Bohol, there's always another adventure on the horizon. It's one of the best reasons to be here.

Skiing in Japan
Skiing in Japan
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Biri island samar, philippines
Biri island samar, philippines

The Scenery Never Gets Old

Living on a tropical island is a full sensory experience, and it doesn't wear off. Brilliant sunrises over turquoise bays. Sunsets that turn the sky over Guam into something you'd be embarrassed to describe to anyone back home. White-sand beaches giving way to rainforest-covered hills within a short drive.

Once you've experienced any of it, the affliction never lets go.

Once You Visit... You'll Understand!

a tree with hanging floats in Palau
a tree with hanging floats in Palau
Living in the Pacific
Living in the Pacific

Tropic Beauty!

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tropic shade
tropic shade
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We found tropic shade in the western pacific
We found tropic shade in the western pacific