Guam: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Guam feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 30 written places.
American convenience wrapped around Chamorro family culture; respect for elders anchors everything.
✓ Considered polite
- Greet people with Hafa Adai - it is used constantly and warmly returned
- Let elders go first - at fiestas, buffets and doorways, age has absolute priority
- Tip American-style - 15-20% in restaurants, a dollar or two per drink
- Bring a dish, drinks or ice if invited to a village fiesta - guests contribute
✗ Better avoided
- Refuse offered food outright - take a little even if you are full
- Be first in line at a fiesta while elders and children wait
- Honk or drive aggressively - island driving is patient and courteous
- Wear beach clothes to church - Sunday Mass is a dressed occasion
Worth knowing
- It is US soil - US dollars, US plugs, US portions and a drinking age of 21
- You need a car - public transport is minimal and everything is spread out
- Every village holds an annual fiesta for its patron saint - go with a local host if invited
- Groceries and fuel cost more than the mainland US - nearly everything is shipped in
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links - if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.