Sipyen Falls

Sipyen is a waterfall on the southern side of Kosrae, dropping over a rock lip into a pool that is deep and cold enough to be the island's standard swimming spot, reached on a short walk from the road near Utwe through gardens and forest. Taro patches and breadfruit line the path. It is the most accessible of Kosrae's falls and gets local use at weekends. Kosrae is strongly Congregational and Sunday is kept completely, with almost nothing open and no swimming expected.

What you actually see

• The fall and pool - a drop into a basin deep enough to swim.
• The short walk - a brief route in from the road through gardens.
• The taro patches - the cultivation the path passes through.
• The local use - a swimming spot used by Kosraeans rather than tourists.

When to go

December to March is the drier season. Flow is heaviest after rain, which is frequent. Weekends bring local families.

Honest expectations

The path is muddy and slippery, as everything on Kosrae is. A landowner fee is collected. Sunday swimming is not appropriate on Kosrae, where the sabbath is strictly kept.

Nearby

Utwe is south, and Menke is inland.