Tarawa Atoll, which is divided into North Tarawa and South Tarawa, is the most densely populated atoll in Kiribati. South Tarawa is also the capital of Kiribati.

Before we get into the actual blog, here is one of the most common mistakes tourists make: Kiribati is pronounced “Kiribas”.

Map of the highlights

Where is Kiribati?

Kiribati is an island nation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It consists of three island groups made up of a total of 32 atolls, plus the island of Banaba. The islands are spread out so widely that Kiribati is the only country in the world that lies in all four hemispheres. From west to east, Kiribati stretches about 4,567 kilometers, and from north to south about 2,021 kilometers. That adds up to a total area of roughly 5.2 million km². By that measure, Kiribati would be one of the largest countries in the world. However, only about 811 km² of that is land.

How to get to Kiribati?

Getting to Kiribati is not exactly easy. There are only two international airports:

1. Cassidy International Airport in Kiritimati
2. Bonriki International Airport in Tarawa

International connections are limited to the following routes:

Cassidy International Airport

1. Honolulu (USA)
2. Nadi (Fiji)

Bonriki International Airport

1. Majuro (Marshall Islands)
2. Nauru
3. Nadi (Fiji)

You can find more information on how to get to Kiribati here: Transportation in Kiribati

Do you need a visa?

Kiribati allows citizens of 68 different countries to enter without a visa, so there is a good chance you will not need one. You can find all visa information here: Visa information

Weather in Kiribati

Kribati's location near the Equator means Kiribati has very consistent temperatures. The water temperature is always around 28°C, while the air temperature is usually in the 30 to 32°C range. Even at night it almost never gets cooler than 25°C. Humidity is consistently around 80%.

Rainfall is highest from December to March, but you can visit Kiribati year round.

Kiribati’s highest point is only 3 meters above sea level. Because of rising sea levels, Kiribati is expected to be underwater by the end of the 21st century.

Hotels in Kiribati

In 2022, Kiribati recorded only around 2,000 tourists and, according to the World Tourism Organization, holds the title of the least visited country. As a result, Kiribati has almost no tourism infrastructure.

Each atoll has only a very small number of places to stay, and only a few have a website.

There is an official website from the Ministry of Tourism, where you can find a list of all official hotels: Hotel list

Tabon te Keekee

We spent our time at Tabon te Keekee, an absolute oasis of peace. There is no luxury, but staying in an overwater buia is simply amazing.

If you want to learn more about Tabon te Keekee, check out this post: Tabon Te Keekee

What to do?

Because Kiribati is the least visited country in the world, there is no tourism infrastructure and only very few activities offered for tourists.

Tarawa is an atoll, which means the island is just a narrow ring shaped strip of land surrounded by the sea. That is why most activities are connected to the water.

1. Canoe tour in a traditional canoe
2. Deep sea fishing
3. Surfing
4. World War II battle tour of Tarawa
5. Stargazing
6. Scuba diving is offered, but there are far better spots in Micronesia with more coral and more marine life

Light pollution on Tarawa is very low. Even though South Tarawa is heavily populated, there is very little light at night, which makes Tarawa a great place for stargazing.

How to get from A to B?

Tarawa only has a land area of 31 km². However, the atoll is a narrow band, in some places not even 100 meters wide. That is why Tarawa is 39 kilometers long.

South Tarawa is the only island in Kiribati with a bus service. You can wave buses down at stops with a hand signal, and if you want to get off you have to call out “stop here”.

There is no official car rental company in Kiribati. However, you can rent cars through most hotels.

Most islands in North Tarawa can only be reached by boat.

More about driving in Tarawa here: Driving in Tarawa

History

Kiribati has been inhabited for more than 2,000 years.

It was first discovered by the Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernandez de Quirós in 1606.

In 1892, the Gilbert Islands, including Tarawa, were declared a British protectorate.

During World War II, Japan occupied Tarawa in 1942 and 1943. Later, far away from Europe and the rest of the world, Tarawa became the scene of one of the fiercest battles of World War II when the USA fought the Japanese from November 20 to November 23, 1943. Even today, countless remains from this battle can still be seen in Kiribati, especially in Betio.

After World War II, Kiribati remained part of the British realm. On July 12, 1979, Kiribati became an independent state.

Sights in Tarawa

Kiribati Parliament

On a small artificial island you can find the Parliament of Kiribati.

Ferris wheel in Bonriki

In Bonriki, shortly before you drive onto the Nippon Causeway toward Betio, there is an old Ferris wheel in a field south of the road.

Highest point in South Tarawa

South Tarawa is not only the main atoll in Kiribati and the capital, it is also the island with the highest population. Around 70,000 people live here, and the highest point of the island is only 3 meters above sea level. Because of climate change and rising sea levels, it is only a matter of time until the island is no longer habitable.

Car wrecks

In Kiribati you can see car wrecks along the roadside. Disposing of old cars is simply too expensive for most people, so vehicles are often just left by the road.

This creates some unique and interesting photo opportunities, like here in the east of Bikenibeu, where an old ambulance was parked by the roadside.

North Tarawa

While most people live in South Tarawa, North Tarawa is quieter and only sparsely populated. Only the southernmost island of North Tarawa is connected to the road network of South Tarawa via a bridge that is, frankly, very questionable. The remaining islands can only be reached by boat. Cars practically do not exist, and neither do roads, only small sandy paths run through the islands, and some locals use motorcycles.

At the same time, people still live in traditional houses. The easiest way to get an impression of North Tarawa is in Abatao. You can drive as far as Sue’s Creek. Locals run a small ferry service there with a canoe. The crossing costs 0.5 AUD per person.

Broken Bridge

In North Tarawa, north of the island of Tabiteuea, there is a collapsed bridge.

Tabon te Keekee Eco Lodge

Tabon te Keekee Eco Lodge offers three overwater buias and a few buias on land. The place feels unreal and is perfect for switching off. Far away from other people, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Tabon te Keekee was by far our craziest hotel experience. If you want to learn more about it, or if you want more information about the hotel, take a look here: Tabon Te Keekee

Te Umanibong

Kiribati’s national museum is located in the middle of Bikenibeu. It displays a few artifacts and replicas that show the life of the islanders.

Admission is free, but donations are welcome.

Kaotikaeka

Kaotikaeka Church, also called the Catholic Church, is located in Betio. Its tall tower is a distinctive landmark in Betio. In 2008, the church was also featured on Kiribati postage stamps. Inside the church there are no benches and, unlike Catholic churches in Europe, there are also no wall decorations.

Betio Memorial

On a cemetery in Betio stands the Betio Memorial, one of many war memorials in Betio.

Battle of Tarawa Memorial

Right next to Kiribati’s national sports complex is the Battle of Tarawa Memorial.

New Zealand Memorial

This memorial is a metal plate mounted on a stone wall. On the wall there is an old anti aircraft gun. Right next to it, tank tracks lie in the sea, and less than a hundred meters away there is a shipwreck on the beach. If you look out to sea, you can spot several more shipwrecks a few hundred meters offshore.

Shipwrecks in Betio

Tebena

The ship Tebena was built in Tarawa. However, scrapping ships, cars, and similar items comes with huge costs, so wrecks are often simply left behind, as in this case.

RSC Nimanoa

This ship was deliberately disabled and sunk in 1941. During the American assault in 1943, Japanese soldiers used it as cover and fired at the Americans from there.

Japanese barge

This is likely a Japanese cargo vessel, known only as “Barge”.

Japanese gun

The two 8 inch guns were among the most important Japanese coastal defense weapons on Tarawa. They are located in the far east of Betio on the south coast.

Green Beach

Green Beach is located at the far western end of Betio. There is still a World War II position there with a gun. Parts of the site are now overgrown and only partially visible, or not visible at all.

Is Kiribati expensive?

Kiribati is one of the poorest countries in the world with a GDP per capita of only 2,419 USD. That puts Kiribati at rank 152, alongside countries like Ghana and the Republic of the Congo. Within the Pacific region, Kiribati ranks second to last, just ahead of the Solomon Islands.

You can also feel in Kiribati that money is lacking everywhere. Most people live in houses made of corrugated metal. Often it is just a roof made of palm leaves, without walls, windows, or doors.

There is hardly any work in Kiribati and there are only few resources. Kiribati’s main source of income comes from copra production.

Even so, Kiribati is a very expensive country, because almost all products have to be imported. There is also hardly any tourism infrastructure, and the few hotels that do exist are expensive.

On top of that, getting to Kiribati is costly and time consuming.

Maneaba

A maneaba is a traditional community meeting house where village leaders, usually the elders, meet and make important decisions for the community.

In Kiribati you can even find unique maneaba traffic signs, including signs that ban honking.

Is Kiribati clean?

Kiribati, together with Tuvalu, will likely be the first country in the world to disappear under the sea due to rising sea levels. For that reason, you might think that people would place a lot of value on environmental protection and cleanliness. At least that is what we believed before we came to Kiribati. In reality, Tarawa is unfortunately by far the dirtiest island we visited in Micronesia.

One issue is the car and ship wrecks that are found all over the island. You see car wrecks everywhere in Micronesia, and the reason is simple: disposal is expensive, because everything would have to be shipped away. So the rule is: everything that arrives on the island also stays on the island.

A completely different problem is garbage. Piles of trash are everywhere. In Betio we had to climb over a band of rubbish several meters wide just to reach the beach. Under the trash you sometimes find half decomposed dogs or cats, and it smells accordingly. Sure, some of the trash washes ashore from the sea, but a lot of it is also caused by locals.

Buia

Traditional bungalows in Kiribati are called buia. These huts are often raised on stilts over the water. Buias are built from local materials, mostly pandanus leaves and wood from coconut palms. A buia is airy and has neither windows nor doors. In South Tarawa you can find only very few buias now, because building and maintaining them is more expensive and more work than tin shacks made of corrugated metal.

There are some hotels where you can stay in a buia.

Are drones allowed?

Yes, drones are allowed in Kiribati. In fact, Kiribati is one of the few countries with no drone regulations at all, and it is allowed to fly everywhere. Still, normal common sense applies so it stays that way and no regulations become necessary.

1. Respect people’s privacy
2. The airport is off limits
3. Public facilities, police, hospitals, schools are off limits
4. and so on

How much time should you plan?

Honestly, you can explore South Tarawa in one day.

You can plan another day to take a boat to North Tarawa.

If you have a hotel in North Tarawa, you should plan a few more days to enjoy the peace and remoteness at the end of the world.

So four to five days are absolutely enough for Tarawa.

Is Tarawa worth visiting?

When I was a kid and got my first atlas and looked at the country flags, Kiribati immediately stood out to me, and from that moment on it was clear: Kiribati is on my bucket list.

Like most countries in the Pacific, Kiribati is not a place you end up in by accident. You have to travel here very deliberately. Many of the people we met flew to Tarawa only to tick it off their list, and for that purpose Tarawa offers enough to keep you busy for a few days before you get on the next plane to visit the next island.

We would also recommend Kiribati to anyone who wants to experience foreign cultures, exotic destinations, and adventure.

But if you are looking for a luxury vacation, Kiribati is unfortunately not the right place.