Find places in Kiribati

Must-Haves

• Kiribati National Cultural Centre and Museum (Bikenibeu)
  Woven armour, shark tooth weapons and canoe models explain how I-Kiribati lived on the atolls for centuries.
• Maneaba ni Maungatabu (Ambo)
  The national parliament is built in the style of a traditional maneaba meeting house, with a sweeping thatch-inspired roof.
• Sacred Heart Cathedral (Teaoraereke)
  Sunday Mass here fills with powerful harmonies, and respectful visitors are welcome.

Fun for Everyone

• Bairiki National Stadium (Bairiki)
  Watch local football, athletics and Independence Day events with a cheerful crowd.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Kiribati Uniting Church at Antebuka (Antebuka)
  A historic Protestant centre where hymn singing on Sunday is unforgettable.

Fun for Everyone

• Ambo Lagoon beach (Ambo)
  A sheltered lagoon beach where families swim and picnic on weekend afternoons.
• Temaiku ocean side (Temaiku)
  Wide reef flats on the ocean side, good for a careful low tide walk with local advice.

Must-Haves

• Nanikaai Causeway (Bairiki to Nanikaai)
  Walk or ride the causeway at sunset with the lagoon on one side and the open ocean on the other.

Off the Beaten Path

• Bonriki lagoon flats (Bonriki)
  At low tide the flats near the airport come alive with shell collectors and wading birds.
• Tanaea (Tanaea)
  The quiet eastern end of the road, where the houses thin out and the lagoon opens up.

Fun for Everyone

• Ambo Lagoon Club (Ambo)
  A long-running members' club on the lagoon where visitors are usually welcome for a cold drink at sunset.

Must-Haves

• Otintaai Hotel (Bikenibeu)
  A long-established lagoonside hotel near the museum, with a restaurant and sea breezes.
• Mary's Motel (Bairiki)
  A central, simple motel within walking distance of the government offices in Bairiki.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Tarawa guesthouses (Eita)
  Family-run guesthouses along the road offer simple rooms and a real look at home life.

Must-Haves

• Bairiki Square (Bairiki)
  The heart of government Tarawa, where national celebrations gather crowds of dancers and singers.

Off the Beaten Path

• University of the South Pacific Kiribati Campus (Teaoraereke)
  Look out for public talks and cultural evenings that bring students and the community together.
• Bikenibeu maneaba visits (Bikenibeu)
  With a local host, sitting in a village maneaba is the best introduction to I-Kiribati community life.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Ride a local minibus (Betio to Bonriki)
  The minibuses that run the length of the one main road are the cheapest and friendliest way to see daily life.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Kiribati Philatelic Bureau (Bairiki)
  Kiribati stamps are colourful, collectable and one of the lightest souvenirs you can carry home.
• Bairiki market stalls (Bairiki)
  Roadside stalls sell fresh fish, coconuts, breadfruit and pandanus when in season.
• Bikenibeu shops (Bikenibeu)
  A string of family stores where you can stock up on water, snacks and sun cream.
• Handicraft sellers at the airport (Bonriki)
  Woven fans, mats and shell necklaces are often sold near Bonriki International Airport on flight days.

Must-Haves

• Independence Day celebrations (Bairiki)
  Every 12 July the capital fills with parades, dance competitions and canoe races.

Fun for Everyone

• National Youth Day (Bairiki)
  Youth groups compete in dance and sport on one of the busiest public holidays of the year.

Off the Beaten Path

• Gospel Day (South Tarawa)
  Churches mark the arrival of Christianity in July with singing, feasting and dance.

Great for Date Night

• Christmas and New Year dance festivals (South Tarawa)
  Maneaba across Tarawa host traditional dance nights through the holiday season.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Roadside fish fry stalls (Teaoraereke)
  Fried reef fish and rice from small roadside stalls is the everyday lunch of South Tarawa.

Fun for Everyone

• Chinese restaurants of Bairiki (Bairiki)
  Several family-run Chinese restaurants serve big plates of noodles and fried rice for groups.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Bairiki bakeries (Bairiki)
  Small bakeries sell fresh bread and buns early in the morning, before the heat sets in.

Must-Haves

• Betio coastal defence guns (Temakin Point)
  Massive Japanese naval guns still point out to sea, rusting reminders of the 1943 Battle of Tarawa.
• Japanese command bunker (Betio)
  The concrete bunker where the Japanese commander was based still stands, scarred by shellfire.
• Red Beach (Betio)
  The landing beaches of November 1943 are now quiet sand where children play beside wartime relics.
• Betio Second World War relics walk (Betio)
  Join a local guide to find pillboxes, bunkers and guns hidden among homes.

Off the Beaten Path

• Battle of Tarawa memorials (Betio)
  Small memorials to American, Japanese, Korean and I-Kiribati dead stand together on this tiny islet.

Off the Beaten Path

• Betio reef at low tide (Betio)
  At low tide you can see landing craft wrecks and amphibious tractors on the reef flat.

Fun for Everyone

• Betio Causeway (Betio to Bairiki)
  The long causeway links Betio with Bairiki, a good place to watch the tide race through.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Betio fish market (Betio)
  Watch the morning catch of skipjack, yellowfin and reef fish come ashore near the port.
• Betio general stores (Betio)
  Busy stores sell everything from rice sacks to fishing line, a slice of daily life.

Fun for Everyone

• Betio port (Betio)
  Cargo ships, fishing boats and inter-island vessels make this the busiest corner of Kiribati.
• Watch outrigger canoes (Betio)
  Fishermen launch their outriggers from Betio beaches in the cool of the morning.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Betio Chinese takeaways (Betio)
  Simple takeaways near the port serve hearty fried rice and fish dishes to dock workers.

Fun for Everyone

• Betio hot food stalls (Betio)
  Stalls sell fried fish, doughnuts and rice parcels that are perfect for a cheap lunch.

Great for Date Night

• Sunset at Betio western tip (Betio)
  The western end of Betio is a dramatic spot to watch the sun go down over the reef.

Fun for Everyone

• Battle of Tarawa anniversary (Betio)
  Each November ceremonies remember those who died in the 1943 battle.

Must-Haves

• Buota Bridge (Buota)
  The bridge from Tanaea to Buota is a favourite swimming and picnic spot as the tide rushes through.

Off the Beaten Path

• Buariki (Buariki)
  The far northern village of the atoll, with long empty beaches and a slow pace.
• Tabiteuea North Tarawa lagoon shore (Tabiteuea)
  Clear shallow water and thick coconut palms make this classic Kiribati atoll country.

Fun for Everyone

• Bonefish flats (North Tarawa)
  Shallow sand flats hold bonefish, and keen anglers can arrange trips through local operators.
• Abaokoro channel swimming (Abaokoro)
  Calm water between islets is ideal for a cooling swim at high tide.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Buota village (Buota)
  The first village of North Tarawa, reached by bridge, shows quieter atoll life without a boat ride.

Must-Haves

• Low tide walk between islets (North Tarawa)
  With a guide, wade the reef between North Tarawa islets as villagers have done for generations.

Fun for Everyone

• Lagoon canoe trips (North Tarawa)
  Locals ferry visitors by outrigger or small boat across the lagoon from South Tarawa.

Off the Beaten Path

• Coconut toddy cutting (North Tarawa)
  Watch toddy cutters climb palms at dawn and dusk to collect fresh sap.

Must-Haves

• Village maneaba visits (Abaokoro)
  Sit with elders in a traditional meeting house, the centre of village life.

Off the Beaten Path

• Nabeina village (Nabeina)
  A traditional village where life follows the tides and the fishing seasons.

Off the Beaten Path

• Village homestays (Abatao)
  A night in a village homestay with a local family is the most memorable stay on Tarawa.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Village feasts (North Tarawa)
  When you visit with a host, a shared feast of fish, breadfruit and babai is likely to follow.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Pandanus weaving (Buota)
  Village women weave pandanus mats and fans, sometimes sold to visitors.

Must-Haves

• Captain Cook Hotel (Main Camp)
  The island's long-running hotel, with simple rooms facing the ocean and frigatebirds overhead.

Must-Haves

• Bonefish flats of the lagoon (Kiritimati Lagoon)
  Some of the most famous fly fishing flats on earth, wadeable for miles.
• Cook Island bird sanctuary (Cook Island)
  A protected islet in the lagoon mouth where seabirds nest in their thousands.

Off the Beaten Path

• Motu Tabu (Kiritimati Lagoon)
  A protected islet for seabirds, visited only with Wildlife Conservation Unit approval.
• Bay of Wrecks (Kiritimati)
  A wild windward bay strewn with old shipwreck debris, good for beachcombing.
• North East Point (Kiritimati)
  A remote point with huge colonies of terns and boobies.

Must-Haves

• Giant trevally fishing (Kiritimati)
  Hooking a giant trevally on the reef edge is a bucket list experience for anglers.

Low Cost and Authentic

• London village (London)
  The island's main village, with churches, stores and a lively maneaba.
• Tabwakea village (Tabwakea)
  The largest village on the island, with small shops and friendly children.

Off the Beaten Path

• Banana village (Banana)
  A small village near the airport with a laid back air.
• Poland village (Poland)
  A remote village on the south side, named after a Polish settler.

Off the Beaten Path

• Paris ruins (Paris)
  The scattered remains of an old coconut plantation settlement on the lagoon.
• Nuclear test history sites (Kiritimati)
  Traces of the British and American nuclear tests of the 1950s and 1960s remain around the island.
• Wildlife Conservation Unit (London)
  The team that manages the island's protected bird areas, and the place to ask before visiting sanctuaries.

Must-Haves

• Port London (London)
  The main harbour and village, where fishing boats unload by the lagoon mouth.

Fun for Everyone

• Cassidy International Airport (Kiritimati)
  The runway built during the military era now welcomes the weekly flight from Nadi and Honolulu.

Must-Haves

• First sunrise of the New Year (Kiritimati)
  Kiritimati is among the first inhabited places on earth to see each new day.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Village stores and takeaways (London)
  Simple food stores in London village sell tinned goods, bread and fried fish.

Must-Haves

• St Mary's Church Koinawa (Koinawa)
  A grand old Catholic church built by early missionaries, a striking sight on a quiet atoll.

Off the Beaten Path

• Tebunginako village (Tebunginako)
  A village where rising seas have forced homes to move, a powerful look at climate change.

Fun for Everyone

• Maneaba of Abaiang (Abaiang)
  Large traditional meeting houses where villages gather for celebrations.

Must-Haves

• Abaiang lagoon (Abaiang)
  A clear blue lagoon with good snorkelling and calm swimming.

Great for Date Night

• Abaiang sunset sand bars (Abaiang)
  Sand bars appear at low tide for a sunset walk with almost no one else around.

Fun for Everyone

• Snorkelling the outer reef (Abaiang)
  Healthy reef and fish life on the lagoon edge with local boat operators.

Off the Beaten Path

• Boat crossing from Tarawa (Abaiang)
  The boat ride north from Tarawa is itself an adventure across open water.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Fresh lagoon fish meals (Abaiang)
  Families cook just-caught fish over coconut husk fires.