Kiribati Things to Do Tips by ollyf

Tarawa, Kiribati's capital atoll, is roughly divided into two halves, north and south. South Tarawa gets a lot of bad press, and in many cases rightly so, so if you don't have the time or inclination to get to an outer island, I strongly recommend a visit to North Tarawa, which is very close to the south (which in almost all likelihood you will be staying) but despite this offers a glimpse of traditional Kiribati life, beautiful scenery and safe swimming (South Tarawa's lagoon is polluted).

You can either go for a day trip from South Tarawa or arrange to stay there for a longer experience. For a day trip, either do it yourself or take the Otintaai Hotel's tour on Saturdays. I didn't do this, but heard it's a nice day out for workers or those on tight itineraries. To do your own day trip, take the bus to Buota (the last point on South Tarawa going east), then the canoe over to North Tarawa (50c, five minutes). You can spend the day walking and swimming in beautiful rural Micronesian bliss and will probably be the object of fascination for local children. If you're lucky, you may meet friendly villagers who will invite you to have lunch and/or some sour toddy (alcoholic coconut sap) with them. Then make sure to get the canoe back to Buota before sunset.

For a longer trip, you could stay at the Tabo Te Keekee Homestay (see my accommodation tips) or one of the few other options. Go to the Pacific Travel/DHL/Air Nauru office near the Otintaai Hotel in Bairiki or the tourism office near the post office in Betio for more information.

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Get the bus to Betio and check out the leftovers from the Battle of Tarawa, one of World War II's fiercest conflicts, which took place between the US and Japan.

First of all, take a look around the town of Betio, which is the bustling population centre of Kiribati and is the only place to find reasonable shopping, facilities and nightlife.

First of all, head to the harbour and walk along the lagoon side, heading west, and you'll get a good vista of various shipwrecks close to shore. Continue walking in that direction and you'll get to Red Beach, so called because of the colour of its sand, which is not actually red but is a darker colour than the usual white sands of Kiribati. I'm not sure if there is some geological explanation or it is simply discoloured through decades of littering and human waste being washed on to the beach. Yes, the sand and sea is filthy, so DO NOT SWIM, but it's worth a look out of morbid curiosity to see the "slums" of Tarawa, which face the sea and apparently have a higher population density than Hong Kong.

As your round Red Beach, you'll come to the westernmost point of Tarawa, where the battle was fought. There are few unidentifiable rusting items half-submerged in the sand, but most impressive is a huge, concrete-mounted gun which was used for firing at incoming ships.

There are also American and Japanese war memorials in Betio.

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Address: Betio, South Tarawa
Directions: Take a bus heading west from anywhere in South Tarawa. The road loops around Betio then starts heading back east. After it does so, keep an eye on the left side of the road and get off when you see the harbour.

If you're feeling more adventurous and have enough time to see more than Tarawa, then fly to one of the outer Gilbert Islands. They are all serviced (relatively) regularly by Air Kiribati, although these services are subject to delays and cancellations as the fleet consists of ONE aircraft! So allow a significant buffer zone around your plans.

If you can make it to another Gilbert Island, you'll find real Micronesian lifestyle and culture, with communities living off the land and from the sea in harmony. Most people live in traditional houses and wear traditional clothes. Your presence will be at least a novelty, and more than likely the village you visit will consider your presence to be an honour. I stayed with a family in Bikewa village on Butaritari island and I was looked after very well, including a song and dance performance to welcome me!

You will not enjoy mod-cons or even the level of comfort you are used to, but that is compensated by the environment you will stay in; pristine tropical scenery, happy communities and no crime. The outer islands of Kiribati offer one of the few intact indigineous cultural experiences in the world. I stayed in Butaritari, but believe the other islands offer roughly the same experiences.

The other islands groups - the Line and Phoenix islands - are even further flung than the Gilberts and with the exception of Christmas island, are only accessible by boat.

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Directions: When in Tarawa, I was lucky enough to meet a Butaritari family who invited me to stay with them. If you're not so fortunate, go to the tourism offices in Bikenibeu or Betio and enquire about guesthouse accommodation, which is available on each island.