Kiribati is a liminal place: The stunning collection of islands spans land and water, all four hemispheres of the Earth, and either side of the 180th meridian that once split the country into two separate days. Thankfully, in 1994, the Kiribati government moved the 23-hour time zone change to the east, between itself and Hawai'i. That means that even though the country’s most eastern island, Kiritimati, is only a three-hour flight from Honolulu, the clock will say the plane landed 27 hours later. The limbo-like country also may have been the final resting place of Amelia Earhart.
Pronounced kee-ruh-bas, the Pacific nation comprises 33 tropical islands spread across the ocean. Nearly every isle is an atoll with a bright turquoise lagoon at the center, looking like donuts with electric fillings. Practically every direction results in a remarkable white-sand beach.
Expert sea navigators landed here around 200 B.C, and the land was ruled by powerful societies like the Butaritari-Makin and Abemama, though records don’t indicate the exact time frame. England colonized the atolls at the end of the 18th century, naming them the Gilbert Islands after a British sea captain who saw the land from his ship. Kiribati became independent and renamed itself in 1979.
Today, life still revolves around the maneaba, a traditional meeting house where passersby may witness singing, dancing, and storytelling. These events aren’t ticket-sold shows, but rather genuine community moments. Visit the Te Umanibong museum to see ancient shrines, a medicinal garden, and armor unlike anywhere else in the world (though some items are yet to be returned). Other bits of history lay washed up on shore. Kiribati saw one of the bloodiest moments of WWII at the Battle of Tarawa. Visitors often take guided tours of rusted tanks, guns, and crashed planes sitting in the low tides.
Locals are dedicated to protecting the land (with practices like sustainable giant clam harvesting), since the islands are most at risk if sea levels rise. And the country has the largest marine reserve in the world, the Phoenix Islands Protected Area. That also means snorkeling and scuba diving are superb. Other water adventures include kayaking, boating, fishing for barracuda, and surfing the same waves that hit Hawai'i, minus the crowds.
Make sure to visit Kiritimati (Christmas) Island and island hop around Tarawa, where you can camp or book a thatch-roofed buia or kiakia on private islands, transportation and meals included. Feast on coconut-marinated ceviche, taro, breadfruit, and pandan, or connect with a local to try karewe, a strong alcoholic drink made from palm trees that isn’t legal to sell.
Kiribati is welcoming to visitors, but not looking for hoards. As their official website says, “Tourists who are looking for swim up bars, cocktail lounges and fluffy towels need not apply.”
— Danielle Hallock
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Get ready for an adventure! Delta Airlines and Atlas Obscura will soon unveil the top 24 destinations for 2024. Stay tuned!
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