TRIPGUROO

Guide to Kiribati (Gilberts, Tarawa, Ocean Island)

To visit Kiribati (Gilberts, Tarawa, Ocean Island), check entry requirements, connectivity and this guide’s local references.

Kiribati is an ocean nation: Tarawa and the outer atolls have very different rhythms and connections. Community encounters, navigation and Pacific history give a journey depth.

Places in Kiribati (Gilberts, Tarawa, Ocean Island) · 1 catalog places →

Visa for your trip

Choose the passport you travel with. The lookup adapts automatically.

Conditions and other situations

Short tourist stays with an ordinary passport. Residence, other visas, stay length and transit can change the requirement. Check with the authority before booking or travelling.

Destination source · Check itinerary with IATA

eSIM and connectivity

Compare Saily and Airalo plans. Check destination coverage and phone compatibility on the provider’s website.

SailySaily ↗AiraloAiralo ↗

Affiliate links: we may earn a commission on purchases.

Currency and payments

Australian Dollar (AUD) · Australian Dollar (AUD)

Embassy

Missions are filtered by your passport country. Confirm services, opening hours and appointments with the mission.

View 3 missions and contacts

Highlights

Tarawa

Island life and Pacific heritage on Tarawa Atoll.

Complete guide · chapter reading

Introduction

The Gilbert Islands are an island group in .

Regions

  • - 18 km², pop.~5502 - has at least one hotel and a couple of guest houses
  • - 27 km², pop.~3400
  • - 12 km², pop.~1200
  • Arorae - 9 km², pop.~1300
  • Beru - 18 km², pop.~2200
  • - 13 km², pop.~3300
  • - 16 km², pop.~1100
  • Maiana - 17 km², pop.~2000
  • - 14 km², pop.~2800
  • Nikunau - 19 km², pop.~2000
  • - 20 km², pop.~3200
  • Onotoa - 16 km², pop.~1700
  • Tabiteuea (Tabiteuea North - 26 km², pop.~3600 & Tabiteuea South - 12 km², pop.~1298)
  • Tamana - 5 km², pop.~ 900 - the smallest of the Gilbert Islands (too small to construct an airstrip)
  • (Tarawa North - 15 km², pop.~5700 & Tarawa South - 16 km², pop.~40000+) - Tarawa South is the location of Kiribati's capital

Understand

The Gilbert Islands are all in the time zone and lie either side of the Equator. The islands are named after 18th-century British mariner Thomas Gilbert, who sailed through the islands and explored some of the islands in depth.

Get around

By plane

Air Kiribati has four small aircraft for inter-island travel. Flights travel to all Outer Islands regularly.

Text by Wikivoyage contributors. Article edition: 2026-04-27T11:03:33Z · Source and revision · Authors and history · CC BY-SA 4.0

Local food

Te tuae

Preserved pandanus preparation.

Te kamaimai

Palm-sap syrup used as a sweetener.

Babai cocido

Giant swamp taro from atoll gardens, served cooked.

Local drinks

Te karewe

Freshly collected sweet coconut sap; it can ferment.

Alcohol-free

Te kabubu

A drink made from preserved pandanus.

Alcohol-free

Plan your itinerary

Confirmed route

Check the exact island and connections; Tarawa and Kiritimati are not interchangeable gateways.

Supplies

Arrange meals, safe water and transfers with your host before travelling to an outer atoll.

Maneaba

Ask before entering a maneaba and let your host explain the protocol.

Abaiang

18 km², pop.~5502 - has at least one hotel and a couple of guest houses

Abemama

27 km², pop.~3400

Aranuka

12 km², pop.~1200

Butaritari

13 km², pop.~3300

Kuria

16 km², pop.~1100

Marakei

14 km², pop.~2800

Nonouti

20 km², pop.~3200

Tarawa

(Tarawa North - 15 km², pop.~5700 & Tarawa South - 16 km², pop.~40000+) - Tarawa South is the location of Kiribati's capital

Local reading and routes

Tarawa: planning your arrival

Bonriki, in South Tarawa, is the Gilbert group’s international airport. Kiritimati uses a different airport, Cassidy, in the Line Islands. Always check the island name when comparing flights to Kiribati.

As a planning approach, arrange your arrival night and accommodation transfer first, then add other islands. Ask your host how to coordinate the next leg and how much time to leave before your return flight.

North Tarawa: learning to look

North Tarawa’s council identifies architecture, greetings, dances and shared food as ways into local culture. It also notes that some accommodation providers can arrange private boat transfers.

Allow time to talk before taking photographs or joining activities. Ask your host about a visit focused on village life and which activities welcome visitors that day. A ceremony or community gathering needs its own agreement.

Outer islands, a tailored stay

The regional tourism organisation describes outer-island accommodation that includes guesthouses, community rest houses and small private lodgings. Tarawa and Kiritimati account for much of the country’s accommodation.

Choose an outer island around a confirmed stay, rather than simply its distance on the map. Ask specifically about beds, meals, water, electricity and transport, and keep a contact to notify if your arrival changes.

Sources

Tourism Authority of Kiribati · Biblioteca Nacional de Nueva Zelanda · preservas de Kiribati · United Nations University · agroforestería de atolones · Kiribati · conexiones · Tourism Authority of Kiribati · aeropuertos y conexiones · Eutan Tarawa Council · conocer Tarawa Norte · Pacific Tourism Organisation · alojamiento e islas exteriores

Wikivoyage contributors; selection, abridgement, translation and regional planning by TRIPGUROO · CC BY-SA 4.0

CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikivoyage · Gilbert Islands