[Travel](https://tripguroo.com/en/travel/) › [Guides](https://tripguroo.com/en/travel/) › [Kiribati (Gilberts, Tarawa, Ocean Island)](https://tripguroo.com/en/guides/kiribati/) # 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 →](https://tripguroo.com/en/places/kiribati/) ## Visa for your trip Your passport countrySelect countryAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAntigua & BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBhutanBoliviaBosnia & HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCongo - BrazzavilleCongo - KinshasaCosta RicaCôte d’IvoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCzechiaDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFijiFinlandFranceGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasHong Kong SAR ChinaHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacao SAR ChinaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmar (Burma)NamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorth KoreaNorth MacedoniaNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinian TerritoriesPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarRomaniaRussiaRwandaSamoaSan MarinoSão Tomé & PríncipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSt. Kitts & NevisSt. LuciaSt. Vincent & GrenadinesSudanSurinameSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTongaTrinidad & TobagoTunisiaTürkiyeTurkmenistanTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVatican CityVenezuelaVietnamYemenZambiaZimbabweChoose the passport you travel with. The lookup adapts automatically. Conditions and other situationsShort 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](https://immigration.mfai.gov.ki/visas-entry/) · [Check itinerary with IATA](https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/passport-visa-health-travel-document-requirements.htm) Enable JavaScript to adapt this lookup to your passport. You can also check the destination source. ## eSIM and connectivity Compare Saily and Airalo plans. Check destination coverage and phone compatibility on the provider’s website. [Saily ↗](https://tripguroo.com/api/affiliate/go/esim?source=guide&lang=en)[Airalo ↗](https://tripguroo.com/api/affiliate/go/esim-airalo?source=guide&lang=en) 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 ### [Embassy of the People's Republic of China, South Tarawa](http://ki.chineseembassy.org/) South Tarawa Bairiki, Tarawa[Source](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106540854) ### [Embassy of Japan, Tarawa](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123903220) Tarawa [Source](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123903220) ### [Apostolic Nunciature to Kiribati](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19932613) [Source](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19932613) ## Highlights ### [Tarawa](https://tripguroo.com/en/places/ciudad-tarawa/) Island life and Pacific heritage on Tarawa Atoll. ## Complete guide · chapter reading [Introduction](https://tripguroo.com/en/guides/kiribati/#full-chapter-0) · [Regions](https://tripguroo.com/en/guides/kiribati/#full-chapter-1) · [Understand](https://tripguroo.com/en/guides/kiribati/#full-chapter-2) · [Get around](https://tripguroo.com/en/guides/kiribati/#full-chapter-4) ## 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](https://en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5268202) · [Authors and history](https://en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?title=Gilbert%20Islands&action=history) · [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/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](https://kiribatitourism.gov.ki/) · [Biblioteca Nacional de Nueva Zelanda · preservas de Kiribati](https://natlib.govt.nz/records/21985302) · [United Nations University · agroforestería de atolones](https://archive.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/80824e/80824E0g.htm) · [Kiribati · conexiones](https://kiribatitourism.gov.ki/journey-with-us) · [Tourism Authority of Kiribati · aeropuertos y conexiones](https://kiribatitourism.gov.ki/journey-with-us) · [Eutan Tarawa Council · conocer Tarawa Norte](https://eutantarawacouncil.gov.ki/discover/) · [Pacific Tourism Organisation · alojamiento e islas exteriores](https://southpacificislands.travel/tourism-kiribati-releases-10-things-to-do-e-brochures/)Wikivoyage contributors; selection, abridgement, translation and regional planning by TRIPGUROO · CC BY-SA 4.0 [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) · [Wikivoyage · Gilbert Islands](https://en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5268202) [Guides by topic](https://tripguroo.com/en/travel/?view=topics)