Have you heard of Kiribati? Neither had I until I started looking for Avios redemptions in the South Pacific (see Extra Sweet Spot: Fiji to Kiribati on Avios). Before arriving, I tried to find accommodations, but the prices were exorbitant, or no one responded. The only hotel that did was in South Tarawa. I figured I would get on the ground and go from there.
Arrival
Upon arriving, there was a small kiosk with brochures for bungalows in North Tarawa. I took down a few names and attempted to make contact.
George Hotel
Getting There: The hotel picked us up from the airport.
The George Hotel is a well-known hotel in Kiribati. But it is not filled with tourists. It is occupied by workers from around the globe in Kiribati for all sorts of odd work. The rate was $122 a night, which is quite steep for what I received.
What to Do?
There’s next to nothing to do in South Tarawa besides drink beer and hope the Wi-Fi works. The food at this hotel and the hotel next door was unremarkable.
Stuck?
Not knowing what to expect, I had originally booked three nights in South Tarawa. Almost immediately, I knew that this was a mistake and made plans to escape. I made plans to leave the next day. There was one problem. No one could take me to the dock to get to North Tarawa. The only person who knew how to drive was out sick. It took some effort to finally find someone to pick me up.
Tank Tour
The only attraction in South Tarawa are the tanks left over from World War II. They are awesome. The ferris wheel can be skipped along with the shipyard.
Overall
Minus the tanks, you should skip South Tarawa. TPOL sacrificed one day of his life to learn that for you.
Been Cook Island 2 months ago. Pacific is too cold for me so hovewer nice sandy beaches are there hard pass for me. Food also except would like to try Fijean curry. Not to mention everything is dead by 9pm. (Lil exageration but its simply no Seasia with exception of Brunei).