TARAWA and KIRITIMATI

Hi guys...

I wil visit Tarawa (5-6 july) and Kiritimati (7th) during my trip in Oceania.
I'm looking for somebody to share a boat (to rent) to visit both lagoon and to share a scenic fly above Tarawa atoll.

Luka

Hi - it sounds an interesting trip - I hope your connections work ok - though you're not going to get much time in Tarawa!

Any flight into Tarawa is pretty much a scenic flight - the atoll is only small - very narrow but quite long - you do see most of it when you land. I'm fairly sure that there is currently nobody there offering scenic flights for visitors. That concept hasn't reached the islands yet ...

The whole of Tarawa surrounds the lagoon (the atoll is a boomerang shape) so you are never far away from the water - an actual lagoon tour wouldn't really show you that much of interest. Yes it is bright turqoise water, surrounded by a thins trip of white sand and palm trees but that is pretty much it. It seems that you have a very limited time there if your flights as above do work out - to make the most of it I'd probably opt for one of the cultural tours in North Tarawa that are on offer.

I admire your ambition, but I am really surprised that what you are contemplating may be even possible.

When I was last there - way back in 1999 - it was almost impossible to get in and out of Tarawa in less than a week - assuming you would be flying in from Fiji, and would need to return there, and that flights would actually be reliable (this used not to be the case).

I say returning to Fiji, because at that stage the journey between Tarawa & Kiritimati was a long and dificult one, requiring travel to Fiji, or (I think) there was also another route possible via Hawaii.

To my knowlege, air service to / from these "lesser travelled" areas have not improved appreciably in the intervening years - I would be interested to know how you are going to achieve the schedule.

Well... I will fly first to Nauru and Solomons... from there's a twice week flght to Tarawa by Our Airline.
From Tarawa, twice per week, there's a fly (Air Pacific) to Nadi...
Why should be difficult... maybe flight cancelled or on delay? but can happen everywhere...

OK - so the flight Tarawa to Nadi meets up with another direct flight to Kiritimati?

Unless "Our Airline" (replacement for Air Nauru) is much better than its predecessor, a delayed flight is almost inevitable.

i am also concerned about the brevity of your trip - the only thing you will really get from such a brief stay in the islands is a few photos and the ability to tick them off your "list".
That's fine if that's why you are travelling, but there is so much more to be experienced from the unique culture of such places.

My trip will be in Solomon Islands... I will reach Nauru and Tarawa as will be cheaper (and easy with timetable) for me to fly to Nadi...
I have free tickets to Australia and from Fiji... that's why I will reach Tarawa and Kiritimati in transit...