Kiribati / Republic of Kiribati – Let’s explore here

Kiribati is a stunningly beautiful island country composed of 32 atolls and a coral island that lies in the west called Banaba. The land area of Kiribati is about 1½ times the size of the Isle of man. The population is only 121,000 and half live on one atoll – the capital, Tarawa.

Tarawa has a large lagoon, 193 square miles (500 square kilometres) in area, and a wide reef. On South Tarawa, where most of the population lives, a causeway has been created to form a single strip of land from the west to the northeast. North Tarawa consists of a string of islets which are separated by wide channels that are crossed at low tide. Only Buota is connected by road to South Tarawa, via a bridge.

The highest point in Kiribati is on Banaba, at 266 ft (81 m). Having been mined for over 80 years, the centre of Banaba no longer has any soil and is uninhabitable. There are now only 330 people living on Banaba and any woodland is now limited to the coastal area.

What currency do they use in Kiribati?

In Kiribati they use the Australian dollar. The use of credit / debit cards is now widespread, although you should take cash in more remote areas. Traveller’s cheques are accepted in tourist areas. There are ATMs in major tourist areas. 

You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.

What language do they speak in Kiribati?

They speak Englishand Gilbertese in Kiribati.

What time zone is Kiribati in?

Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in. 

Do I need a visa to visit Kiribati?

We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!

What’s it like to drive in Kiribati?

We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂

Current travels

We haven’t finished our planning for driving though Kiribati yet. When we do though, we’ll post it here, and in the blog. 

Hopefully our journey will improve our knowledge of this intriguing and beautiful country, and enable us to meet some interesting people. We’ll be updating this page at that time – don’t forget to check back 🙂

Is wild camping legal in Kiribati?

No, wild camping is illegal in Kiribati.

If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know! 

And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!