Butaritari
Kiribati · Gilbert Islands · 2 m
Description
Butaritari is the green one. Rain falls on it far more heavily than on the dry southern Gilberts, the soil is rich, and breadfruit, pandanus and coconut grow into something close to forest, which no other island in Kiribati manages. The men of Kuma village practise binekua, the calling of porpoises in from the open sea, a tradition held nowhere else. The atoll was fought over twice in the Pacific war, first in the Makin raid and then in the landings, and the remains are still in the undergrowth. Butaritari lies at the northern end of the Gilberts and is served by air from Tarawa, and the lagoon on its inner shore is broad and calm.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 4 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Binekua, the porpoise calling of the men of Kuma
- The greenest island in Kiribati
- Wartime remains of the Makin raid and the landings
- Breadfruit and pandanus groves behind the villages
- Lagoon beaches on the inner shore
- Snorkelling the Butaritari lagoon reefs
- Porpoises off the ocean side
- Guesthouses in the main villages
- An atoll that grows its own food
- Rain and shade after the dry south
Getting there
- Airports:
- BBG
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry