Marakei
Kiribati · Gilbert Islands · 2 m
Description
Marakei is a ring of reef north of Tarawa, closed but for two narrow passes that dry at low tide, and a first time visitor is expected to perform te katabwanin before doing anything else. The custom means circling the island anticlockwise and leaving an offering of tobacco, sweets or money at the shrine of each of the four guardian spirits, Nei Reei, Nei Rotebenua, Nei Tangangau and Nei Naantekimam, which is believed to secure a happy stay. The shrines have stood for centuries and the taani karaki, the traditional storytellers, keep them and pass on their histories. Nowhere else in Kiribati asks this of an arrival.
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
- Te katabwanin, the circuit of the four spirit shrines
- The shrines of Nei Reei, Nei Rotebenua, Nei Tangangau and Nei Naantekimam
- Circling the ring anticlockwise as custom requires
- The taani karaki and their oral histories
- Offerings of tobacco, sweets or money at each shrine
- Cycling the ring road in a day
- Baretoa and Raweta, the two narrow passes
- Snorkelling the enclosed lagoon
- Boat and air links from Tarawa
- Guesthouses on the Marakei ring
- An island where a visitor arrives as a guest of spirits
Getting there
- Airports:
- MZK
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry