Tabuaeran
Kiribati · Line Islands · 3 m
Description
Tabuaeran, better known as Fanning Island, is a near circular atoll in the Line Islands with a lagoon that opens to the sea through a single narrow pass. Cruise ships used to call here in numbers and a few still do, which is one of the two ways in. The other is a boat from Kiritimati. A dirt road runs the whole way round the lagoon and bicycles are rented near the main dock, so the atoll can be circled in a day. The reef outside the pass is barely fished. There is no hotel and no scheduled flight, so a visit means either the few hours ashore from a cruise ship or arranging a passage from Kiritimati.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 5 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
- The dirt road right around the lagoon
- Cruise calls at the main dock
- The single narrow pass into the lagoon
- Bicycles for rent by the dock
- Empty beaches on the ocean side
- Barely fished reef outside the pass
- Snorkelling in the pass on the incoming tide
- Bonefish on the lagoon flats
- Boat crossing from Kiritimati
- An atoll with one road and no hurry
Getting there
- Nearest airports:
- CXI
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry