Kiribati - a Few Updates

With the Micronesian countries no longer covered by LP and Kiribati in particular rather rarely posted about on TT, I thought the following might interest some:

Getting there

Three airlines fly to the country nowadays:

Air Pacific from Fiji to Tarawa and both Fiji and Hawaii to Christmas Island
Our Airline from Nauru and Fiji to Tarawa
Air Marshall Islands from the Majuro to Tarawa

Getting Around

Air Kiribati and Coral Sun should serve all atolls in the Gilbert group, but in practice both CS planes and one of the 2 AK ones are grounded right now. The remaining AK aircraft seems to stick to published schedules pretty well nowadays. Fares are in the $30-150 range OW, plus a $20 tax.
Cargo boats are still a very realistic option in Kiribati, with deck fares roughly 50% of the airfares. Most offer cabins, too.

Information

The KNTO is now staffed by very enthusiastic and knowledgeable young guys, one of whom goes to meet incoming international flights at the airport, giving them a free "Tarawa and Outer Islands" guide and a schedule of upcoming events even before they reach immigration.
Their website is great, and they seem to try and keep it updated.

Accommodation & Food

Tarawa has maybe 9 decent places to stay, mostly in the AU$50-70 range for an AC room.
Cheapest of them is the Temaeu Motel (close to Laggon Breeze) charging $50 for an AC room in a concrete block. The cheapest place listed in the old LP guide, Sweet Coconut, is now kind of permanently occupied by Cuban doctors serving in Tarawa.
None of these decent places are really geared at holidaymakers so they tend to concentrate on providing basic comforts rather than atmosphere, views, etc.
For budget travelers who are not too picky, a cheaper option is the Seamen's Hostel in Betio - it is every bit as sleazy as the name should suggest and very run-down, but costs only $25 and is close to the port. Generous supply of complimentary condoms in the rooms! ;-) Single women should go elsewhere.
Lots of basic places to eat around town, and cheap rice and fish meals can be as cheap as $1.5 from takeaways.

In the outer islands, council-run guest houses still seem to charge a standard price of $30 for accommodation and food. Again, they are not built for romantic holidays, but will offer the basics. Food varies from dismal (sardine sandwiches) to great (tuna steaks with lots of fresh pumpkin, taro etc).

My Impressions:

This is perhaps as close as one gets to "Old Oceania" outside Melanesia, with almost everyone in the outer islands still living in traditional, open-sided wooden homes with leaf roofs, readily smiling at foreigners. Theft just doesn't seem to be an issue, at least outside the city, and in general, no one is after your money. Compared to other "English-speaking" areas in the region, little English is spoken, even in Tarawa!
On the other hand, this also means that there is "little to do" and no really "nice places to stay". The "city" of South Tarawa is friendly but scruffy/dusty, with no landscaping, shopping and eating options geared at visitors.
KNTO has now adopted the slogan "For Travelers, Not Tourists", and while this is a strange slogan for a tourism organization, it is probably spot on. Those looking for a pleasant, comfortable holiday as can be had in more touristy Fiji, Tahiti, Samoa etc. are likely to get bored and frustrated very quickly, while those interested in an untouristed, traditional environment and are ready to "rough it" and to pay more than they would in Fiji, Tonga etc should still find Kiribati a unique destination.