When I look back on my time in Kiribati, I do not think of it as just another stop in the Pacific. It left a real mark on me, and over time that has only become clearer. Out of all my travels and voyaging, Kiribati remains one of my favorite places, and very possibly my favorite. From the beauty of its sprawled-out coral atolls in the central Pacific, to its people, culture, and unique language within Micronesia, there was something about Kiribati that reached me in a way that went deeper than I expected.
I still think about the overwater buias, the sound of kids playing in the lagoon, enjoying sweet toddy in the morning, and taking drives across the atoll in the back of a delivery truck. Those are the kinds of memories that do not just blur together with time. They still feel full of life. It is no wonder that Kiribati continues to hold such a strong place in my spirit, gut, and heart all these years later.
It is now March 2026, and eight years have passed since I left my beloved Kiribati. Since then, I have voyaged across Hawaiʻi, Palau, the Samoan islands, Tokelau, and soon Wallis and Futuna, with Fiji once again appearing on the horizon as well. Even with all of that voyaging motion, Kiribati still hold a really special place within me. And as that horizon starts coming closer again to a return to those shores, it brings back all the things I truly loved about the islands and why they have remained so special to me.
Why Kiribati Holds Such a Strong Place in My Journey
There are places you enjoy, places you admire, and then there are places that really sink into you. Kiribati became that kind of place for me.
Part of that came from how different it felt from anywhere else I had been. Part of it came from the remoteness, the beauty, and the rhythm of life across the atolls. But more than anything, it came from the people and getting to know the islands through them. I always say that when I immerse into places, especially across the Pacific, the people truly make the destination. Without the people, there is no real understanding of how a place functions, how life is lived, and what gives it its heartbeat. In Kiribati, that felt especially true.
The Energy of the I-Kiribati People
The people of Kiribati carry an energy that is hard to put neatly into words. It is lively, warm, curious, open, and at times almost addictive. There was something about the spirit of the people that felt full of life in a way that kept pulling me in day after day.
That energy shaped the entire feel of the destination for me. It was not something I noticed once and moved on from. It was there in conversations, in movement, in the way people interacted, and in the everyday rhythm of life. Kiribati was beautiful on its own, but the people gave that beauty its soul.
The Kids of Kiribati
If there was one thing that stood out the most during my time in Kiribati, it was that same energy, but in the kids.
There was always excitement when they saw an I-Matang walking by, whether it was stopping to take a selfie, asking where I was from, trying to speak to me, or teaching me bits of their language. I always tried to meet that energy right back, because it was one of the purest expressions of the islands’ warmth. Those moments never felt small to me and ended up becoming some of the strongest memories I carried away.
Life in Kiribati Is Challenging, But There Is Beauty in Its Simplicity
Life in the islands is not without challenge, especially in places like Tarawa. Overpopulation, pollution in some areas, and limited infrastructure are all very real parts of daily life, especially in the capital. That reality should not be glossed over. And I am not touching on the topic of climate resilience, yet.
At the same time, there is also a simplicity to life in Kiribati that I found deeply grounding. Even within those challenges, the heart and spirit of the people continue to endure. There is beauty in that simplicity, not because life is easy, but because the everyday still carries a closeness, rhythm, and humanity that can feel rare elsewhere. That contrast left a strong impression on me.
The Culture of Kiribati Is One of the Most Beautiful I’ve Experienced
I always try to be careful not to speak too broadly about a culture from the outside, but what I can say honestly is that the culture of Kiribati is one of the most beautiful and distinct I have experienced anywhere in the Pacific. From FestPac Hawaii to Miss Kiribati’s performance at Miss Pacific Islands 2025, I am still in love to this day at any display.
Kiribati Dance and Storytelling
One of my favorite parts of the culture was the dance. From what I learned and from the questions I asked, many of the movements reflect birds and the natural elements that are revolve around Kiribati way of life. And alike dance across the Pacific, storytelling sits at the heart of it. Kiribati is no different. Watching it, you can feel that it is not just performance. It is expression, memory, and story literally in motion through the body.
Why the Kiribati Language Left Such a Strong Impression on Me
Of all the languages I have immersed in across Oceania, Kiribati is a language I just cannot forget.
It is not as straightforward for me as picking up some Hawaiian, Tokelauan, or other Polynesian languages, but as a Micronesian language I found Kiribati surprisingly adaptable and deeply beautiful to hear. The more I listened, the more I fell in love with it. Depending on who you speak to and where you are in the islands, there is a real energy in the spoken language that reflects that same energy I felt in the people themselves.
I do not know if everyone would understand exactly what I mean by that right away, but then again, you just have to be in Kiribati to understand. Any I-Kiribati reading this I am sure is smiling from ear to ear right now. 🙂
The Love and Hospitality in Kiribati Is on Another Level
I spent an entire month in Kiribati, and when I left, I felt like something was missing. A big part of that was the love, kindness, and hospitality of the I-Kiribati people. Seriously, it really is on another level.
Someone from Kiribati who had lived abroad once shared a concern with me that I-Kiribati people can sometimes be taken advantage of because they are so kind. That always stuck with me. When you encounter that kind of kindness and meet it with the same openness, respect, and eagerness to learn, the amount of love you feel in return is hard to put into words. That is probably a huge part of why Kiribati remains one of my favorite places in the world.
Like I said earlier, a place is not a place without the heart of its people, and that feels especially true for Kiribati.
Why Kiribati Continues to Pull Me Back
As you can probably tell, the reasons Kiribati continues to hold such a strong place in me are not tied to one single thing. It is the people, the energy, the beauty, the language, the culture, the simplicity, and the feeling of being there. Curiosity brought Kiribati onto my radar in the first place, but the reality of experiencing it gave that curiosity far more depth than I ever expected.
And that is why Kiribati continues to sit so clearly on the horizon – literally, as I am soon to reach Fiji”s shores where I would be one flight away. Not only because I want to return, but because some places truly earn their place in your life, and Kiribati did exactly that.
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