Things to Do in Kiribati in January

January's high lagoon levels open mangrove channels that dry out the rest of the year. Morning paddles start at 6 AM when the water is mirror-calm. Parrotfish crunch coral beneath your hull. Afternoon thunderstorms usually hold off until 3 PM, giving you a full day to island-hop between thatched-roof villages on the lagoon's edge.

January is when giant trevally patrol the reef drop-offs chasing schools of juvenile goatfish. Local crews anchor right on the edge where the coral shelf falls into the deep blue. Cast poppers across the surface and watch GTs explode like green missiles. The action peaks the hour before high tide when cooler ocean water pushes baitfish onto the reef.

Cooler morning temps in January make cycling the 43-km (27-mile) Betio-to-Bairiki causeway bearable. Stop at Japanese bunkers half-swallowed by saltbush. Rust inland at Red Beach where LVTs still lie in the surf. End at the Peace Museum where elders who lived through 1943 tell stories under the maneaba. Afternoon clouds keep the heat down compared to the brutal dry season.

Outer island Maiana sees few visitors in January. You will own the lagoon's coral heads. The village of Tebikerai keeps handlines coiled in every thatch house. Wade out at low tide to knee-deep patches and drop octopus bait onto coral trout that have never seen a hook. The water is so clear you watch your bait disappear into purple coral caves.

Spring tides in January expose reef flats for half a kilometer at midday. Walk on hard coral pavement between tide pools filled with juvenile black-tip reef sharks and bright-blue starfish. Local kids collect sea cucumbers for evening curry and will show you which clumps hide edible sea urchins. The walk ends at Buota church where women weave palm fronds under the breadfruit trees.