Things to Do in Kiribati in September

September's steady easterlies create perfect breeze for the traditional two-string kite rig. It drops baited hooks 300 m (330 yd) onto the reef drop-off. Locals teach at dawn when lagoon glare is lowest and tuna schools skirt the edge. You stand waist-deep off Ambo village, feel the kite tug like a living thing, and taste salt spray every time the line tightens.

September's drier spells make the overgrown Japanese coastal guns near Tanimaiaki village accessible. Mud firms enough to cycle 8 km (5 mi) of coral road without fishtailing. The ride smells of crushed noonday vine and diesel from passing mopeds. Fruit bats quarrel overhead in the kanawa trees.

Neap tides in September let you glide 2 km (1.2 mi) into the mangrove channels behind Tebunginako. You won't fight a ripping current. Water is bathtub-warm, 29°C (84°F), and so clear you can spot juvenile lemon-sharks flicking away from your board shadow. Paddle out at 5 PM when the light turns butter-yellow and the channel echoes with noddies coming home to roost.

September's minus tides expose hard white flats that feel like powdered sugar underfoot. Tailing bonefish show at 40 m (130 ft), easy targets for 8-weight rods. The sun sits lower than mid-year, cutting glare so you see the fish before they see you. Afternoon squalls roll in fast. One minute you're casting, the next raindrops drum your hat brim like pebbles.

Friday evenings the community hall fills with the thump of hollow-log drums and the sweet-sour smell of toddy (fermented coconut sap). Dancers in pandanus skirts rehearse for September's independence celebrations, so performances are sharper than usual. You'll be pulled up for the sitting-dance; cross your ankles, keep your back straight, and follow the slap-clap rhythm that speeds up until everyone collapss laughing.