Things to Do in Tarawa in July

The Battle of Tarawa in November 1943 was one of the bloodiest engagements in the Pacific Theater, and Betio still holds its scars in a way no museum could replicate. Japanese coastal defense guns, their barrels pitted with salt corrosion, sit exactly where they were emplaced eighty years ago, half-swallowed by pandanus roots. Concrete pillboxes with walls over a metre (3.3 feet) thick line the seaward shore, some still showing the blast marks from naval bombardment. July's drier stretches and steady trade winds make walking the exposed southern shore bearable compared to the sodden heat of the wet season. The tide matters here. At low water, you can walk the reef flat where the Higgins boats grounded on the coral, roughly 400 metres (1,300 feet) from the beach, and understand viscerally why so many Marines never made it to shore. Plan a full morning, starting early before the sun climbs too high, and wear sturdy shoes because rusted metal still surfaces from the sand. Respect this place.

The lagoon side of South Tarawa is a different world from the pounding ocean shore. The water is warm, roughly 29°C (84°F) year-round, and in July the reduced rainfall means less sediment runoff muddying the shallows near the causeways. Paddle out from Bairiki or Bikenibeu and within 500 metres (1,640 feet) you are over coral heads where parrotfish grind audibly at the reef and the occasional blacktip reef shark cruises the sandy channels between bommies. The colours under the surface are startling, mostly because nothing about the dry, scrubby topside of the atoll prepares you for it. Snorkeling the inner reef near Buota at slack tide is the sweet spot, with visibility that can reach 15 metres (49 feet) on a good day. July's trade winds chop up the lagoon by mid-afternoon, so mornings are your window. The salt smell of the exposed reef flat at low tide, mixed with the coconut-husk smoke drifting from cooking fires onshore, is one of those sensory combinations that will follow you home. Get in early.

Kiribati's Independence Day on July 12 is not a single-day affair on Tarawa. The heart of it is the maneaba, the traditional meeting house, where te buki dance performances happen on woven pandanus mats under soaring thatched roofs. The dancers' feet stamp the packed-coral floor in unison, and the sound carries across the still evening air in a way that recordings never capture. You will be invited to eat. Accept. The protocol is to sit where directed, wait for elders to begin, and eat with your hands. Say yes.

The I-Kiribati outrigger canoe, te wa, still lives on Tarawa. It is not a museum piece. People fish with it, race it, and cross between islets when they choose. July trade winds blow east at 15 to 25 km/h (9 to 16 mph). They fill a pandanus sail without making the lagoon unmanageable for traditional hulls. Sitting in a te wa as it heels, the ama (outrigger float) lifting clear, spray hitting your face, the sail creaking against its lashings, justifies the long journey here. The canoe races during Independence week are competitive. Crews from different islets paddle and sail courses across the lagoon. Outside the races, fishermen on Betio and Eita sometimes take visitors out. Show genuine interest. Do not treat it as a photo opportunity. The wooden hull feels warm under your hands. Decades of salt and use have smoothed it. That sensation stays with you.

At low tide on Tarawa, the reef flat on the ocean side reaches 800 metres (2,625 feet) in places. The whole community heads out. Women and children wade ankle-deep in warm, sun-heated pools. They collect te nouo (sea cucumbers), octopus, and various shellfish. Men fish deeper channels at the reef edge with handlines. The exposed coral cuts bare feet. Reflected glare off the water is fierce. The abundance of life in those tidal pools is notable. Sea slugs look like bruised plums. Cowrie shells hide in crevices. Small reef fish wait for the tide's return. July's moderate weather brings more reliable low-tide windows. Sudden squalls plague the wet months. Local families often invite visitors to join. You will learn more about Tarawa's relationship with the ocean in two hours than any guidebook could teach. Eat raw shellfish pulled from the reef on the spot. It tastes briny and faintly sweet. Sand stays on your fingers. This is Tarawa at its most elemental.