Things to Do in Tarawa in March
March weather, activities, events & insider tips
March Weather in Tarawa
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
Is March Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
- + Northeast trade winds arrive, creating steady 15-20 knot breezes that tame the usual equatorial heat and keep lagoon excursions comfortable
- + March sits in the sweet spot between cyclone season's end and peak tourist months - you'll share Betio's beaches with maybe a dozen other visitors, not charter groups
- + The lagoon's visibility peaks at 30 m (98 ft) this month after January's plankton blooms clear out, making WWII wreck dives around Bairiki spectacular
- + Local reef fishing hits its stride - morning hand-line trips from Taborio village land parrotfish and giant trevally when the tide runs slack at dawn
- − Afternoon squalls roll in fast between 2-4 pm, soaking anyone caught on the causeway between Betio and Bonriki - taxis disappear when the first drops hit
- − March humidity still hovers at 70% even with the breeze, meaning cotton shirts stay damp all day and leather anything grows mold overnight
- − The inter-island ferry schedule shrinks to twice-weekly runs as operators prep boats for April's peak season - missing your planned day means three days stuck waiting
Best Activities in March
Top things to do during your visit
March's clearing lagoon reveals Japanese shipwcks sitting in 8 m (26 ft) of water - the 75-year-old Amatsukaze destroyer lies 200 m (656 ft) offshore where you can free-d dive through its coral-encrusted bridge. Morning tides around 8 am offer the calmest entry before the afternoon breeze chops the surface.
This is the month locals prefer for the 45-minute paddle from Bairiki to Abatao islet - northeast winds push you home instead of fighting against current. You'll share the channel with fishermen laying gill nets for rabbitfish, their outriggers painted the same turquoise as the lagoon shallows.
The coral-stone ruins stay cool enough to explore mid-morning before the sun climbs over the coconut palms. March's lower visitor numbers mean you might have the 800-year-old marae platform to yourself, where the stone's fossilized clam shells still catch the light like scattered coins.
March's spring tides expose the reef flat for 90-minute windows around midnight - locals head out with headlamps to collect sea cucumber and spear octopus. The bioluminescence in footprints creates ghostly blue trails that fade as the tide returns.
March Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Village groups perform the standing-dance tradition that predates missionary contact - performances happen under massive banyan trees at Abatao and Eita villages, with drums made from sharkskin stretched over breadfruit wood
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