Things to Do in Tarawa in May
May weather, activities, events & insider tips
May Weather in Tarawa
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
Is May Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
- + May lands squarely in the shoulder season, rooms open up and prices fall 30-35 % once the Easter increase is over, while the lagoon still holds a comfortable warmth for hours of snorkeling minus the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds.
- + From May through September, steady trade winds press the inner reef flat, gifting kayakers mirror-calm water and the clearest coral views you'll get all year.
- + Every second weekend, local families spread woven mats beneath the giant breadfruit trees behind Bairiki's Catholic church for open-air botaki feasts. Visitors are quietly waved in to share reef-fish, babai and fresh coconut toddy.
- + The overnight ferry from Betio to Abaiang adds an extra Friday sailing in May to handle school-holiday traffic; it's the cheapest hop between islands and the deck sunrise over the equator sticks in your memory long after you leave.
- − Afternoon convection builds fast, expect 20-minute torrents around 3 pm that leave ankle-deep puddles on the causeway and force lagoon tours to cancel two days out of ten.
- − UV punches in at 8 on the index. Bare skin burns in under 15 minutes, and the breeze lulls you into staying outside far longer than is wise.
- − A handful of outer-island guest houses close for roof repairs before the July increase, so your lodging options shrink if you plan to push beyond South Tarawa.
Best Activities in May
Top things to do during your visit
May's light chop and 28 °C (82 °F) water make drifting above cabbage-coral gardens packed with parrotfish the month's best reward. The sandbar on the lagoon's eastern edge rises at low tide, forming a natural pool waist-deep for 200 metres (656 ft). Mornings lie glass-still, start at 7 am when the sun is low and glare-free for photos.
May's drying breeze exposes more rusted tanks and amphibious tractors at low tide than any other month. The relics rest on firm sand you can cross barefoot, and the slanted afternoon light paints the coral rubble copper-red, good for shots without the harsh midday glare. Set aside 90 minutes at the coastal gun emplacements near King's wharf.
May's migrating skipjack tuna cruise within 5 km (3.1 miles) of the reef edge. By 9 am the water turns deep cobalt and the fish slam hand-lines baited with sunrise-caught flying fish. Expect diesel fumes in the cockpit and ocean spray that tastes saltier than usual under the trade-wind chop.
Cooler May evenings let dance troupes perform outside without wilting in the humidity. Rhythmic footfalls on woven mats thump through bare soles, and coconut-oil torchlight dances across performers in pandanus skirts. Drums bounce off nearby tin roofs, carrying the beat clear across the islet.
May timetables tack on an extra Friday overnight sailing, delivering a sunrise arrival over turquoise water so shallow reef fish flash beneath the deck. The 40 km (25 mile) passage settles under the calmed trade-wind swell, and you'll share deck space with locals balancing rice sacks and bicycles.
May Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Under Bairiki's giant maneaba, village choirs from across South Tarawa square off in four-part Gilbertese gospel harmonies. The air thickens with the perfume of frangipani lei and the sweet scent of popcorn scooped into recycled newspaper cones.
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