The world has not run out of pristine places that would make you believe there is indeed a mighty Creator who perfectly “made” all these with genius. Kiribati (pronounced kiri-bas) is one of those places. There are not too many people who made it here; with just 6000 visitors in 2013 (UN World Tourism Organization, 2014), it is among the last visited nation on the face of the Earth. People with an itch for traveling the most exotic and stunning destinations must not fail to visit this country before the Pacific completely drowns it; you and the rest of the future enthusiasts have until just before the end of the century to do that.
The picturesque images of the beautiful islands of Kiribati, the clean beaches, the crystal blue waters and the wildlife in the post “The World’s Least-visited Country is Stunning” (published in the News.com – World Travel/Pacific) are all awe inspiring. This article was originally posted in The Huffington Post. Thus you wonder, why is it getting a small share of tourist attention? Just like in the posts, you can’t help but ask the question:
“IS IT just us, or is the world’s least-visited country actually one of the most beautiful places to ever exist?”
But Kiribati should have many, MANY more passers-by, if these photos have anything to say about it.
The beaches are so sprawling, the water so blissfully clear, and the vegetation so verdantly tropical that this paradise is an ideal — and severely underappreciated — island escape.
Kiribati is a chain of 33 islands out there in the Pacific. Except for Banaba, a raised coral island, all the rest are low-lying atolls. With its rich marine resources, the country boasts of great game fishing and other unforgettable water-related activities such as snorkeling and diving.
Having been a battle ground during WWII, there are additional attractions you can check out when not enjoying its beaches and waters. These include the defense guns and concrete bunkers near the shores. There are also shipwrecks and crafts that are visible during low tides.
Unfortunately, this wonderful spot will not be here for long; it is quickly going under water because of global warming /climate change. Jeffrey Goldberg tried to give a sketchy account of what is happening in these islands in the article “Drowning Kiribati” posted in Bloomberg Business – Global Economics Section.
“Water expands as it warms, and the oceans have lately received colossal quantities of melted ice. A recent study found that the oceans are absorbing heat 15 times faster than they have at any point during the past 10,000 years…”
The concern strikes a chord with everyone being the first island the human race is about to lose to climate change. Having no place to live is another concern for Kiribati’s people; the efforts to mass transfer the 103,000 residents were touched in the article including the 2428 hectares of land purchased from Fiji. While Banaba is predicted to completely drown towards the end of the century, there will be problems related to the depletion of fresh water and the hazards of super typhoons before then, which is why mass transfer needs to be done this early.
“… Before the rising Pacific drowns these atolls, though, it will infiltrate, and irreversibly poison, their already inadequate supply of fresh water. The apocalypse could come even sooner for Kiribati if violent storms, of the sort that recently destroyed parts of the Philippines, strike its islands.”
As a globetrotter, however, your immediate concern is how soon to make the travel and how to get there. To enjoy Kiribati, understand the scarcity of flights or the problem with accessibility. Find out from Fiji Airways, the airline with weekly flights to this island from Fiji, Nai and Honolulu.
