Nauru may be the world’s smallest island republic, but there is still no shortage of things to do. Tiny and far away from other South Pacific islands, guided tour operators are few and far between except for a handful of charter fishing boats and places to rent scuba diving equipment. However, a growing numbers of guided tour companies are adding Nauru to their South Pacific island-hopping itineraries.
Fortunately, Nauru’s small size also means that most people can easily explore the island on their own in a single day. It takes less than half an hour to drive around the island’s only main ring road, but most visitors will undoubtedly prefer to make frequent stops along the way. Hikers who venture off the main coastal road into the interior will encounter a moon-like landscape left behind from years of phosphate mining. Anibore Harbor is the best swimming spot.
CEN PAC Dive Travel Services is among the few tour companies which organizes scuba diving excursions in Nauru. Divers should bring their own equipment prior to exploring the island’s surrounding coral reef, colorful marine life and large shipwreck. The months between April and December have the best visibility and conditions.
Nauru Game Fishing and Equatorial Fishing Charters are the island’s two main deep sea fishing companies. Many individuals on Nauru are also willing to rent their own boats to visitors hoping to catch a bite beneath the island’s waters. How deep vessels are able to venture into the Pacific depends upon weather and water conditions. Barracuda, yellowfin tuna, marlin, and skipjack are among the most commonly caught fish.
The staff at Meneñ Hotel organizes walking excursions across this small island. It takes roughly six hours on foot and between two to three hours by pushbike to travel around the entire ring road. The years of phosphate mining which once ranked the island among the world’s wealthiest countries have left behind a unique moon-like landscape of jagged coral pinnacles. Nauru may not boast the world’s most challenging hiking trails, but few other places on earth provide visitors the chance to trek across an entire country in a single day.
Palau-based Sam’s Tours is among the small handful of Micronesia tour companies which include Nauru and its beaches on their itineraries. Most tropical sand worth visiting is clustered around Anibare Bay, but the namesake harbor is the only place where the water is deep enough, the terrain smooth enough and the currents calm enough for swimming.
Absolute Travel is another international tour company which includes Nauru and its numerous WWII relics on its roster. Although the United States, Germany and Japan all occupied the island at various points during the war, the vast majority of surviving WWII relics are Japanese. This includes the many pillboxes, bunkers and weapons scattered around Yaren. More bunkers, trenches and weapons are found throughout the island, but visitors must watch out for unexploded munitions off the beaten path.