THE BALANCE OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS IN THIS GALLERY ARE TO SHOW WHAT FACILITIES ARE LIKE FOR TRAVELERS ON TARAWA.

This is the only hotel on Tarawa - the 40-room Government-owned Otintaai hotel, about 15 minutes from the airport at Bikenibeu. I was advised it was overpriced at AU$80 a night, as the rooms are quite basic, but do have air-conditioning and is probably the only place in Kiribati where you can be guaranteed to have hot water (not that you really need that in an equatorial climate). It has a small restaurant – one of the few alternatives to the Chinese restaurants, like the one in photo No 12 in this gallery. I ate in it one night. The food was basic but edible.