Tarawa and the Pacific War

Tarawa, the capital atoll of Kiribati, was the scene of one of the most ferocious and bloody battles of the Second World War's Pacific campaign. In November 1943, over just three days, American forces assaulting the small, heavily fortified islet of Betio faced fierce Japanese resistance, and the battle, though a US victory that opened the way across the central Pacific, cost thousands of lives in a shockingly short and brutal fight. Today, Betio and Tarawa bear the poignant relics of that struggle: rusting Japanese coastal guns still pointing out to sea, ruined bunkers, wrecked landing craft on the reef, and memorials to the fallen of both sides, a sombre and moving place of remembrance.

What you actually see

• The coastal guns - the rusting Japanese guns pointing to sea.
• The bunkers and relics - the ruined fortifications and wrecks.
• The war memorials - the monuments to the fallen of both sides.
• Betio islet - the small, heavily fought-over islet.

When to go

April to October tends to be a good time to visit, though Tarawa is warm year-round; the war relics on Betio are best explored on a guided tour, which brings the history to life and helps locate the scattered sites. Allow time and a reflective frame of mind for these places of remembrance.

Honest expectations

The war relics are places of remembrance where many thousands died in a terrible battle, not conventional attractions, so they should be visited with respect; Tarawa itself is a crowded, developing and low-lying atoll capital with basic facilities, acutely threatened by rising seas, and Kiribati is among the least-visited nations on earth. For those interested in Pacific War history, or wishing to pay respects, though, the poignant, rusting relics and memorials of Tarawa are a sombre and significant, moving destination.

Nearby

The atoll of Tarawa, its villages and the outer islands are within reach.