Marshall Islands: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Marshall Islands feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 22 written places.
Quiet, modest and deeply Christian - nothing moves fast, and on Sunday nothing moves at all.
✓ Considered polite
- Dress modestly - for women, skirts or shorts past the knee matter more than covered shoulders
- Learn the greeting Iakwe - it carries hello, love and welcome in one word
- Keep Sundays quiet - church, rest and low-key family time set the tone across the atolls
- Arrange outer-atoll visits through local contacts - land is family-held and a welcome should be asked for
✗ Better avoided
- Expose thighs in public - it reads as far more immodest than a bare shoulder
- Expect shops or restaurants open on Sunday - Majuro effectively closes
- Raise your voice or show anger - public temper costs respect fast
- Assume alcohol is available everywhere - many outer atolls are dry by local rule
Worth knowing
- The US dollar is the currency - carry cash, since ATMs and card machines are scarce
- Tipping is not customary, though 10% for good service is welcomed
- Outer atolls are reached by small planes and supply ships on loose schedules - build slack into any plan
- Nearly everything is imported - prices run high and fresh produce sells out early
Plugs and voltage: not in Wikipedia's «Mains electricity by country» table - shown as for the United States, whose grid it uses; check locally.
Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links - if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.