Things to Do in Nauru

About Nauru

The runway at Nauru International ends where the ocean begins, and stepping off the plane you're hit with equatorial heat that tastes like salt and diesel. This 21-square-kilometer coral outcrop was once the richest country on earth per capita, and the skeletal conveyor belts of the phosphate mines still scar its interior like dinosaur bones. Circle Island Road runs the entire coastline in 20 minutes flat, past the pastel government buildings in Yaren where parliament meets in a building that looks like a primary school, through Aiwo's Chinese shops selling canned beef and flip-flops, to Anibare Bay where the Pacific crashes against perfect white sand that no tourist has touched this hour, this day, maybe this week. The locals — 10,000 of them, give or take — drive the island's 200 cars like it's one extended neighborhood. At Bay Restaurant in Ewa, grilled yellowfin costs $8 AUD ($5 USD) and comes with rice that tastes faintly of coconut milk. At Capelle & Partner supermarket, a can of Spam runs $5 AUD ($3.30 USD) because everything arrives by the same bi-weekly supply ship that's been running late since 2020. The interior is a wasteland of jagged coral pinnacles where the phosphate got stripped away, but it's also where you'll find Buada Lagoon, a freshwater crater lake so perfectly circular it looks designed. This isn't paradise — it's better. It's what happens when a country loses everything and keeps living anyway.

Travel Tips

Transportation: Nauru's buses are actually shared minivans that cost $1 AUD ($0.65 USD) for any trip around the island. They run when full, which means they run when they run — usually every 30-45 minutes until 6 PM. The airport transfer is a flat $5 AUD ($3.30 USD) scam that every driver charges, so just pay it. Renting a car costs $60 AUD ($40 USD) daily from Capelle's in Aiwo, but with 19km of road total, you're paying more per kilometer than anywhere on earth. Pro tip: flag any car with locals inside — they'll squeeze you in for free if you're going their way.

Money: Australian dollars only — no cards accepted anywhere except the Menen Hotel. The ANZ ATM at Capelle's works half the time and charges $5 AUD ($3.30 USD) per withdrawal. Bring cash in $20 and $50 bills; smaller denominations disappear fast when every purchase is tiny. The black-market rate for USD at the Chinese shops is actually better than the bank rate, but they'll only change $100+ bills. Avoid the weekend when the ATM runs out and doesn't refill until Tuesday's flight arrives.

Cultural Respect: Nauruans drive like they're related to everyone — because they are. Horn beeping means hello, not get out of the way. Sunday is church day and most shops close by 10 AM; plan accordingly. The phosphate scars aren't just industrial ruins — they're mass graves from Japanese occupation. Don't take photos at the old processing plant without asking; someone's grandfather died there. When invited to drink toddy (fermented coconut sap) under the banyan trees in Boe, accept. Refusing is like declining someone's grandmother's cooking.

Food Safety: The reef fish is fresh daily from boats that launch from Anibare — if they're selling tuna for $3 AUD ($2 USD) a plate, eat it. The Chinese restaurants in Aiwo use imported frozen meat that's been on the supply ship; stick to rice dishes. Tap water is catchment from rain and safe, but tastes metallic. The best meals happen at Bay Restaurant where locals line up for the $12 AUD ($8 USD) buffet on Friday nights — get there at 6 PM when the rice is fresh, not 8 PM when it's been sitting under a fan for two hours.

When to Visit

March through October is your window — the rest of the year the equatorial heat becomes genuinely punishing. Temperatures hover around 30°C (86°F) year-round, but the humidity drops from oppressive to merely uncomfortable during these months. December to February brings the wet season: 200mm of rain monthly, flights cancelled when the runway floods, and dengue season that'll ruin your trip faster than any storm. April sees the Independence Day celebrations on the 26th — the only time you'll see more than 100 tourists at once, and hotel prices jump 50% for the week. June to August is peak phosphate ship season when supplies actually arrive on time, meaning restaurant menus expand beyond canned corned beef. September is magic: whale migration passes close enough to see from Anibare, the water hits 28°C (82°F) for snorkeling, and hotel rates drop 30% after the summer rush. October brings the Nauru Games — essentially island-wide family Olympics where everyone competes in everything from spear fishing to volleyball. The Budapest Hotel drops from $120 AUD ($80 USD) nightly in peak season to $75 AUD ($50 USD) in shoulder months. Flights from Brisbane drop from $800 AUD ($530 USD) in June to $450 AUD ($300 USD) in September. The catch? There's only one flight a week, so when it's full, it's full for seven days. November is technically possible but starts hitting 32°C (90°F) with 90% humidity — you'll spend your entire visit in air conditioning and wonder why you came. January is when locals themselves leave for Australia if they can afford it.