Tabon Te Keekee's buias are more spacious and comfortable than others we stayed in in Kiribati
Island Hopping Through Oceania - Dreamy Tabon Te Keekee
Kiribati had given us the most spectacular sunsets of the whole trip, and as the sun set on our final night in the country, we were treated to the best yet. We sat on the walkway to our overwater bungalow at Tabon Te Keekee, legs dangling over the honeyed waters of Tarawa’s lagoon, as the sky turned to molten lava and was reflected in the mirror-like water.
Every shade of orange, from marigold to amber, assembled in lines and swirls from the water beneath our feet to the sky above our heads. The horizon was imperceptible as the last of the dinghies returned to their waterside villages in the dimming light. We watched in awe, beers in hand, as the sun faded on a fantastic 12 days in Kiribati. And Tabon Te Keekee was the perfect place to end it.
Tabon Te Keekee is a great place from which to watch Kiribati's spectacular sunsets
What is Tabon Te Keekee
Tabon Te Keekee is a guesthouse on the islet of Abatao in North Tarawa. Guests stay in traditional-style thatched buias, or open-sided bungalows, either on land or over the lagoon. Meals are of traditional fare, and eaten in the guesthouse’s own maneaba, or meeting house.
The overwater bungalows at Tabon Te Keekee are a unique and affordable place to stay
The buias at Tabon Te Keekee are built to a more western standard than elsewhere in the country, and ours had lounge chairs, proper mattresses and mosquito nets. The buias also have walls that reach most of the way to the roof, providing a decent amount of privacy, but still allowing in the limited breeze and views out across the lagoon.
Tabon Te Keekee is very close to South Tarawa, just a short boat journey away. Or, at low tide, guests can wade across the channel from Buota to reach the guesthouse.
Getting from Abaiang Atoll to Tabon Te Keekee was a challenge
The ferry back to South Tarawa was due to arrive on Abaiang around 8 am. At Terau Beach Bungalows, we had a prime spot to see it zipping across the lagoon from our verandah when it did. We’d been assured that once we saw it, we’d have plenty of time to pack and reach the slipway before it unloaded, reloaded and departed back to South Tarawa.
The verandah of our buia at Terau Beach Bungalows was a great place to watch for the ferry's arrival
So we were up bright and early for a 7 am breakfast, ready to hit the road as soon as we saw Kiribati Seas streaking across the lagoon. However, by 11 am, there was still no sign of the boat. Terau Beach Bungalows appeared deserted, but we managed to find the manager, Barry, who informed us that the vessel had some mechanical issues. It was now expected between 2:00 and 3:00 pm.
As such, we settled in for lunch: raw shellfish from the lagoon. It seemed like a questionable choice, but at Terau you get what you’re given, so I slurped down the slime balls anyway, reassuring myself that at least the lagoon here is less polluted than that of overcrowded Tarawa. After lunch, we went back to Barry for an update. He told us hopefully that ‘they are getting the boat ready’, which sounded ominously like they hadn’t left Tarawa yet.
We had splurged on the more upmarket buia accommodation at Tabon Te Keekee for the next two nights. Unfortunately, this mechanical issue was starting to seem like it might become a longer-term problem, just like the grounded plane belonging to Air Kiribati. Abaiang had been unreal, but still, we were looking forward to some creature comforts for our last few nights in Kiribati.
Thankfully, our worries were misguided, and by 4:20 pm, we finally saw the speedboat powering across the lagoon. The journey back to Tarawa was as sublime as the journey out had been. Still, as we watched the palm-fringed shores of Abaiang gradually recede into the distance, I was hit by a pang of sadness. To have visited such a magically different and unspoiled corner of this planet is a privilege I will not forget quickly.
It was sad to say goodbye to Abaiang Atoll
Thankfully, it’s possible to get to Tabon Te Keekee after dark
It was dark by the time we disembarked from Kiribati Seas and made our way to South Tarawa’s traffic-clogged main road. As a result, we couldn’t tell that the tupperware of fish and rice we each bought for dinner from a roadside stall was actually raw tuna. Not ideal after a day sitting in the hot sun unrefrigerated. We were ravenous, however, so we wolfed it down regardless, to deal with the consequences later.
We arrived in South Tarawa over seven hours later than planned, and missed our transfer to Abatao. Thankfully, the guys at Tabon Te Keekee were accommodating. Through Facebook Messenger, we hatched a plan to get there that night.
We would meet at Chatterbox Cafe, 23km from the port, and roughly an hour’s drive in Tarawa’s snail-paced traffic. From there, depending on the tide, we’d either travel by boat or get a car and then wade across the channel to Tabon Te Keekee.
Getting to Tabon Te Keekee is worth the effort
But first we had to find a bus. We shamelessly tried to flag down every passing vehicle. Eventually, an off-duty bus driver, with a massive, empty bus, took pity on us and drove us all the way to our destination, stopping en route to buy freshly caught roadside fish and completely blocking the only road in the process. It didn’t much affect people’s journey times, however; once he had purchased the large fish, we quickly rejoined the 5km per hour stream of traffic ahead of us.
At Chatterbox, the tide was still high enough to make it by boat. After a dodgy beginning, unable to start the motor and drifting in the dark, we sped through the inky black night with only a hand-held torch as illumination.
With relief, we glided out of the oppressive blackness and onto the beach at Tabon Te Keekee without any unwanted collisions. The buia we were assigned to was palatial in comparison to all that came before, and we settled into the plush mattresses, lulled to sleep by the sounds of the lapping waves beneath the hut.
The best way to reach Tabon Te Keekee is by boat, or you can wade across from Buota at low tide
Tabon Te Keekee is a fantastic place to watch the sunset and sunrise
We spent three nights and two full days at Tabon Te Keekee, whiling away our time watching the locals fishing in the lagoon, collecting shellfish at low tide, and zipping back and forth between North and South Tarawa in their dinghies. The heat of the day was for napping in our travel hammocks, strung out across our palatial buia, and chowing down on ‘halfcook fish’ – seared tuna stir-fry – a simple yet delicious treat.
Locals fishing in the lagoon at high tide next to Tabon Te Keekee
But it was the start and the end of each day that wowed. Tabon Te Keekee is perched right at the southern tip of Abatao Islet, offering guests a front-row seat for the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets, all while watching from the comfort of your bed, front step, or hammock chair on shore.
It was worth getting up early to watch the sunrise over Buota each morning
On our first morning, the faint orange glow of a Pacific sunrise roused me from my slumber. I watched as locals puttered across the channel between Abatao and Buota, the milky-yellow sun rising behind northern Buota’s mass of swaying palms.
The next morning was even more special, oranges, reds, yellows of every hue, lapping waves, a heron fishing from the beach below the buia, and the rest of Tabon Te Keekee’s buias silhouetted against the swirling kaleidoscope of sky.
The view from our buia was hard to beat
In the evenings, our attention turned westward. We sat, beer in hand, mesmerised by the intensity of the colours filling the sky and water, dinghies racing by as if through lava, or suspended in some otherworldly scene, an alien planet of orange gases and hovercraft.
A child enjoying the molten-magma lagoon at Tabon Te Keekee
The sounds of children frolicking in the shallows and the smell of cooking smoke in the air were the only reminders drawing you back to planet earth. A spectacular end to a sensational 12 days in this most remote and beguiling country.
Tabon Te Keekee is a must visit when in Kiribati
This Leg
Days: 3
Flights: 0
Boats: 2
Islands: 3
Countries & Territories: 1
Total
Days: 63
Flights: 15
Boats: 25
Islands: 23
Countries & Territories: 8