Arno Beachcomber Lodge is surrounded by palm trees on Arno's spectacular white-sand beach
How to get to Arno Beachcomber Lodge and what to expect
Arno Beachcomber Lodge has private rooms, a small dormitory, and camping on Arno’s spectacular white-sand lagoon-facing beach. Swaying coconut palms overhang the brilliant-white arc of sand, which curves away towards the horizon in both directions.
The lagoon here is perfect for swimming, with a wide shallow shelf of cerulean before the bottom drops away into the royal blue of the lagoon centre. It’s the perfect spot to while away a few days in a tropical torpor, swinging from a hammock (bring your own), beachcombing and generally living out your best castaway fantasies.
Arno's Beach is perfect for swimming
Finding information about travel in the Marshall Islands isn’t easy
There’s very little online information about travel in the Marshall Islands. Tourism is almost non-existent, and all our attempts to book accommodation in advance were abject failures.
There's a good chance you'll be the only tourist on a visit to Arno Atoll
There was only one place in the Marshall Islands that showed up on booking.com, and it wasn’t available for our dates. As such, the Marshall Islands was the only country in the Pacific where we arrived without any bookings.
However, we knew enough from what little was online to go straight to Hotel Robert Reimers. This turned out to be the best decision. There, we found out how to get to Arno Beachcomber Lodge on Arno Atoll. And it turns out that both hotels are owned by members of the same family (the Reimers).
How to book Arno Beachcomber Lodge
Initially, we emailed Arno Beachcomber Lodge to make a reservation and ask how to get there, but we received no response. Later, we confirmed with Ray, who runs Arno Beachcomber Lodge, that you can book via email, but that was not our experience.
Booking a stay at Arno Beachcomber Lodge takes a bit of effort, but it's well worth it for the spectacular location
With nothing arranged in advance, our first stop after landing in Majuro, the capital of the Marshall Islands, was the National Telecommunications Authority to purchase a SIM card.
This was fortunate, as we needed a phone to make the booking. When we enquired at the Hotel Robert Reimers reception, the staff told us to cross the parking lot to a nearby handicraft store to make a reservation for Arno Beachcomber Lodge. At the handicraft store, we were given a phone number to call to make the reservation, then paid in cash at the shop.
How to get to Arno Beachcomber Lodge
Arno Atoll is the only outer atoll in the Marshall Islands with a regular ferry service from Majuro. As such, a trip to Arno is the easiest way to experience life on the outer islands in the Marshalls. When we visited, the ferry left Majuro every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10 am from the wharf next to Hotel Robert Reimers.
To book the ferry, we were given a series of phone numbers from the handicraft store and even told to speak to ‘Barbie’, who works at the nearby Western Union office (supposedly the boat driver’s wife). Barbie gave us two more phone numbers, and after multiple attempts with the myriad phone numbers, we managed to reserve two spots on the next ferry.
The Arno ferry runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
Locals use the ferry to transport produce like pandanus and bananas to market in Majuro, seen here stacked on Arno's wharf
Accommodation options at Arno Beachcomber Lodge
There are a few accommodation types available at Arno Beachcomber Lodge. We were travelling with a tent, so decided to camp, paying 10 USD per person per night to camp on the beach next to the beachside shelter and picnic bench.
The lodge also has motel-style beachfront en-suite rooms at 35 USD per night.
Once we arrived, we realised that they have a dorm too. Set back from the beach and essentially just a collection of beds in the Lodge’s kitchen area, a dorm bed at Arno Beachcomber Lodge costs 25 USD per night.
Arno's beach makes for an unbeatable camping spot
What to expect at Arno Beachcomber Lodge
Arno Atoll is very quiet. There are a few stores, one of which has fridges and cold drinks; however, they are more expensive than in Majuro. As such, it is best to bring food from Majuro or arrange meals when you book your stay.
A generator runs at Arno Beachcomber Lodge in the evening, allowing you to charge devices and providing lighting. The kitchen has a gas stovetop with pots, pans, plates, bowls and cutlery.
It’s also possible to have meals provided, and we requested one so we could try pandanus fruit, as the Marshall Islands is one of the few places where these are eaten. Ray and his wife spent the day preparing the meal, including lunch. It cost us 10 USD for lunch and 15 USD for dinner, and was a feast of fresh fish, breadfruit, pandanus and coconut.
It's well worth having a meal cooked for you during a stay at Arno Beachcomber Lodge, to experience traditional Marshallese food
What to do at Arno Beachcomber Lodge
Arno Beachcomber Lodge is located right on the beach, and about a 20-minute walk from the pier where the ferry arrives. We spent most of the time relaxing in our hammocks, which we strung up under the beach shelter, and swimming in the lagoon.
Arno Beachcomber Lodge's beachside shelter is the perfect place to string up a hammock
You can also walk the stunning beach, either north, to the end of the island, or south, to the point where the island narrows to the width of the road. Walk back along the island road to see how the locals live, smoking copra by the roadside.
Copra smoking by the roadside on Arno Atoll
Ray, who runs Arno Beachcomber Lodge, is also a tour guide and could potentially arrange some trips. The beach is spectacular on calm days, with beautiful white sand and leaning palm trees. It was the most beautiful tropical beach we experienced on our Pacific trip.
Arno's beach is a stunning place for a stroll
Staying at Arno Beachcomber Lodge was a highlight of four months in the Pacific
We camped at Arno Beachcomber Lodge for four nights. It was pure tropical paradise, extremely relaxing and an absolute highlight of our time in the Pacific.
Arno is the quintessential tropical paradise, and completely unspoiled
Visited: August 2024