Nauru Travel Guide

Nauru is not a very tourist friendly island, unlike many of it's Norh and South Pacific neighbours. Although surrounded by a beautiful coral reef, the island's interior has been involved in heavy and intrusive mining. The island is also centred in a rough part of the Pacific with no other significant landmass to protect it from strong currents, meaning swimming off its shores are not advised. All this makes for an island with much to show off but not too many people to show off too.

Despite Nauru's lack of tourist appeal, there are a couple of hotels and some attractions - remnants of the Japanese WWII occupation, small beaches, a Chinatown of and the lunar-like landscape of the mined centre. However, this for the vast majority of tourists is not enough of a draw when matched against the whims of difficult transport, weather and the immigration department.

In spite of the present economic gloom, the island still offers glimpses of its former 'pleasantness', with wild surrounding ocean and sea birds swooping and dipping over the green inland cliffs. For WWII buffs there are remnants of the Japanese occupation scattered around the island, and the huge remains of mining infrastructure are something of a site to be seen.