Nauru Travel Guide

Nauru, an island country, is the world’s third-smallest country. Only Monaco and Vatican City are smaller than Nauru. It is located in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands. As an off-the-beaten-track destination, Nauru is also one of the least visited countries in the world. The remoteness, and the fact that much of the island is a charmless open phosphate mine are two strong reasons for such few tourists.

Nauru was first settled into around 3,000 years ago by 12 Micronesian and Polynesian tribes. Those 12 tribes divided the island into 12 parts; today this is symbolized by the 12 pointed star in Nauru’s national flag (the yellow line represents the Equator and the blue space the Pacific Ocean). Nauru is best avoided during the cyclone/rain season, which is from November to February. During this time, the sky is constantly cloudy and torrential rains and thunderstorms are frequent during this time of the year.

There are some good “sandy” beaches in Nauru and most of the shallow area around the island is coral reefs. Most of the interior of the island is worked-out mining land, which is to be rehabilitated. The only inland body of water is the lagoon.

The official language is Nauruan, a distinct Pacific Island language. English is widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes.

The Australian Dollar serves as an official currency in Nauru. The only place to change money is the Bank of Nauru in Aiwo district. It is advisable to bring Australian Dollars in cash. The country has a cash-based economy. There are no ATMs and credit cards are not acceptable.

There is one taxi in Nauru. Car hire is available. But you probably won’t need it, as there is only one road, which is 19 km long and circles the island. 

As for electricity, Nauru uses type I sockets, as in Australia and New Zealand. You need to bring a travel adapter to fit the proper socket type. Check out the above-linked page to see the photos and other useful information. The voltage is 220 V.  Many of your devices may need a step-up transformer to match the electrical voltage.

July 13, 2016 12:00 am Published by Neha Rizal Leave your thoughts