• Phoenix Islands
• Information
• Traveler Advice
• Forums

48HourVisit.com

Planning a short visit? Check out 48HourVisit.com, your online guide for short stays and weekend getaways.

Ad

With more than 400 thousand square kilometers of coral and fish-enriched waters, Kiribati's Phoenix Islands is the world's largest marine protected area. A group of eight atolls and two submerged coral reefs, Phoenix Islands is believed to have been baptized after one of the many whale ships that plied on its waters during the early 19th century. During the ‘30s, the Islands became the site of the British Empire's last attempt towards colonial expansion called "The Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme."The mostly-uninhabited Phoenix Islands showcase evidences of prehistoric settlements on the islands of Manra and Orona. In Manra we can see early Polynesian and Micronesian wells and pits, while in Orona we find the ruins of shelters, graves and an ancient ceremonial platform called marae. Sites important to recent history are Kanton Island, with its abandoned trans-Pacific airport and scraps of airlines that once belonged to the US/UK occupation, as well as Nikumaroro Island where British officer Gerald Gallagher left the ruins of a village complete with coral-paved streets and small buildings. Nikumaroro or Gardner Island has also become a news item as it was believed that legendary aviator Amelia Earhart, who attempted to create a record by flying around the world, crashed her airplane here. The island is also known for its flora and fauna. Carpeted with grasses and herbs, McKean Island is a sanctuary for the planet's largest nesting population of lesser frigate birds, Kiribati's national emblem, with a population of up to 85 thousand. To get to the Islands, one can take a chartered flight from the neighboring Gilbert Islands' small airport in Tarawa, but for budget travelers, the only way to reach the Islands is through hitchhiking or paying for a cheap but uncomfortable ride in supply boats from neighboring countries such as Fiji and Marshall Islands.

User blogs:

Cheaper galactic spaceliner unveiled

News from http://news.ph.msn.com/top-stories/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3737940 Richard Branson unveiled Monday a commercial spaceliner offering tourists a cheaper chance to experience the thrill of weightlessness and view the splendor of the Earth from space.   The British billionaire hopes to offer tickets aboard his spacecraft at a cost of 200,000 dollars each, giving adventurous ... Read full Blog post

Indonesia Eco Tourism

 Tour Itenaray Day 01 BALI - LABUAN BAJO – RINCA ISLAND – KOMODO ISLAND (L.D) Pick up from your hotel in Bali and transfer to the airport, for flight to Labuan Bajo (West Flores) for approximately one and half hours. On arrival in Labuan Bajo airport, will be welcomed and met with our local representative or tour guide. Than transfer to the harbour to catch a boat cross to Rinca ... Read full Blog post

San Gimignano and San Pellegrino

Night falls on the flourishing and industrious San Gimignano, its 72 towers stand on the low roofs of the houses lit by the moon. This is not a luxury travel spot but is something you don't see every day. In the distance the clatter of hooves echoed tired in the Via Francigena. The hand of the blacksmith stops beating, the frame of the weaver becomes silent, the streets of the tank only a concert ... Read full Blog post

An Aerial fiesta in Clark Pampanga

Its a party in the sky as multi colored hot air balloons piloted ny different pilots from various partso of the world participated in this annual gathering. As early as 5am, the 2,500 hectare aviation complex at Clar Economic Zone in Pampanga was already crammedi with excitement. Clusters of hot air balloon participants busily prepare their own balloons for liftoff as they need to take advantage of ... Read full Blog post