Lonely Planet

PHOTOGRAPHS:October 2017 Lonely Planet Traveller 85SECRET MARVELSMy secret marvelKIRITIMATIIf you like to be in the right placeat the right time, why not spendChristmas on Christmas Island?There’s historical precedent: Captain Cookstopped here and named it on 24 December1777. Kiritimati is pronounced ‘Krismas’ –‘ti’ sounds like ‘s’ in the language of themulti-island nation of Kiribati, which, yes,is pronounced ‘Kiribas’. Just above theequator in the Pacific Ocean, and remotefrom pretty much everywhere else,Kiritimati is the world’s biggest coral atoll.Theme a visit around brilliant place names,birds and bonefish and you can’t go wrong. If you never thought you’d visit London,Paris, Poland and the wonderfully namedBanana on the same day, think again: theseare the names of the island’s four earlysettlements. Though on a very differentscale to its namesake, London is (of course)the capital of this former British colony.Paris is (of course) across the channel. Itsonce-thriving coconut plantation, and thatat nearby Poland, were respectively namedby a homesick Frenchman with aspirationsto grandeur, and his Polish mechanic. Thejourney by boat across the channel is anadventure in itself, starting with finding alocal boat owner willing to make the trip;there is no public water transport. AndBanana? The site of the first banana gardensis still a sizeable village, and minibusesheading to and from London offer a goodopportunity to chat with locals. Seabirds, however, form the island’sbiggest population. If you’re used to lookingup when birdwatching, here’s a tip. OnKiritimati, look down: the lack of tallvegetation means that birds such as boobiesand terns breed on the ground. Towards thesoutheast end of the Bay of Wrecks – noprizes for guessing how that name cameabout – the road runs alongside a vast, noisy,smelly and completely fantastic breedingcolony of sooty terns. In the salt-blastedshrubs, look out for bokikokiko, the smalland lively Line Islands warbler; it’s a big tickon the must-see list for serious birders. East of the island’s main lagoon are poolsfamous for fly-fishing for bonefish. If youlike the idea, hire a local guide. If it’s toorough for a boat ride or you don’t want towade in the water, you can cast a line fromthe back of a pick-up truck. Don’t even thinkabout doing this alone, though – it’sextremely easy to get lost and sun-crazedin the island’s interior, and goingChristmas crackers is a sure way toruin a marvellous adventure.By Virginia JealousO Fiji Airways (fijiairways.com) flies to Kiritimatifrom Nadi in Fiji, and Honolulu in Hawaii.‘If you never thought you’d visitLondon, Paris, Poland and thewonderfully named Banana onthe same day, think again’