Australia and Pacific > Kiribati > Abemama
Abemama is a coral atoll in the Gilbert Islands chain of Kiribati, about 160 kilometers southeast of Tarawa. Its name means "Land of Moonlight," and once you see the lagoon glowing under a Pacific night sky, you will understand why. This is one of the most remote and least visited atolls in the central Pacific, a place where traditional I-Kiribati life continues largely undisturbed.
Abemama's most famous visitor was Robert Louis Stevenson, who stayed here for several months in 1889 during his Pacific voyages. He lived as a guest of the powerful chief Tem Binoka, whom he described in vivid detail in In the South Seas. The site where Stevenson lived is marked near the lagoon shore. The atoll also holds a place in colonial history as the first island where the British Union Jack was raised in Kiribati, hoisted by Captain Davis in 1892. You can still sense that layered past walking along the quiet shores, though most of the physical traces have long since been reclaimed by wind and tide.
There is no tourist infrastructure to speak of on Abemama. The atoll has a small airstrip with infrequent flights from Tarawa, and a few basic guesthouses. What it offers instead is an honest glimpse of atoll life: fishing, coconut harvesting, and the vast silence of the open Pacific. The lagoon is good for snorkeling, and the outer reef teems with fish, but you will need to bring your own gear and a sense of self-sufficiency.