Kiribati is more a sprinkling of far flung coral atolls than dry land, more deep blue ocean than sandy beach, more coconut trees than people, more Catholic church than ancient island beliefs. Kiribati, pronounced kee-ree-bus, is far away, hard to get to, un-touristed and deeply religious. It is also blessed with myriad reefs, billions of gaudy fish swarming over the coral, and plenty of WWII wrecks. The atolls are scattered over the equator so the weather is dependably warm, though often tempered by cool breezes off the sea. The I-Kiribati, as locals are known, pronounced 'ee-kee-ree-bus,' speak a Micronesian dialect, although English is widely used in official communications. The local alphabet has only 13 letters, with 'ti' standing in for 's'. The missionaries got their talons in early, and the Kiribati Protestant Church today has over 28,000 followers and the Catholic Church close to 40,000. Religion is taken very seriously, and the further south you go the more you should avoid doing anything that looks remotely like work (even darning your beach towel could be frowned upon). Traditional customs and beliefs still survive, which is not surprising for a people who have lived so closely to a force as mysterious as the sea for so long. Belief in the power of magic and the existence of ghosts (anti) is widespread, and small shrines are common in the bush. The clan is the basic building block of society, and authority throughout the islands is invested in the maneaba (meeting house), councils of elderly men who are leaders of a clan.

Islanders have traditionally lived in a subsistence economy based on root crops like taro and sweet potato, coconuts and produce from the sea, but as the cash economy makes inroads this is starting to fall by the wayside. Imported foodstuffs are becoming more common and growing in the popularity and status stakes in rural as well as urban areas. The local drop is the unfortunately named sour toddy, which missionaries frowned upon but were never able to wipe out. It is brewed from the coconut palm.

Tarawa, Kiribati's capital, may not be the Venice of the Pacific, but you do have to negotiate the main sights by causeway and inter-island boat. While modernity is rearing its head, locals still welcome travellers as rarely seen curios. Although there's not much organised activity, it's not hard to find diving and game fishing in most places. And idyllic beaches are never far from anywhere if you want to escape with a book or a diving mask.

Tarawa is the capital, of which the southern part is heavily urbanised. It contains more than 30% of the nation's population and is severely overcrowded. It can take some getting used to. If you are a traveller then Tarawa should not be your destination, go to one of the lesser populated 'outer' islands instead.

It is not a single town but a group of islets surrounded by a coral atoll, and apart from the south where causeways link the islets, one will need a boat to navigate around the main features.

The International Airport is on Bonriki in the Southeast corner, which also hosts the new hospital and fish pond. The central Government offices, Parliament building, President's Office and Resident, Central Post Office, Telecommunications Services Kiribati Limited (TSKL), Library and Archives, and various other official buildings including the Air Kiribati Travel Agency are all on Bairiki islet. Betio islet, probably the most popular in Kiribati, has the port, shipyard and main power station, and it is where you'll go if you need to cool your heels overnight in jail. Betio also has a large number of War relics, after fierce fighting during a major marine assault in November 1943. On Ambo islet, the "greens" of the Golf Course are rolled sands. Tarawa is one of the most densely populated areas in the Pacific, with a population density similar to Hong Kong's.

Canoe racing, volleyball and soccer are all popular on the islands, but more traditional pursuits, such as intricate and beautiful dances - particularly on Tabiteuea - an indigenous martial art and making figures out of string are still practised. Also important in Kiribati are chants for one to four voices that honour particular achievements, such as initiation rites. The chants are not normally accompanied by dance.