Travelling soon - any advice if hostels accept cards in Kiribati or I have to give them cash
My advice: bring cash with you when you fly into Kiribati. Hostels and motels on Tarawa like Mary’s or Utirerei don’t take cards, and ATMs are few and sometimes offline. The safest move is to bring Australian dollars, change some at the bank in Bairiki, and use that for hotel and food. Don’t assume you’ll be able to swipe or tap anywhere-cash is the only reliable option.
I landed in Tarawa thinking I could pay by card, but nope-both Mary’s Motel and the cheaper homestays I checked out were cash-only. There are ATMs around, but a couple were down when I tried. Luckily, I’d brought some Aussie dollars to exchange and that saved me. Lesson learned-always have notes ready in Kiribati. The hostels are friendly and basic, but don’t expect modern payment systems.
Kiribati was an amazing experience-so raw and untouched! I stayed at Utirerei Motel in Tarawa and while they didn’t take cards, it was easy to plan ahead. I withdrew cash from the ANZ ATM near Bairiki before checking in and paid for my whole stay in advance. The family-run feel and warm welcome more than made up for the lack of card options. I found cash payments kept things simple, and it was kind of refreshing not to worry about machines.
In South Tarawa, I stayed at Mary’s Motel and also checked out Utirerei Motel. Neither place accepted my card. Everything was cash in Australian dollars or local currency. There are a couple of ANZ ATMs in Bairiki and Betio that worked with my debit card, but I wouldn’t rely on them always having cash. Bring enough physical money to cover your stay. Hostels and small guesthouses aren’t set up for card payments at all, so you’ll be paying in notes.