Kiribati

Few destinations demand as much of the traveller — or give back as much in return. Kiribati's scattered atolls span all four hemispheres, from the WWII-scarred lagoons of Tarawa to the bonefish flats of Kiritimati, the world's largest coral atoll. This is the Pacific at its most elemental and unhurried.

With its very existence shaped by climate and sea-level rise, Kiribati has built a regenerative tourism model of rare integrity — visitors join mangrove restoration crews and marine sanctuary monitoring, with every stay directly funding community-led adaptation. Low-volume, high-value access ensures the atolls remain as wild as the horizon.

The Phoenix Islands Protected Area, a vast UNESCO World Heritage marine sanctuary, anchors a growing offer in soft adventure and experiential travel — think deep-water dive sites, traditional seafaring culture, and skies lit by stars undimmed by any city on Earth.