Backpacking in Nauru: Top 8 Sights in Ronave, Ewa Province

Nauru as an island and country is split into 14 provinces and it has 19 villages. Ronave is a village and settlement in the province of Ewa and is basically a large complex that acts as a place to buy everything you need all in the same place!! On an island such as this, Ronave is somewhat of a hidden gem, a novelty and an essentiality all in one. You can also sleep in Ronave, just yards from the Pacific Ocean if you choose Ewa Beach Lodge.

We walked around the island (a common backpackery thing to do whilst on Nauru) and stopped off late afternoon to explore the complex at Ronave. We spent 8 cumulative days on Nauru (5 full days) and were able to explore and visit all 14 of the provinces. It’s pretty easy to do that even in a 24 hour stint – we had some torrential rain which slowed the dander down though. We walked the whole island in 8 hours, at a leisurely pace which also included 2 rain delay stops, lunch, dinner and a sneaky afternoon beer.

I doubt I’ll have time to write about the top sights in all 14 of the provinces in Nauru, or all 19 villages but here are the highlights in Ronave, which I also wrote about in my article on the Ewa Province.

1.The Bottle Shop
Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the best place on the entire island country of Nauru to buy alcohol. The selection is huge here at Ronave’s Bottle Shop. They even had Bushmills!! I came all this way and found they are selling a superb Northern Irish whiskey for 65 Australian Dollars!

Plus as a bargain basement hunter, I loved the fact that I found the country’s cheapest available beer here – a XXXX Bitter, Castlemaine from Australia for only 3 AU Dollars.

There are seats outside the shop so you can sink your beer here and feel like you are in one of only 7 bars in the country! I certainly include this on my Thirsty Thursdays list and my island whackpacking pub crawl.

2.Capelle and Partners Pacific and Occidental Supermarket
The supermarket in Ronave is owned by Capelle and Partners and for me is the best supermarket in the entire country.

In here there is an ATM, a good range of fresh, ambient and frozen food and of course a superb souvenir section (so good I included it as its own sight).

3.Nauru Souvenirs (inside Capelle and Partners)
As mentioned this souvenir section inside the Capelle and Partners is the best souvenir shop in the country. Here is what you can buy here:

– Nauru t-shirts
– Nauru fridge magnets
– Nauru keyrings
– Nauru Caps
– Nauru beer holders
– other random Nauru gimmicks

Things you cannot buy here in Ronave that you might want are Nauru postcards and stamps – so no issue – just head to the Post office in Aiwo to buy and post them there.

4.Tropicana Café
Okay so don’t expect ANY Wi-Fi or your greatest ever cappuccino. But with friendly staff, decent coffee and good cakes and fish and chips, this is Ronave’s cafe and restaurant all in one. In my opinion, it’s the best café in the entire country so try and backpack it. The best restaurant and bar however, I found was The Bay Restaurant at Anibare Bay.

5.Buns in the Sun Bakery
Buns in the Sun bakery is also in the complex here at Ronave. It sells the freshest bread, cakes and pastries on the island and lives up to its title.

6.Nauru’s Fishing Tackle Store / Fisherman’s Corner
Fishing can be an interesting hobby (or business) here in Nauru and of course this little shop is the country leader in providing fishing materials. It’s open every day except for Sunday.

7.Ewa Beach
Also in Ronave, opposite the complex is Ewa Beach. So if shopping, fishing and beer sinking is not your thing, head across the road and go for a dip in the Pacific Ocean.

8.Ewa Lodge
Somewhere to sleep for the night – in the best (and only) registered hotel in the village, the province and the north of the island!

Ronave is basically a small village and complex in the Ewa province and it’s like the capital of that province and definitely a place you should check out. I was in Nauru on the Least Visited Countries Tour with Young Pioneer Tours, which can be booked here.

Here are some videos I made while backpacking in Ronave, Nauru: