Backpacking in Nauru: Top 12 Sights in Ewa Province

Ewa province in Nauru had me remembering my wonderful life in Poland due to the name – I met quite a few ladies called Ewa in Poland, pronounced “Eva” and this place had a beauty to mirror those girls. Two Ewas that stood out were the lovely Ewa Pykosz who backpacked with me in Azerbaijan and the cute and quirky Ewa Jagiełło who I met at a party in 2016, and my memory drifted back to Poland on my short visit to Nauru’s “Ewa”.

Nauru as an island and country is split into 14 provinces and it has 19 villages. Ewa boasts the popular Ronave complex (the best in Nauru) as well as the Ewa Guesthouse, one of only a hat-trick of registered hotels in the country.

We walked around the entire island one day, so arrived by foot into Ewa, and left the same way. We spent 8 cumulative days on Nauru (5 full days/nights) 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 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 Ewa.

1.Ewa Church
As churches in Nauru go, Ewa has one of the best. A grey painted wooden elaborate building with an outdoor bell and garden. There is a cross on the top of the tower.

2.Kayser College
There are not many colleges, schools or universities on the island country of Nauru. But Ewa has an impressive college – Kayser College (King College).

3.Ewa Lodge
Apparently, there are only three registered hotels in Nauru, and we visited them all. We stayed in the Meneng district in Hotel Menen and had lunch and beers twice at the Hotel Od N Aiwo in Aiwo district, but here is a cheaper option and the most northern place to sleep in Nauru – Ewa Lodge. It’s in the complex at Ronave, opposite Ewa beach.

4.Drive in Bottle Shop
Boasting a brace of alcohol outlets, Ewa seemed to me to be the “alcohol capital” of Nauru. We went into the first Bottle Shop, simply called “Drive in Bottle Shop” and they only sold Vodka in there. It was a ridiculous price at $120 Australian Dollars for a box, plus the lady told me off inside for filming!

5.The Bottle Shop at Ronave
As well as the Drive in Bottle Shop, Ewa boasts the village complex of Ronave, with its other 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 in Ewa.

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, which was $3 Australian 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 – Pier and I had a drink each here in the hot sun.

Finally, as a huge shock they even had a Northern Irish product here – Bushmills Whiskey!! Here I was in the middle of the Pacific Ocean feeling proud that a product from little Northern Ireland was for sale here, at 65 Australian Dollars.

6.Tropicana Café
Okay so don’t expect Wi-Fi and an Italian-standard cappuccino but the Ewa province has a cool café in it. Expect friendly staff, and a cake with a crappuccinko. Still, it’s probably the best café in the entire country so try and backpack it.

7.Capelle and Partners Pacific and Occidental Supermarket
The supermarket in the Ewa based village of 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).

8.Nauru Souvenirs (inside Capelle and Partners)
As mentioned before, 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 that you might want are Nauru postcards and stamps – so no issue – just head to the Post office in Aiwo and buy them there.

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

10.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.

11.High Lady Monument
Neither the locals we spoke to or any guidebook knew the meaning of this monument in Ewa, so I am calling it the High Lady Monument. You notice it on your way into Ewa by foot – it’s high in the forest on the right hand side (the opposite side from the beach) behind a white hut with writing on it.

12.Ewa Beach
Finally for Ewa, opposite the complex in Ronave, 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. There’s a beach and a pretty garden to chill out in.

Ewa is the third best province in Nauru for me, outside of the capital at Yaren and bubbly Aiwo, it is also a little off the wheaten craic (off the beaten track reality) in the northern part of Nauru. 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 Ewa, Nauru: