This lovely update from Christmas Island Lodge gives a great account of what’s happened at the lodge since its re-opening following Covid. Here’s what the team on the ground have to say:
May 2nd, 2024 marked the one-year anniversary of the post-COVID reopening of Kiritimati, commonly known as Christmas Island. And what an amazing year it has been. Life is back to normal for our island neighbours and Christmas Island Lodge is bustling with activity.
Every morning, CIL guests awaken to be the first anglers in the world to see the sunrise thanks to our location adjacent to the International Dateline. Breakfast, including coffee, juice, bacon, eggs, fruit, yogurt and granola meets our anglers as they prepare for a full day of fishing on the Inner Lagoon, Backcountry or Korean Wreck fisheries.
In advance of re-opening, the thatched-roof bungalows were equipped with the best available amenities and exterior colour profiles were borrowed from the Caribbean Islands to provide an upbeat, colourful and welcoming atmosphere.
The bungalows were landscaped with individual flower gardens and colourful decorations adorn their exteriors. Flowering lantana and hibiscus bushes were planted liberally across the compound, hammocks were hung in the trees overlooking the seemingly endless private white sand beach and guests have enjoyed meals and cocktail hour under the shade of the maneaba, our oceanside open-air lounge.
Over the course of the year, visiting anglers have enjoyed pursuing bonefish, five species of trevally, three species of triggerfish and the countless other fish species that patrol the flats and reefs of the island.
Looking forward, projects slated for 2024 include completing a sixth and final bungalow, constructing a brand-new kitchen facility, the addition of a reverse osmosis water filtration system to eliminate the need for plastic water bottles and the continued development of our greenhouse infrastructure.
Importantly, CIL continues to work with local communities in assisting with donations of equipment, supplies and partnerships to enhance and improve the standard of living of our I-Kiribati neighbours.
And most importantly, our local guides and service staff continue to highlight the unique and welcoming offerings of Christmas Island Lodge. The CIL family consists of more than three-dozen locals who hail from the nearby villages of Main Camp and Banana and are the heart and soul of the operation. Brothers and sisters, husbands and wives make up the CIL family and this is reflected in our guests feeling right at home from the moment they arrive.
Christmas Island is a magical destination, not simply for its world-class angling opportunities but also for its strikingly beautiful natural resources and happy, compassionate I-Kiribati people. If your angling adventure bucket list includes a visit to Kiritimati – and it certainly should – then Christmas Island Lodge is a great place to consider for a superb fly fishing holiday.
If this Christmas Island Lodge update has piqued your interest in fishing these incredible waters and you would like further details or an itinerary then please contact Peter McLeod or Olly Thompson or call our office on +44(0) 1980 847389.