T32 - East
Kiribati (Line Islands)
Christmas Island
Ham Friendly Hotel: The Hotel is the Captain Cook. This hotel cannot be booked direct. In the USA, it is booked exclusively through Frontiers International. Web site is at: http://www.frontierstrvl.com/ (click on Salt Water Destinations) or contact via the following:
Frontiers International United States Office
TOLL-FREE: 1-800-245-1950
P.O. Box 959
Wexford, PA 15090-0959
TEL: 724-935-1577
FAX: 724-935-5388 USA E-MAIL: info@frontierstrvl.com
Frontiers International European Office
18 Albemarle Street
London W1X 3HA England
TEL: 0207 493-0798
FAX: 0207 629-5569
UK Country Code 44 Europe E-MAIL: london@frontierstrvl.com
Frontiers is an agency that specializes in sports fishermen's travel. There is a once per week flight from Honolulu on Sunday (it was previously each Tuesday). Frontiers can book this flight or it can be booked directly with Air Kiribati in Honolulu. This is essentially a charter flight on an Aloha 737 with an Aloha crew.
Freight is handled by Aloha and it can be cheaper to ship the gear ahead by air cargo rather than pay the excess baggage fees. The license is issued by the government ministry in Tarawa. Plan ahead - they are very slow. The documents are checked very carefully upon arrival and all operators must have T3 licenses. There is no problem with customs if the documents are in order.
The hotel is very low key and helpful. It is a plain, no-frills bungalow style hotel, with meals included, and it's right on the ocean. There are plenty of long tables available to use for operating positions and the on-site generators provide ample 110v power and are reliable. The is no 220v power available. There is plenty of adjacent open space for antennas and the hotel management pays no attention to multi antenna setups whatsoever. Six and 160 meter operation require coordination with the two scientific groups who manage projects that cause interference on those bands.
From Bill K0MP on 9 April 01
Additional information on the Captain Cook Hotel:
For more info on my DXpedition
to the Captain Cook Hotel, see Jan/Feb Issue of DX Magazine. Frontier Travel
who books visits to T32 is very helpful, ask for Jo Ann Poffel who specializes
in T32 reservations. A very helpful person from Air Kiribati is Sue Fukuda in
Honolulu. The most reliable way to get equipment to T32 is carry it with you as
checked baggage. Sue can help you with the logistics. Careful co-ordination
with Sue and Jo Ann will assure you of a successful DXpedition. Ask for
Bungalow #132 as this will give you the best area for antennas. There are two
rooms per Bungalow, so one can be the operations room and the other can be a sleeping
quarters. The Captain Cook Hotel is very friendly towards contest operations.
Coordinate with the hotel manager for continuous 110vac/60Hz service during
contest periods for uninterrupted service as they rotate three generators for
the Captain Cook Hotel every day which will take about 1/2 hour power shut
down. If operating a contest, they will not rotate the generators during the
contest.
A very beautiful island and very nice people.
73,
Bill Leahy, K0MP/T32MP
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