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Christmas Island Bonefishing
The Villages
Giant Trevally, Yellowfin Tuna...
Christmas Island is located in the Republic of Kiribati and is only a three-hour flight from Honolulu. Christmas Island is the largest Pacific coral atoll in the world. Both fly and conventional anglers are welcome. See our 2023 and 2024 Hosted Weeks below.
Christmas Island fishing
Kyle Siler with bonefish during hosted week.
Open since 2006, The Villages offers anglers two distinct advantages over other lodges on Christmas Island. Location - your skiff is
about a thirty-second walk from the Lodge, and you can be fishing the flats within minutes. Each angler is assigned his or her own guide.
The Villages is the only lodge on the island that offers a 1:1 angler to guide ratio at no extra charge.
And, the extra sets of eyes really helps with bonefishing.
Travel Time: From the Lodge, it's only a five to 10-minute skiff ride to large, broad, shallow flats that are easily waded and teeming with bonefish. Some flats are 15 to 30 minutes away and some as far as 90-minutes. No long pickup rides.
Each morning, a skiff takes three to five anglers and their guides to their fishing destination.
A panga-style speedboat is used for longer runs. If the tides are right, trucks are used to access spots like the Korean Wreck or Huff Dam.
The location also offers excellent birdwatching opportunities.
Mike Sekosky with sailfish - Hosted Week.
View our 4:19 YouTube video of our Christmas Island Hosted Week.
Fishing Facts:
Season: The Lodge is open year-round, and fishing is consistently good all year.
Skiffs: The Villages owns five skiffs with Yamaha 60-HP four-stroke outboards. The Polynesian-style 30 to 40-foot outrigger boats are common to Christmas Island and the other fishing lodges.
Guides: Each angler has his or her own English-speaking guide. The Villages is the only lodge on the island that offers a 1:1 guide to angler at no extra charge.
Fishing Equipment: The Lodge does not provide equipment. On our hosted trips, FWL supplies all bonefish flies and conventional rods and reels for bluewater trolling for tuna and wahoo. A comprehensive tackle and gear list is included in our confirmation packet.
Fishing License: You'll purchase a fishing license for $50.00 upon arrival at the airport.
Physical Condition: You should be in good physical condition for this trip. You’ll be in a remote location with a lot of wade fishing.
Typical Fishing Day:
After a hot breakfast, you’ll make lunch from the sandwich bar for your fishing day. At 7:00 a.m., you'll take about a 30-second walk from your beach bungalow to the skiffs. You'll fish until 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. and return to The Villages. You'll take a hot shower and then, at 6:00 p.m., head to the maneaba (meeting place) for some appetizers—tuna or wahoo sashimi. A buffet-style dinner is served at 7:00 p.m. A couple of times a week, local musicians and dancers perform during and after the evening meal.
The Villages Fishing Lodge
Brad Staples with a bonefish.
About The Villages
The Lodge: The Villages opened in 2006 and is run by locals, ensuring true Polynesian hospitality. The Lodge sits on a white sandy beach overlooking an aqua-colored lagoon. There are ten double-occupancy bungalows with air-conditioning, covered verandas, private bathrooms with a shower. If you have not been to The Villages, think “nice fish camp,” not the Marriott. Laundry Service is available for $20.00 per week.Meals: are enjoyed in the maneaba, a local name for the gathering center, which lies in the heart of the complex. Breakfasts are cooked-to-order. After breakfast, you'll make a sandwich from the lunch bar, plus grab an apple or an orange and four bottles of water for the day. Sashimi (thin slices of fresh tuna or wahoo) is served each evening during happy hour. Buffet-style dinners. Fish is always one of the two dinner choices. Other choices during the week include chicken and beef steaks.
Alcohol: is not included in the package. There is a bar. Beer is $4.00 per can.
Communications: If you need to make phone calls, you should bring a satellite phone. Wi-Fi is available for $20.00 for the week.
Electricity: The Lodge is wired with both 110V and 240V. U.S. residents will need a power plug adapter AND a voltage converter.
Morning walk out to the boats at about 7:00 a.m.
Mark Moeller with a huge GT, landed on a fly!
Getting to the Lodge:
We recommend flying to Honolulu at least one day before your departure for Christmas Island.
Hotel recommendations are provided in our confirmation packet. Each Tuesday at noon, a Fiji Airways flight departs from Honolulu to Christmas Island. This weekly flight is three hours long and includes a meal. You’ll arrive in Christmas Island on Wednesday (due to crossing the International Dateline). A lodge representative will greet you at the Christmas Island International Airport and transfer you to The Villages, a 30-minute drive.
After your fishing week, you’ll depart Christmas Island the following Wednesday morning and arrive in Honolulu on a Tuesday (due to crossing the International Dateline). Airfare and the hotel and meals in Honolulu are not included in the package.
Carry-On for Fiji Airways: Bring your fly rods on as a carry-on item in a tube or case. Keep your two carry-on items to less than 15 pounds. (A purse is considered a carry-on. Put it in your backpack before the gate to avoid check-in fees.)
Hosted Weeks at The Villages
You're not restricted to our hosted weeks. Provided there are openings, we can book the Lodge for a time that works best for you.
We'll also fish outside the reef for tuna, wahoo, sailfish, and other species during our hosted weeks.
2023 Hosted Weeks:
7-nights at the Lodge and 6-days guided fishing $3,290.00 per person
Non-Angler Companion: $1,250.00 per person
• Feb. 27 - March 27, 2023: SOLD-OUT
• March 6-14, 2023: SOLD-OUT
• March 27 - April 4, 2023: SOLD-OUT
• April 3-11, 2023: SOLD-OUT
• April 10-18, 2023: SOLD-OUT
• May 29 - June 6, 2023: Guy Schoenborn hosts
• Oct. 30 - November 7, 2023: SOLD-OUT
2024 Hosted Weeks:
7-nights at the Lodge and 6-days guided fishing
• Feb. 26 - March 5, 2024: Brad Staples hosts
• March 4-12, 2024: Brad Staples hosts
• April 8-16, 2024: Guy Schoenborn hosts
• April 15-23, 2024: Guy hosts
• April 22-30, 2024: Guy hosts
• Oct. 28 - Nov. 5, 2024: Brad Staples hosts
RATES and PACKAGES:
2023 USD Rates:
7-nights and 6-days guided fishing
Double occupancy bungalow:
$3,290.00 per person
Single occupancy bungalow: $3,750.00
Non-angler sharing a room:
$1,250.00 per person
Packages Include:
Airport reception, ground transfers to the Lodge, bungalow accommodations, meals at the Lodge, four bottles of water per day, and guided fishing—one angler per guide. On hosted trips, FWL supplies all bonefish flies and conventional rods and reels for bluewater trolling for tuna and wahoo. Please bring your own lures.
Packages Do Not Include:
International airfare, the roundtrip Honolulu/Christmas Island flight, the one-night hotel stay and meals in Honolulu, gratuities, fishing license (approx. $50.00), alcohol, beer $4.00 per can, Wi-Fi ($2.00 per hour or $20.00 per week), laundry services ($20.00 per week), Global Rescue, travel insurance, and anything not mentioned under inclusions. Fishing with Larry does not supply lures for trolling in the bluewater.
The Villages
Deposit Policy: $1,000.00 down within 14-days, and the balance is due 90-days before your arrival.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations can only be refunded if a suitable replacement is found by the group or individual.
Some cancellations may be credited to a future trip. Depending on each situation. Trips canceled due to Covid 19 will be fully credited to a future trip.
We recommend Trip Cancellation Insurance.
Click here for our Travel Insurance page.
Gratuities:
The suggested guide tip is $40.00 per angler per day for the guide, and the boatman should receive at least $20.00 per day from the group. Guides and boatmen should be tipped daily. Anglers can tip their guides more for exceptional service. Recommended staff tips are $100.00-$120.00 per guest per week.
