The boats to and from Arno run on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday every week. We could have gone today and come back on Friday, but since we were flying out on Saturday, I wanted to keep a buffer day in between. If the Friday boat had been cancelled for some reason, we would not have made it to our return flights. So, we decided to make a day trip today and see a little bit of Arno.
We took a taxi to Hotel Robert Reimers for USD 2 per person. The boat was scheduled to leave from the dock nearby at around 10:00 AM. It is the only public transport between the islands and is used by passengers and to ferry cargo. Private charters are also available, but they are much more expensive. This cost us USD 15 per person each way, and we paid in cash.
The boat only had locals, and we were the only tourists. There were a few others like us, though—locals who were just making a quick trip there and back again. The captain’s wife offered us a couple of bottles of water and also gave us some cakes to eat.
Our journey took us towards the Majuro Bridge, which was the highest point on the Majuro Atoll. Until this time, our boat was in the calm waters of the lagoon. The Majuro Bridge, often referred to as the Japan-Marshall’s Bridge, connected the islets of Delap and Uliga and separated the Majuro Lagoon from the Pacific Ocean.
Once we passed under the bridge to the open ocean, it got much more choppy, and we could feel the power of the waves as our boat cut across the water.
The trip took about 45 minutes, and we started seeing the palm-lined coast of Arno Atoll in the distance. As we got closer to shore, the water turned from deep royal blue to shimmering, transparent turquoise.
We walked across from the Arno dock on the Pacific side to the beach on the other side, which was facing the Arno lagoon inside.
It was more beautiful than words can describe, almost seeming unreal.
It was nice to stroll around on the soft white sand, and the water was perfect for a quick swim.
I wish we had more time at Arno, but even with limited time, it was better than not having visited and seen this at all. We boarded the boat again and headed out into the ocean, leaving Arno behind and making our way towards Majuro.
After coming back to Majuro, we had a late lunch at the Tide Table Restaurant & Lounge at Hotel Robert Reimers. We went back to our Airbnb and relaxed for a while.
We stepped out again in the evening for a walk. Knowing there were few late-night dining options nearby, we decided to eat early, even though we weren’t very hungry yet. The Enra Restaurant at the Marshall Islands Resort was close by, and since we enjoyed the food there yesterday, we returned for dinner.
🍽️ Tide Table Restaurant & Lounge at Hotel Robert Reimers
🍽️ Enra Restaurant at the Marshall Islands Resort
🛏️ Airbnb - Room in Marshall Islands