For all intents and purposes, Yaren is the capital of tiny little Nauru. Despite the island not having an official first city, it's here, on the very edge of the south-west coast, that the only government buildings make their home, not to mention the Nauru International Airport and its single short runway.

The upshot is that Yaren is the liveliest of all places on this pinprick in the Pacific Ocean, and likely to be most traveler's first introduction to the far-flung island nation. You'll want to be sure to ask your Yaren tour guide to showcase the handsome Parliament House and the diminutive national stadium before you head off to explore the coast and the inland, if only to get a feel for just how remote life is in these parts.

When it is time to leave, the Buada Lagoon beckons just a whisker to the north. It's wild and untouched, shrouded by groves of lanky palm trees and jungle. Following the coast roads will eventually bring you to Anibare Bay on the far side of Nauru. That's home to striking white-sand beaches and aquamarine seas, coral reefs and secluded shoreline.