Flying from the US
For US flights, you will fly to Honolulu, and on to Kwajelein (KWA), Marshall Islands ( via a quick stop in Majuro MAJ). United (formerly Continental) is the only airline to get you from Honolulu to Kwajelein. During the Winter, flights can be extremely cheap to Hawaii, the flight from Honolulu to Kwajelein can be booked with miles as well.
You will stay in Honolulu for the night, and most flights leave early in the morning, arriving mid morning in Majuro the next day (you cross the dateline), you will have a 1 hour stop in Majuro and then a one hour flight to Kwajalein. Our staff will meet you at the Kwajelein airport, and shuttle you and your gear to the Indies Surveyor.
We recommend the Modern Hotel in Honolulu.
Remember that you cross the dateline both ways from Hawaii to Majuro so you gain a day. The HNL – MAJ – KWA flight leaves Mon, Wed, Fri, so generally you will have to leave the day before that (Sun, Tue, Thursday) from LAX or SFO to make the connection.
Flight Examples
Depart Sunday, Tuesday or Thursday from LAX or SFO to KWA
Depart SUN / TUE / THUR from LAX or SFO afternoon
5 Hour flight Time. We recommend arriving in Honolulu earlier in the day, and spending the night in a hotel in Honolulu, Waikiki, or one of the airport hotels. This will allow you to get a good night’s rest before having to arrive early at the HNL airport for the second leg of travel. HNL airport is closed from 3AM – 5AM so doing a long layover overnight at the airport is not recommended ( you will have to wait on the curb until 5AM ).
Bags can be checked all the way through to KWA, as International Travel on United allows bags to be checked through if a layover is less than 24 Hours.
7:25AM – Leave Honolulu MON / WED / FRI UA154
5 Hour flight time, please arrive by 5:30 AM to ensure ample time for check in. You will cross the dateline and gain a day – If you leave Wednesday the 12th, you will arrive Thursday the 13th.
10:35AM – Arrive Majuro TUE / THUR / SAT
11:35AM – Depart Majuro TUE / THUR / SAT
Flight from Majuro to Kwajelein is a quick one hour flight, you will be on the same plane, and will not have to recheck baggage in Majuro.
Arrive Kwajelein in the afternoon.
Clear customs, board the complementary ferry to get off the US Army Base to Ebeye island, where an Indies Trader staff will meet you.
Return Flight from KWA to LAX / SFO
Depart Kwajelein – 6:19PM MON / WED / FRI
UA 155 – One hour flight to Majuro. Upon leaving Kwajelein, you will have pay a $20 departure fee in cash / USD.
1 Hour Layover in Majuro – You will not have to recheck baggage.
5 Hour flight Time, Majuro to Honolulu. You will gain a day with the dateline, so you arrive the same day you leave. These 3 Flights (M/W/F) are the ONLY flights from Majuro to the US every week.
When you arrive in Honolulu to the airport, you will collect your baggage (even if it is checked through to LAX / SFO) to clear customs in Honolulu. You will have to hold your bags until you check in for your next flight. Keep the baggage tags on your bag and check in and give them your bags at the check in counter. The airport is closed from 3AM – 5AM so you will have to wait outside the airport for an hour or two before the airport opens back up at 5AM.
3AM Arrive Honolulu Mon / Wed / Fri
4 Hour Layover in Honolulu
7:25AM – Leave Honolulu Mon / Wed / Fri
5 Hour flight time
Arrive at your destination of LAX, SFO or connect to your next flight from here.
Flying from Australia
From Australia you have a the choice to fly through Honolulu or Guam. We recommend Australia to Honolulu, an overnight in Honolulu, and the United flight from Honolulu to Kwajalein (via Majuro).
Flying from Guam, you will need to fly via Manila or Tokyo. From Guam to Kwajalein is the famous Island Hopper flight. One of the most tedious flights in the world.
Departing Sydney via Honolulu
Sydney to Honolulu and then on to Kwajelein with United, as if you are flying from the United States (see above). This is the most expensive option but probably the most painless as you can fly wide body premium airline to Hawaii, have a night in Honolulu and then fly direct 5 hours to Majuro and on to Kwajelein .
Depart Sydney – Multiple Flights / Carriers every Day
10 Hour Flight Time
Arrive Honolulu
Overnight in Honolulu – We recommend the Modern Hotel.
Depart Honolulu 7:25AM – Mon / Wed / Fri AM
UA154 – 5 Hour flight time, please arrive by 5:30 AM to ensure ample time for check in. You will cross the dateline and gain a day – If you leave Tuesday the 12th, you will arrive Wednesday the 13th.
1 Hour Layover in Majuro – you will disembark the airplane but will not have to recheck baggage.
One hour flight to Kwajalein.
Arrive Kwajelain afternoon – Clear customs, board the complementary ferry to get off the US Army Base to Ebeye island, where an Indies Trader staff will meet you.
Return Trip via Honolulu to Sydney
Depart Kwajelein – 6:19PM MON / WED / FRI
UA 155 – One hour flight to Majuro. Upon leaving Kwajelein, you will have pay a $20 departure fee in cash / USD.
1 Hour Layover in Majuro – You will not have to recheck baggage.
5 Hour flight Time, Majuro to Honolulu. You will gain a day with the dateline, so you arrive the same day you leave. These 3 Flights (M/W/F) are the ONLY flights from Majuro to the US every week.
When you arrive in Honolulu to the airport, you will collect your baggage (even if it is checked through to LAX / SFO) to clear customs in Honolulu. You will have to hold your bags until you check in for your next flight. Keep the baggage tags on your bag and check in and give them your bags at the check in counter. The airport is closed from 3AM – 5AM so you will have to wait outside the airport for an hour or two before the airport opens back up at 5AM.
3AM Arrive Honolulu Mon / Wed / Fri
Layover in Honolulu
Morning – Leave Honolulu the following morning
10 Hour flight time. You will cross the date line, so you if you leave on the morning of Tuesday the 10th, you will arrive in Sydney in the evening Wednesday the 11th.
Arrive at your destination of Sydney.
Departing Brisbane via Nauru
Nauru Airlines departing once a week from Brisbane early Friday morning stopping in Nauru on the way up. Around 6 Hours Total. Flies 1 x a week. Flight Returns from Majuro on Monday arriving in the afternoon / evening to Brisbane. This flight also has 3 stops and is a pretty long flight.
Depart Brisbane 5:30AM Friday
6 Hour Flight
Arrive in Nauru 1:50PM Friday
1 Hour Layover
Depart 3PM Friday
3 Hour Flight
Arrive Majuro 5:45PM Friday
Overnight in Majuro – Hotel Robert Reimers
Depart Majuro 10AM Saturday
Majuro – Kwajalein – 1 Hour Flight
Arrive Kwajalein 11AM Saturday
Clear customs, board the complementary ferry to get off the US Army Base to Ebeye island, where an Indies Trader staff will meet you.
*Business class in this flight is not worth it, it is barely better than economy and 2.5x the price
Return Flight via Naaru
Depart Kwajalein Friday 6:19PM
Kwajalein – Majuro – 1 Hour Flight – UA155
Arrive Majuro Friday 7:30PM
2 Nights in Majuro – Hotel Robert Reimers
Depart 11AM Sunday
3 Hour Flight
Arrive Naaru 2:10PM Sunday
1 Hour Layover
Depart 3PM Naaru Sunday
7 Hour Flight
Arrive Brisbane 7:45PM Sunday
Departing Via Nadi Fiji
Nauru Airlines departing once a week from Nadi Fiji on Friday Morning.
Depart Nadi – 10AM Friday
4 Hour flight from Fiji stopping in Tarawa / Kirbati
Arrive Naaru – 1:40PM Friday
1 Hour Layover
Depart 3PM Friday
3 Hour Flight
Arrive Majuro 5:45PM Friday
Overnight in Majuro – Hotel Robert Reimers
Depart Majuro 10AM Saturday
Majuro – Kwajalein – 1 Hour Flight
Arrive Kwajalein Afternoon Saturday – Clear customs, board the complementary ferry to get off the US Army Base to Ebeye island, where an Indies Trader staff will meet you.
*Business class in this flight is not worth it, it is barely better than economy and 2.5x the price
Return Trip Via Nadi Fiji
Depart Kwajelein – 6:15pm Mon / Wed / Fri
1 Hour Flight. United flight 155
Arrive Majuro 7:15pm
You will get your baggage from the Air Marshall Islands flight and be shuttled by our staff to Hotel Robert Reimers.
2 Nights in Majuro – Hotel Robert Reimers
Depart 11AM Sunday
3 Hour Flight – ON032. Check in and boarding for flight will begin 9AM, where you will recheck your bags, and pay the $20 USD departure fee.
Arrive Naaru 2:10PM Sunday
1 Hour Layover
Depart 3PM Naaru Sunday
4 Hour Flight – ON017
Arrive Nadi Fiji 6:30PM Sunday
2 Hour Layover in Nadi
Depart Nadi for Australia 6:30PM Sunday
5 Hour Flight. Fiji Airways 915/ Qantas
Arrive Sydney 9:25PM
*Business class in this flight is not worth it, it is barely better than economy and 2.5x the price
Visa & Customs Information
No Visa required for US and EU. Most other countries will offer VISA on arrival for $100US. Certain countries require VISA ahead of time.
See our Documents Page for More Info
Do I need travel insurance?
Travel Insurance is highly recommended for both We strongly urge you to obtain a comprehensive travel protection plan, which should include coverage for trip cancellation and interruption, baggage delay, baggage coverage, travel delay, emergency medical and dental, emergency, medical transport and evacuation, and travel accident insurance, offered through an insurance carrier of your choice to protect you and your investment. Feel free to contact us for a list of insurance carriers who offer travel protection plans, however, many homeowner’s policies and credit cards offer certain coverage and/or can arrange for coverage. We recommend you call your existing insurance agents and/or carriers as well as your credit card companies to inquire further.
What happens when I arrive in Kwajalein?
When you clear the US Army run customs in Kwajalein, there is a complementary US Army shuttle service to transport you a short distance away to the ferry terminal on Kwajalein Island. Due to USA military security procedures they will not let our boat pick you up at the Kwajalein Island ferry terminal. However, there will be someone from the boat to meet you at the Kwajalein Island ferry terminal. The US Army ferry will take you to Ebeye Island, a 10 minute ride away. From there you will transfer to the dive vessel Indies Surveyor. After safety briefings, procedures and protocol etc. you get to finally settle in!
Typically, those arriving via Guam on Friday will spend Saturday morning diving on the Prinz Eugen at Kwajalein Atoll. Then those arriving via Honolulu join the boat and we will start steaming towards Bikini Atoll. During the course of the trip over to Bikini Atoll we will have a presentation on the history and orientation to the wrecks of Bikini Atoll with stunning pictures to get you even more excited about what is in store for you!
Travel from Kwajalein Atoll to Bikini Atoll aboard the Indies Surveyor
By steaming from Ebeye Island, Kwajalein Atoll to Bikini Island, Bikini Atoll and return, we are not be dependent on the local airline.
The voyage from Ebeye Island to Bikini Island is 400 kilometres (215 nautical miles), 120 kilometres (65 nautical miles) in the sheltered waters in the lee of Kwajalein Atoll and 280 kilometres (150 nautical miles) of open seas from the northerly point of Kwajalein Atoll to Bikini Atoll.
The open seas leg is around 18 hours and the sheltered leg is 7 hours. The entire trip takes about 25–30 hours depending on sea conditions and current.
So it will be a great time for you to get over your jet lag and gently slide into “Bikini Time”.
What if I have an overnight in Majuro
Indies Trader has partnered with Hotel Robert Reimers in downtown Majuro. We can coordinate your stay as well as transport to and from the Majuro Airport to the hotel. The hotel and restaurant at the Hotel are the best in Majuro and they are in constant contact with Indies Trader to help coordinate passenger details.
If you have any other questions, please contact us below or email us at [email protected]