I recently visited Tuvalu, the world’s least visited country with fewer a than 3000 visitors per year, most coming from other Pacific islands, Australia and New Zealand.
As remote goes, Tuvalu is remote. There are 3-4 propeller plane flights per week, only coming from Fiji. With around 70 seats on board, this is double the amount of flights compared to a couple of years ago, though is still nothing in comparison to its Pacific neighbours.
Honestly speaking, there isn’t very much to do in Tuvalu. There’s no main ‘sight’ to see, swimming is dangerous due to pollution and currents, and you won’t see the white sandy beaches that are marketed elsewhere in the region. Most people who visit have family here, or they’re trying to visit every country in the world. Some navy guys I met at dinner jokingly asked if I was visiting to ‘get my passport stamped’, and weren’t at all surprised when the answer was yes…
But if you’re a country counter and find yourself in Fiji, it’s only a 2.5 hour flight from Suva (or once a week from Nadi) to get here, though it’s not for the budget traveller – return flights here will set you back around £650…
One day is almost certainly enough to experience the highlights of Tuvalu, though with flights being far from regular, you might find yourself here for a little longer. Having spent just under 48 hours here, I learned a thing or two about travelling to this little-visited nation:
1. The main attraction is the runway. Seriously. The runway is in use for 2 hours every other day, and outside of that time it’s used as a meeting area/playground/extra road/multipurpose facility for locals. You’ll see people on it throughout the day, but at sunset it really comes alive. Families having picnics, kids playing football and volleyball, dogs running free, motorbikes riding in formation – everything.
2. Pack light. Fiji airways is strict about cabin bags on these flights due to the small size of the planes, and there isn’t always room for checked bags so your stuff can get left behind, particularly on the way out of Tuvalu where locals are checking in multiple suitcases each. Leave your main bag in Fiji if you can, and take a drawstring – my hotel in Nadi was happy to store my main backpack and I took a little bag filled with a packing cube and electronics for the two days in Tuvalu.
3. It’s actually not very easy to get to the beach… weird for an island, I know, but every time I approached what should’ve been the beach in the main town area, it was just a ledge with a drop into the sea. I walked an hour further up the atoll the next day and found the ‘beach’ but it was mainly rocks and coral. This isn’t the beach island paradise you might’ve expected or that you find in other parts of the Pacific.
4. Hotels are few and far between. There are maybe 4-5 hotels/lodges on Funafuti, namely Filamona, Esfam, L’s Lodge, and Funafuti Lagoon. None of them have websites, nor can they be found on regular booking sites, you need to email and you need to do it way in advance, I’m talking 3+ months as they’re small and sell out, especially if there’s a conference in town (I made this mistake..). If this fails, Airbnb actually turned out to be an awesome alternative. Having tried and failed to get a hotel for my dates, I initially found a lodge on another island that said they had room, but the only way to contact them was Facebook messenger and they became unresponsive, so I panicked booked a new place in Airbnb two days out from the trip and it was GREAT. I highly recommend the AMS B&B, it’s close to the airport, has WiFi and AC, and they sent someone to get me from my flight who took me back on their motorbike. Perfection!
5. There are more restaurants than I expected, although it’s not clear how functional they all are. The main road, aptly named Tuvalu road, has quite a few dotted around, including a shack-like Chinese-owned place serving curries, rice etc as seen elsewhere in the Pacific. For a hearty meal, head to Filamona lodge where pretty much all of the travellers go. Dinner is 6-7, be there at 6 sharp to order whatever is being served that day (there’s usually no menu) before it runs out! I watched very sad faces who turned up at 6:15 only to be told there was nothing left. You’ll find an interesting crowd here to chat to as well, fellow travellers, and expats living/working in Tuvalu who have some entertaining stories to tell.
7. There’s a quiet time curfew for worship from 6.45 – 7pm every evening. You’re not allowed to walk around, drive, or generally be in the streets during this time. There are police hanging around on the streets who will stop you and make you sit down until the curfew ends. Don’t make the same mistake as me and try to walk from the restaurant to your accommodation during this interval, you will be sat down on a step and made to wait.
6. EVERYTHING is closed on Sundays. Except churches. And (thankfully) the Filamona lodge restaurant. But nowhere else is open, there’s nowhere to get water or snacks or dinner, places may look open but when you step inside they tell you they’re not allowed to sell anything on Sundays. Stock up on water the day before or suffer the consequences! If you’ll be there on a Sunday it’s worth bringing snacks with you from Fiji just in case.
8. WiFi was more reliable than expected. Though I’m speaking solely from the personal experience at my airbnb, where I paid 50 AUD (£25) for 7 days of access to their wifi. Speeds were good, no captive portals, could’ve easily worked from here. Filament also has WiFi. There’s also a SIM card store opposite the airport which can provide SIMs to tourists. My incoming plane was delayed so I missed their opening time on the Saturday I arrived (and of course Sunday it was closed…) and didn’t try this out, but met people who did so without issue using foreign passports, coverage seemed to be good.
9. Do not get sick. There’s no pharmacy here and only one small hospital. Pack essential medical supplies like paracetamol/ibuprofen, Imodium, antiseptic cream, etc. and buy it in Fiji if you need to. If you’re unlucky like me, you might get tonsillitis the day you fly to Tuvalu and then subsequently catch a stomach bug. TAKE. SUPPLIES. And if you do get sick, just survive until you get back to Nadi – Ace Medical Clinic near Nadi airport does walk in doctor appointments for tourists for 65 Fiji dollars (£22) that’ll fix you right up.
10. You can walk the length of the atoll in a few hours, but you won’t see much. You’ll pass the port and some building sites, but it’s mainly just road. If you’re killing time then you can do this and claim the well-deserved titles of having walked the entirety of Funafuti. But you might want to take a good book will you instead and enjoy the relative remoteness and peace.
