Fewer than 1,000 tourists visit Tuvalu each year, as the nation is remote and hardly known. However, travelers who make it there discover vast stretches of diverse marine life with excellent snorkeling and diving, much among coral reefs. Moreover, there’s a thrill in exploring the country’s villages and outposts amid stretches of undeveloped land and boundless ocean.
What’s amazing about Tuvalu is it’s so narrow, that on every island you can walk across the widest part. For example, the main island of Fongafale, on Funafuti atoll, the widest point is only 800 m / half mile. Most of the land is even narrower and you can cross in a few minutes. As a result, the residents have adapted to this geography, such as playing football and volleyball on the runway of the Funafuti International Airport!
Tuvalu is not only narrow, but has low elevation. The highest points are only about 5 m / 15 ft above sea level. The sea level around Tuvalu might rise by almost one meter by 2100, depending on the temperature of the ocean and the country could be flooded for over a quarter of a year. If global warming continues unabated, at a certain point the country will be uninhabitable. Tuvalu might not be around for our immediate descendants and travelers should take advantage of seeing this unique land and culture now. See my photo gallery of Tuvalu.
Why We Went to Tuvalu?
In June 2023, my wife Khadija and I wanted to see the vibrant cultures and remarkable landscapes of Polynesia and Tuvalu was part of our trip, along with Samoa and Tonga.
Where is Tuvalu?
Tuvalu is about midway between Hawaii and Australia, south of the equator. The country is composed of three reef islands and six atolls. It has the smallest population for a UN member state (about 10,000) and is 3rd smallest in area (10 sq mi / 25 sq km) after Nauru and Monaco.
Tuvalu is approximately 900 km / 550 miles from Fiji and 1,100 km / 700 mi from Samoa. Interestingly, it has the 38th largest Exclusive Economic Zone of 750,000 km2 / 290,000 sq mi as the islands are spread far away from each other. (An exclusive economic zone is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources.)
Tuvalu’s atolls are Funafuti, Nanumea, Nui, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, and Vaitupu. The reef islands are Nanumanga, Niutao, and Niulakita, as shown on this map by GISGeography.
Funafuti is a coral atoll and the capital of Tuvalu and about half of the population lives here. The atoll consists of around 30 coral islets surrounding a lagoon.
From an airplane, you see the boomerang-shaped Fongafale Islet.
How to Get Around Tuvalu?
Tuvalu is a chain of islands and atolls extending 600 km / 375 mi.
There are no domestic flights in Tuvalu; travel between islands is done by ferry or private boat.
Fongafale is the main islet on the atoll of Funafuti and contains the village of Vaiaku, where most hotels and the international airport (code: FUN) are located.
There are few cars, trucks and vans in Vaiaku and most folks get around on motorbikes, which visitors can rent.
We just walked everywhere in Vaiaku, as it’s so tiny.
Who are the Tuvaluns?
Roughly three thousand years ago, Polynesians arrived in Tuvalu as well as many other islands and atolls. The vast majority are ethnically Tuvaluan Polynesians, closely related to the people of Samoa and Tonga.
In the late 16th century, Western explorers became aware of present-day Tuvalu. In 1916, the United Kingdom established a protectorate of Gilbert and Ellice Islands which later became a colony. Tuvalu is the successor to the Ellice Islands and became independent in 1978. One year later in 1979, the Gilbert Islands became the independent country of Kiribati.
Tuvalu’s already small population has declined from over 11,000 to around 10,000, as many Tuvaluans have migrated to other countries. About 4,600 live in New Zealand and 1,200 in Australia and elsewhere.
Australia has approved visas for Tuvalu which allows up to 280 Tuvaluans per year to live, work, and study in Australia. The visa is a response to the existential threat of climate change to Tuvalu.
Christianity is the predominant religion in Tuvalu although there is no official state religion. The biggest Christian denomination is the Church of Tuvalu, also known as the Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu with over 90% of the population as members. Churches we saw were modest, such as this one in the Funafala islet of the Funafuti Atoll.
How Long to Spend in Tuvalu?
There are only three flights per week to Tuvalu, all from Suva, Fiji. These flights arrive and leave on Mondays and Thursdays. Most visitors arrive on one of these days and fly out the other one, leaving three or four full days to visit. For many, this is enough to experience the country and that’s what we did. However, in retrospect, we probably would have spent a week to further explore marine reserves and other islands.
Is Tuvalu Safe?
Tuvalu has a very low crime rate and is quite safe, though like everywhere, a visitor should be aware of their situation and avoid dark or rowdy places late at night.
Is Tuvalu Expensive?
Tuvalu uses the Australia Dollar for notes but has its own coins pegged 1:1 to the Australia Dollar.
Food was affordable and we spent only AUD$15 to rent a motorbike. Lodging isn’t hostel-cheap as we spent about US$75 / night. The main cost is the air flight from Fiji.
When we were there, there were no ATMs and when we arrived, we had to rush to the Development Bank of Tuvalu before it closed to get cash. Starting in April 2025, The National Bank of Tuvalu installed ATMs at its headquarters in Vaiaku.
Where to Stay in Tuvalu?
In the photo below, I’m standing with Tim who, along with his wife Linda, manage the Filamona Lodge, which is located next to the airport runway.
They work 24/7 to help their guests, which is particularly helpful in Tuvalu as few things can be reserved online. The hotel was started by Tim’s mother Penny, who still helps to manage it and takes care of her grandchildren.
There are a few other hotel options just a short walk from the tiny airport building.
What Languages Are Spoken in Tuvalu?
Tuvaluan is distantly related to other Polynesian languages. There are several Samoan words which have been adopted, as Samoan was the language of Christian missionaries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While English is an official language of Tuvalu, taught in school and used in official settings, it’s mainly spoken regularly by people dealing with tourists and foreign officials.
What to Eat in Tuvalu?
We ate in hotel restaurants and found the menus to be mostly fish, rice and root vegetables, often cooked with coconut milk. While not haute cuisine, it was filling and tasty without being too spicy. Pork and beef options were usually available.
Fongafale Islet
Fongafale is the main islet of the Funafuti Atoll and the location of the village of Vaiaku where international flights arrive at the one-room airport terminal. Fongafale, like the other islets in the Funafuti Atoll, is so narrow you can see the coast on each side in many places. At low tide you walk to the next islet on both the north and south tips, just get back before the tide rises!
Arrival in Tuvalu
Glancing out the window when you arrive, you can see how extremely narrow the Fongafale Islet is, just like the other ones in the country.
On our plane, we had a special passenger, Kausea Natano, Tuvalu’s Prime Minister and Head of State!
Since only three flights arrive each week, on the other times the runway is used for football, other sports and picnics.
David’s Drill
Charles Darwin developed a theory of coral atoll formation, theorizing that atolls are formed as volcanic islands gradually sink into the ocean, with coral reefs growing upward to compensate. Initially, a fringing reef forms around the island, eventually the island disappears, leaving behind an atoll, a ring-shaped reef with a central lagoon. His analysis was initially received with some skepticism but gradually became accepted by the scientific community.
Between 1896 and 1898, researchers from the Royal Society of London drilled to a depth of 340 m / 1115 ft at a spot now called David’s Drill to test Darwin’s theory. It was named after T.W. Edgeworth David who led the effort.
The science explaining atolls is fascinating but the memorial is underwhelming as it’s a plaque on a concrete pediment under a thatch-roofed gazebo.
Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau
The Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau, which is also the Post Office, had a surprising and remarkable collection of collectable postage stamps displayed on the walls. There were commemorative stamps of the British Royals, recent Catholic Popes, flowers, birds, fish, marine turtles and seashells.
I was most interested in the ones displaying American history and popular culture. Here’s one of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President and generally considered the greatest one, with his son Tad who tragically died at age 18.
The most popular ones are those of Elvis Presley.
We sent a few postcards from Tuvalu, but none made it to their destinations, but it was worth a try.
Of note, Tuvalu essentially doesn’t have addresses and fewer than ten streets have names. In 2018, Tuvalu Post made what3words a national standard for addresses, enabling home deliveries for the first time. This company has divided the world into 3 m / 9.85 ft squares and given each square a unique combination of three words, enabling easy finding and sharing of locations.
A Walk in the Village of Vaiaku
We aimlessly walked the streets, randomly observing local life including…
School children:
A guidepost to other atolls and islands, in front of the Tuvalu flag:
A grave of an important or revered person enclosed in a small, wooded structure, located in a residential area:
It was hot walking around, as Khadija commented upon.
She was right, it was so hot the pigs sought refuge in a tiny pond.
Motorbiking in Fongafale
We rented a small motorbike, the size used by many on the island, and traveled from end to end.
The islands essentially end as a point in the water, which changes with the tides. As we approached the north end, we saw these folks jump into their boats, perhaps after shopping in Vaiaku.
At the very north end, Tuvalu has its only garbage dump.
The south end of the island ends in bleached rocks, scattered wooden branches and a docked barge.
While there, the sun was setting, which is always a visual event in Tuvalu, and we saw an amazing, deep-orange cloud.
It takes from 15 to 30 minutes to go from one end to the other on a motorbike, depending on how leisurely the driver wants to go.
Funafala Islet
We arranged through the Filamona Lodge to stay with the jovial Millie and her extended family on Funafala Islet, still part of the Funafuti Atoll. She was 68 years-old, smart as a whip and knowledgeable on just about everything regarding Tuvalu. I went with her to the small but well-maintained church on the islet where her brother is the pastor.
There are only 17 families living here with cats, chickens, ducks and pigs but no dogs allowed.
She lives in a house constructed about a decade ago with vertical logs outside to slow high tides.
A highlight was the family meals with children, grandchildren and cousins.
When Millie was a child, most of the time she could walk in shallow water to the islet in front of her house. Since then, the ocean level has risen and swimming or using a boat is required to cross.
Tuvalu, along with Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati and the Maldives may be substantially submerged by the end of the century, to an extent they can no longer function as countries.
The 45-minute boat ride back to Fongafale Islet, through the Te Namo Lagoon, was rough and we were frequently rained on and hit by waves. As a result, we were drenched by the end of the journey.
Final Thoughts
We had devoted a day to visit the Funafuti Conservation Area which is Tuvalu’s most prominent marine reserve, covering 33 square km / 13 sq mi in the Funafuti Atoll. The islets, reefs and the lagoon provide a haven for marine life, a nesting site for endangered green sea turtles and a breeding colony of black noddy birds.
After some searching, we found the government office in Vaiaku to get our permit and arrange for a boat to cross the lagoon. We paid the AUD$70 park fee and AUD$150 charge for the boat in cash.
While at the Filomona Lodge restaurant, we ran into fellow travelers who wanted to join us.
The two ladies on the left, Ernestine and Luisa, have now been to all 193 UN countries. Sarka, sitting in the middle, is from Finland, subsequently moved to Australia and has explored the country in incredible depth.
We went to the shore where the boat was supposed to pick us up and waited almost an hour but to no avail. We went back to the Filamona Lodge and they called around and found the boats were not leaving because the lagoon waves were too turbulent. We were leaving the next day and couldn’t arrange anything else. Luckily, we walked back to the office and received a refund.
However, visiting the conservation area gives us a reason to return to Tuvalu. This is my first time returning to Polynesia since 2012 and the laidback vibe of Tuvalu was a great reintroduction to the region. I can’t wait to explore more of these tiny islands and atolls!
