Travel has always been something I’ve loved. I’m a very wanderlusty person, always researching different places and sites to visit. I thought that this blog topic might help me get my thoughts down in writing and have a bit of a bucket list of places when I’m done. Every country obviously has its most popular attractions, and they’re popular for a reason, but my goal is to find some of the lesser-known areas in different places around the world. 

This week I’m going to start with Tuvalu, a tiny Polynesian nation almost halfway between Australia and Hawaii. It’s the third smallest country in the world, only behind Vatican City and Monaco. I first learned about Tuvalu a couple of years ago after watching a video by YesTheory on Youtube. From pictures the island looks absolutely beautiful, the small nation is made up of three islands and six atolls, which is basically a circular coral land formation with a large hole in the middle. The capital, Funafuti, is the main atoll, which is where the one-strip international airport is. The Funafuti atoll is made up of a couple different islands, the biggest being Fongafale.    

https://www.britannica.com/place/Funafuti-Atoll

Compared to other Pacific island nations, Tuvalu’s tourism industry is practically nonexistent. For lodging there are a few B&B’s, homestays, and a small government-funded resort, most, if not all, are located on Funafuti. There’s also a few restaurants situated throughout the island, including a small patisserie. Despite the lack of commercialized tourism, there is still countless things to do. Tuvalu is known for its reefs and marine life and on a far side of Funafuti is the Marine Conservation area. Covering about 33 square kilometers, “the marine environment of the conservation area includes reef, lagoon, channel and ocean; and is home to many species of fish, corals, algae and invertebrates” (timelesstuvalu.com). 

https://bigseventravel.com/tag/funafuti-conservation-area/

https://pipap.sprep.org/sites/default/files/styles/images__1920_x_997_/public/static_images/slideshow/FunafutiCA_TV.jpg?itok=0MKtA48V

One of the best ways to tour the island is by motorbike, which is the locals most popular form of transportation, they’re easily rentable and accessible to any visitors. One of the lodging areas, the Afelita Island seems like the coolest place to stay and according to Tuvalu’s tourism website, Afelita is only a ten-minute boat ride from Funafuti and “for only AUD$70.00 a day you can have the whole island to yourself and a chef who cooks authentic Tuvalu cuisine from freshly caught tuna and vegetables from the back garden.”

https://miro.medium.com/max/1920/1*ISB3AliFsmi__actCPKoQ.jpeg

Another way to explore Tuvalu is by diving, snorkeling, and boating around the reefs, there are different day tours for visitors to take advantage of. Almost every night, around sundown, Tuvaluans go to the empty airstrip and play soccer. The airstrip is used so infrequently by planes, that it’s mainly used as a public park.    

This is just a quick overview of what the island has to offer, there’s a rich history and culture that I feel like I barely mentioned. Tuvalu is definitely not a typical resort island, while there are plenty of areas for visitors to explore, it’s important to remember that the country is not geared towards tourism at all. Because of rising sea levels, Tuvalu could be virtually submerged by the end of the century, so it’s a place to visit now more than later.