"The land where dreams are made of " a Funafuti Island Travel Page by harrymitsidis

Few people have ever heard of Tuvalu and even fewer are adventurous enough to make it here, but believe me, it is worth the effort. The only practical way is to go to Suva, Fiji and fly Air Fiji from there, but this is real expensive, around $900. But you have little choice, only a couple of ships pass through this isolated spot of the world. Tuvalu means '8 islands' although there are 9 forming the country; however, only 8 are inhabited. Once part of the Commonwealth, the flag still retains the Union Jack and the Queen is still the 'Head of State', even though the UK have no representation here. Neither does any nation apart from Taiwan, which some don't consider a nation anyway. And this is just one of the reasons why making it to this place is a fascinating experience so you can really feel you arrived at the end of the world. Your first impression will be the friendly airport building which is little more than a shack and operates only twice a week, when the plane arrives. At other times, the runaway can be a road, a playground or whatever you want it to be. In the afternoon, youngsters (and not-so-youngsters) gather on the American-built tarmac and play football, nets appear out of nowhere to create a volleyball terrain...and all this while you gaze at the sea on both ends of the atoll, for Funafuti is tiny, a small patch of land which is evidence of human resilience at its best! The human spirit never gives up, though it may have to here, if the waves take the place over, which is expected to happen sometime due to global warming. So go now, while you can...

For a place which is so tiny, it is surprising that you do not get bored here. Perhaps the 'out of this world' feeling keeps the place 'floating' in your heart, and you whisk away at almost anything you see. Take a few good books with you, for good measure, and enjoy a number of activities:
a. Swimming. This is a must here, and even off Funafuti, the sea is crystal blue. Just jump in at the pier off your hotel, you don't need to go any further. You may be sharing the pier with a few happy children and a crab.
b. Rent a motorbike for $3 a day in order to drive around the island. Going from one end to the other is not THAT quick, it probably takes a good 40 minutes. There is even a bus service. It isn't that there is so much to see at either end, but just the atmosphere of the atoll is enough. Among the 'sites' are various tombstones at all ends of the island by the sea, the impressive vegetation, a couple of rusting ship metal (shipwrecks?) and, of course, in the early hours of the afternoon, the runway itself, which becomes the centre of Funafuti activity.
c. One can easily 'walk' from the hotel to the centre of town, which is little more than low houses. Among the interesting things to see are the Town Council, the school, the Princess Margaret Hospital, the Bahai Temple and a church. On the other side of the hotel, heading south, stands the Government building and, a little further, the president's home, the most impressive house on the island (this is no Sheraton, though).
d. Just smile away and photograph the locals - see my special album here - who are more than friendly. School children are ever so neat in their uniform.
e. Take a trip to the conservation area (see below in the yours truly section). This will be as far as the 'tourist' in you will go while on Funafuti atoll, but is not to be missed.

Unlike most of my travels, I have loads of pictures of myself in Tuvalu, as a result of the friendliness of the place. In the hotel I met a Korean journalist, Cho, who had flown all the way from Korea for a piece on the place. We decided to split costs and go together to the conservation area, which is basically a day-trip on a boat to the tiny little islets that form the outside of the atoll. During that time, you can explore one of these tiny islands and feel like Tom Hanks in 'Castaway', sharing the atoll with an impressive amount of birds which make it a true ecosystem in its own right, with crabs, water snakes, you name it. You can also snorkel and marvel at the lovely underwater life, which is truly virgin here, while your guides will also do some fishing (for their own benefit back home!), and pictured here is the colourful result of that effort. The tour costs at least $100, but since you have already spent a fortune coming here, don't miss it, go to Town Hall and book your guides. There won't be any queues, guaranteed.