Things to do in Funafuti

Best time to visit Funafuti

• a note or something on   ✦ an occasion worth the trip

• May to October

  Drier season with trade winds, calmer seas for the conservation area boat trip and the best snorkelling.

• November to April

  Wet season and regional cyclone season, with king tides flooding low parts of Fongafale, peaking around Nov to Feb.

What's on

• Independence Day and Independence Day Sports Festival 1 October

  National day marking independence on 1 October 1978, with sports, parades, feasting and fatele dancing at Fongafale.

Best things to do in Funafuti

• Funafuti International Airport

  Fongafale · Free

  The runway is the town playing field between flights, used for football and gathering, then cleared when the siren sounds.

• David's Drill

  Fongafale · Free

  A plaque and borehole from the 1896 to 1898 Royal Society drilling that tested Darwin's theory of atoll formation.

• Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau

  Vaiaku · $

  Tuvalu's stamp bureau since 1976, issuing stamps and first day covers bought by collectors around the world.

• Tuvalu Women's Handicraft Centre

  Vaiaku · $

  The place to buy Tuvaluan fans, mats, baskets and carvings directly, near the airport. Bring cash in AUD.

• Church of Tuvalu

  Fongafale · Free

  The Morning Star Church is the most prominent building on the atoll, and Sunday services anchor the island week.

• Tausoa Maneapa

  Fongafale · Free

  Funafuti's traditional meeting house, where elders meet and community events and fatele dancing take place.

Where to stay in Funafuti

• Vaiaku, Fongafale

  every visitor, it is the only base

  All stays, the airport, government and the port sit on one strip in and around Vaiaku on Fongafale.

Think twice about

• Ocean side of Fongafale for swimming

  Strong currents and rip risk on the exposed ocean coast. Swim and snorkel on the lagoon side instead.

Best restaurants in Funafuti

• Funafuti Lagoon Hotel

  Vaiaku · $$

  The largest dining room in Tuvalu, with a Wednesday night buffet dinner followed by Tuvaluan dancing.

• Blue Ocean Restaurant

  Vaiaku · $

  A standalone Vaiaku restaurant for Tuvaluan and seafood dishes, open for lunch and dinner, Monday to Saturday.

• Nang's Restaurant

  Fongafale · $

  Simple Chinese style plates, and the fallback a recent traveller relied on when it was the only place open at a weekend.

• Sue's Kitchen

  Alapi · $

  A small local kitchen in Alapi serving Tuvaluan flavours. Hours are not published, so ask your lodge first.

Outdoor things to do in Funafuti

• Funafuti Conservation Area

  Western lagoon · $$

  A boat day to six uninhabited islets, reef, turtles and seabirds. Permit and fee via the Funafuti Kaupule first.

• Funafuti Lagoon

  Fongafale · $

  Warm, calm lagoon water for everyday swimming and snorkelling. Swim the lagoon side only, not the ocean side.

• Tepuka

  Funafuti lagoon islets · $$

  An islet with a well preserved World War II underground bunker, reached by boat on a lagoon trip.

Best hotels in Funafuti

• Funafuti Lagoon Hotel

  Vaiaku · $$

  The government hotel, formerly Vaiaku Lagi, 16 newer rooms by the lagoon, 50 m from the airport. Top tier here.

• Filamona Lodge

  Fongafale · $

  A family run lodge beside the airport terminal, with a runway balcony, breakfast and motorbike rental on site.

• Esfam Lodge

  Vaiaku · $

  A small Vaiaku side lodge known for its kitchen and fried fish. Often booked out, so reserve early.

• L's Lodge

  Vaiaku · $

  A small, well regarded Vaiaku guesthouse, a quieter and more personal base than the government hotel.

Is Funafuti expensive? What a day costs

A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room

What to book ahead

• Funafuti Conservation Area: a few days ahead
• Tepuka: a few days ahead
• Funafuti Lagoon Hotel: weeks ahead
• Filamona Lodge: weeks ahead
• Esfam Lodge: weeks ahead
• L's Lodge: weeks ahead

• Fiji Airways is the only scheduled route in, from Suva and Nadi in Fiji, a few times a week. Seats are limited, so book flights and rooms together and recheck the timetable.
• Arrange the Funafuti Conservation Area permit and boat through the Funafuti Kaupule or your lodge days ahead.

Is Funafuti safe?

• Crime is low and violent crime is rare.
• Princess Margaret Hospital on Fongafale gives basic care only. Serious cases need evacuation to Fiji, so insurance covering medical evacuation is essential.
• Drinking water is mainly rainwater from tanks and tightens in droughts. Boil or buy as advised locally.
• Dengue is a recorded risk: use repellent, and take sun, heat and dehydration seriously.

Funafuti travel tips: tourist traps to skip

• Do not assume card payment or an ATM: Tuvalu runs on AUD cash, so bring the whole stay's budget plus a buffer.
• Do not plan around the old 3Ts Restaurant, reported permanently closed, and do not expect Sunday opening anywhere.
• Do not waste tank water, and do not swim on the ocean side.

Getting around Funafuti: public transport and more

• Rent a motorbike from your lodge for about AUD 15 to 20 a day and ride the single ring road slowly, on the left.
• Everything in Vaiaku is walkable in the heat, and there are a handful of taxis.
• Keep off the runway when the siren sounds or a flight is due.

Who Funafuti suits