Tuvalu: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Tuvalu feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 20 written places.
One of the least visited countries on earth, where everyone waves and the runway doubles as the village green.
✓ Considered polite
- Wave back - greetings are universal on Funafuti and visitors are noticed
- Dress modestly in the villages; a sulu (sarong) solves most situations
- Join the evening crowd on the airstrip - when no plane is due it becomes the sports field and social hub
- Say yes to a fatele - joining the traditional dance badly beats watching politely
✗ Better avoided
- Plan anything for Sunday except church, rest and a quiet walk - the day is observed seriously
- Wear swimwear away from the water
- Refuse food at a community feast - take a little of everything
- Expect restaurant choice - eating what your guesthouse cooks is the norm, so accept it warmly
Worth knowing
- Australian dollars in cash are essential - the country's first ATMs only arrived in 2025 and foreign cards are barely accepted, so bring what you need
- Flights come via Fiji only a few times a week and fill up - book early and reconfirm
- Motorbikes are the island transport - guesthouses rent them for a few dollars a day
- Fresh produce is scarce; meals lean on fish, rice, breadfruit and imported goods
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.