Nukufetau
Tuvalu · 2 m
Description
Nukufetau is the first atoll north of the capital and the easiest of Tuvalu’s outer islands to reach, though easy here still means a night on the government ship, since Funafuti has the only airport in the country. The Americans built an airstrip on Motulalo islet in 1943 and left it behind along with fuel drums, seaplane ramps and a bomber that never took off again, all of it now overgrown at the edge of the coconut plantations. The lagoon is wide and clear, the two villages on Savave keep the old pattern of life, and visitors are rare enough to be an event.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 5 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: June – September
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Motulalo wartime airstrip
- Nukufetau lagoon
- Savave village life
- Second World War bomber wreck
- Seaplane ramps & fuel dumps
- Teafuanonu islet
- Coconut plantations of Motulalo
- Lagoon reef fishing with local boats
- Nesting seabird colonies
- Ocean-side beaches of Savave