Monday, December 23, 2024

‘I went to world’s least visited country – with just 4 flights there per week’

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This pretty little country is believed to be the least visited of any nation in the world.

Tuvalu, a group of nine tiny islands in the South Pacific, gained its independence from the UK in 1978.

A travel YouTuber named The Punjabi Wanderer recalled his experience in Tuvalu as he visited the country. He told his followers: “They don’t have their own currency. They use Australian dollars.”

The flights into the island only come from Fiji, he said, and only on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

There is also just one flight scheduled per day over those days.

Speaking about the perks for travellers to the country, the YouTuber said “the best thing here is that a lot of people speak English”, making it easy to speak with locals.

The YouTuber also explained that the people in Tuvalu are very nice and “everyone smiles and greets you.” The videomaker claimed that one of the reasons behind such a warm welcome is that “no tourists come here”.

“So, when a tourist like me comes, people greet me nicely,” he said.

If locals want to leave the islands, they will have to catch a 2 hour 30 minute flight to Fiji, with costs ranging from around £380 to £750, one resident appearing in the video explained.

Tuvalu, with a population of around 11,500, was formerly known as Ellice Islands.

Five of the islands are coral atolls while the other four consist of land rising from the sea bed.

Tuvalu is just 4.5 metres above sea level and local politicians have campaigned against climate change, arguing that it could lead to the islands being swamped by rising sea levels.

There are no streams or rivers on the islands, so the collection of rain is essential. Coconut palms also cover most of the islands, and copra – dried coconut kernel – is the main export commodity.

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