With a population of over 4000, the Tuvaluan capital, Funafuti, remains a pretty low-key town. With no heavy industry and only two manufacturing facilities (textiles and soap), the air remains pure and the pace of life measured. Funafuti is an administrative centre, hosting a cluster of government buildings near the airport (the landing strip of which is also the town's main soccer pitch) and a church.Ten minutes walk north of the centre is the island's main village, while a further ten minutes on is the deep water wharf. The huge lagoon is a visual highlight, but tread carefully, as the lagoon beach doubles as a public toilet for some locals. With a population density of 1454 people per sq km, the island is comparatively crowded. If you've got no access to a private yacht and no patience to wait for other island-hopping options you can charter a boat to Funafala Island or one of the other uninhabited islets at the south end of the lagoon for a more unspoilt scene.

Declared recently with the assistance of the South Pacific Regional Environment Program, this 32 sq km (12 sq mi) area is now a protected marine park. Containing six uninhabited islets, the conservation area is teeming with varieties of tropical fish and also provides nesting areas for sea birds and turtles. You'll need your own boat or a chartered one to get to the Marine Conservation Area. Ask locals for directions.