Attention! If you are into travelling or even you are not, I have a quick question for you. I bet most of us know this even we never visited them. Where do you think the most visited country in the world? France? Italy? South Korea? According to World Economic Forum, France is the most visited country in the world with 89.4 million visitors in 2018. Paris had over 40 million visitors alone. How insane! But ladies and gentlemen, do you know which country has the least tourists in the world? And that is this article all about. To tell you the least visited country and why you should visit it. Do you ever heard of a country named Tuvalu? Based on statistic that was released by CNN Travel in 2019, Tuvalu is the least visited country with only 2,000 registered visitors in 2017. I do not think many people have heard about this country. Tuvalu is an island country that surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, located about midway between Australia and Hawaii. It is a little bit hard for you to spot this country on map since Tuvalu is only 25 km per square compare to Malaysia with 329,847 km per square. Tuvalu is way smaller than our beloved country with only 11,508 populations according to World Bank in 2018. Can you imagine how small the country is? But it does not matter. Let us simply get to know this beautiful country. First and foremost, you need to know what kind of language they speak before you travel to Tuvalu. For your information, Tuvaluan (Tuvalu people) speak in their own language which is also called Tuvaluan. But you do not have to worry much since most of them can speak English and they teach this language in schools. Tuvaluan can speak English very well and this language is widely used among them especially in business related. But somehow you are in their country, so make some effort to learn some simple words that you can use when you are finally landed there such as “Talofa” which means hello and “Tofa” means bye. Dear readers, do you want to know something unique? In most of the countries, we can use both cash and credit or debit card, right? But in Tuvalu, you can only use cash and more worst, not even single ATM is available there. Which means, you need to exchange a lot of money before travelling to Tuvalu. Again, do not be that worry since you can also exchange your money at Tuvalu National Bank next to their airport or at the money changer at the airport itself. Tuvalu uses the AUD (Australian Dollar) which is 1 AUD equal to RM 3. Just so you are aware, it is better to always bring AUD with you to keep it easy and safe. Now let’s move on to the places and activities that you can do while on the trip. First thing that you can do after check-in the hotel is riding a bike around Fongafale, the main island in Funafuti atoll. If you are not familiar with the word, atoll is a ring-shaped reef, island, or chain of islands formed of coral. Usually, the hotel will provide bikes for their visitors to rent with only 14 AUD (RM 42). More interestingly, you can ride your bike for 20 km back and forth with such a beautiful and admiring views. Do not be surprise if you are greeted by the locals along the way since they’re really friendly and welcoming. Since we are surrounded with islands and oceans, snorkeling and island hopping are a must. I do like to notify you that there are about 20 smaller islands in Funafuti atoll. You can go to each island by renting a boat. The journey to these islands is about 30 minutes (around 15 km) from the mainland. There are a lot of activities that you can do besides the island hopping such as walking around the islands, picnicking with your partner and also snorkeling. The ocean is so clean and clear. You can definitely see what is in the water. If you are a nature lover, you will probably love all of the activities. I can guarantee that! Last but not least, the locals and villagers in Tuvalu are really nice, friendly and welcoming since not many people travel there. Some of the people might feel a bit strange to see tourists visiting their hometown but that is also makes them happy. During sunset time, the locals will gather and take over the airstrip and turn it into the soccer field, volleyball and other activities. You can also join the locals by playing with them. That is how friendly they are. Other than that, according to Thomas, a YouTuber, the people in Tuvalu really treat their community nicely. If there is any food feast, everybody can come and eat together with them. The most interesting fact that I just discover is that in Tuvalu, at some point, they have a friend or best friend that will end up being their family. So, what are you waiting for? Is not Tuvalu really a nice and beautiful place to visit? Since their locals are so kind-hearted, they sure will welcome you with open arms. Let’s go!
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