OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
FOR THOSE WHO LIKE to take the road less travelled, look no further than the tiny South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu – recently revealed as the least visited country out of all those measured by the World Tourism Organization. The tropical country, which received only 2,000 international tourists last year, has wonderful eccentricities, says Tony Wheeler, co-founder of Lonely Planet. ‘When the flights come in to Funafuti half the town heads to the airport to see who’s going to arrive or leave. It’s Funafuti’s biggest regular entertainment. In between flights people often take their bedding out and sleep on the runway at night: there’s more of a breeze there.’ Rising sea levels are putting this coral-lined paradise at risk – even more reason to see it while you can.