Tuvalu's smallest and southernmost island, a raised coral speck settled by Niutao families.
Niulakita is the smallest and southernmost island of Tuvalu, a tiny speck of raised coral barely half a kilometre across. It was uninhabited until 1949, when families from the overcrowded atoll of Niutao were resettled here by the colonial administration. Today the island is home to a few dozen people, making it the least populated of Tuvalu's nine islands.
The island is densely covered with coconut palms and pandanus trees, and the surrounding reef drops off steeply into deep ocean. There is no lagoon and no harbour — supplies arrive by boat from Funafuti when sea conditions allow, which can mean weeks between deliveries. The community is almost entirely self-sufficient, relying on fishing, coconut, and taro.
Visitors essentially never come to Niulakita. There are no guesthouses, no shops, and no scheduled transport. Even by Tuvaluan standards, this is as remote as it gets — a place where the entire population could fit in a single room and where the nearest traffic light is well over a thousand kilometres away.
Guide
Getting There
Reaching Niulakita is genuinely difficult and requires planning around the island's irregular supply schedule. There are no flights and no regular ferries — the only practical option is to travel first to Funafuti, Tuvalu's capital, and then wait for one of the government supply boats that makes the rounds of the outer islands.
These boats run on no fixed timetable and depend on weather, cargo, and government logistics. A round trip from Funafuti to Niulakita and back can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Independent travellers are strongly advised to check with the Tuvalu Government in Funafuti before attempting the journey, as passenger space on supply boats is limited and permission to land on the island should be arranged in advance.
There is no accommodation on Niulakita. Anyone arriving must either return on the same boat or arrange to stay with island residents — something that requires prior arrangement and goodwill. This is not a destination you can turn up to casually.