"Tuvalu - Funafuti - Beach #2" by Stefan Lins via Flickr Creative Commons

For the best souvenir shopping, you need to be in Funafuti, with some islands and atolls not featuring any shops. The best souvenirs to bring home are probably Tuvalu weaved cloth, handmade shell jewelry, and the lidded wooden boxes called tulumas that fishermen traditionally used to store their catch. The women’s handicraft market near the airport is a great place to purchase these items, and on sale are also handmade bags, mats, fans, and hats. The women coincide the opening of the market a few hours before any flight is scheduled to leave Funafuti so it can be a great place to visit before departing the island. There is also a handicraft center in Funafuti which sells locally-made products using the coconut fronds and pandanus leaves that grow on the island.

Tuvalu is also a popular place for stamp collecting enthusiasts since the Philatelic Bureau here offers an opportunity to buy mint condition and rare postage stamps. The designs are unique and considered highly collectable.

Click here for Transportation in Tuvalu