Wallis and Futuna Islands

Quick Facts

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Capital

Matāʻutu

Population

16,000

Government

Overseas territory of France

Religions

Christianity (Catholic)

Languages

French, Wallisian, East Futuna

Calling Code

+681

Nationality

Local name

Wallis et Futuna

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Introduction

Wallis and Futuna are located due north of Fiji, where they are occasionally frequented by visitors, regularly abandoned by locals in search of jobs and peppered with a generous offering of French food and champagne. You could call it a slice of France in the Pacific if French Polynesia hadn't taken the title already. It's the second - the forgotten - slice, one of typical Pacific beauty and aquatic pleasures.

The first missionary to Futuna, one Pierre Chanel, was martyred four years into his evangelical run. His work was done though: the first Oceanian nation to martyer a missionary has transformed into a devoutly religious entity where church buildings spring up like palm trees. These beautiful churches provide for one of the highlights of travel to Wallis and Futuna.

Brief History

Geography

Regions/Islands

The Wallis and Futuna Islands are split into two groups lying about 260 km apart.

• Wallis Island (Uvea) in the north
• Hoorn Islands (Futuna Islands), in the south consisting of the islands of Futuna and Alofi.

Cities/Towns

• Matāʻutu
• Leava
• Mala'e

Sights and Activiites

Talietumu

Talietumu consists of the remains of a fortified Tongan settlement on Wallis Island established around 1450.
It forms an enormous and beautifully restored archaeological site and there is a wide defensive wall with entrance passages surrounding green lawns, large platforms and a circular stockade base.
The stone paved roads you will see at Talietumu only were used by the king, because his feet couldn't touch the solid ground

Pierre Chanel Church

The Pierre Chanel Church is located close to some quiet villages northwest of Futuna's airport. The famous church is in desperate need of some restoring of the exterior. The interior on the other hand is beautifuly decorated with white and brown tapa. The chapel is decored with relics of the saint who was killed in 1841 and was declared the patron saint of Oceania in 1954. To add, you can also witness a wooden statue of Chanel at the front door.

Lake Lalolalo

Situated on the island of Wallis, Lake Lalolalo is an impressive circular lake with with sheer walls on Wallis Island
It is the most spectacular of the Wallis crater lakes and forms a perfect circle with cliffs towering 30 metres above the surfact of the lake. The water of Lake Lalolalo is 80 metres deep in some places. Add to this many species of tropical birds above the surface. The lake is surrounded by preserved primary forest thus making the tropical paradise complete.

Other sights and activities

• Mata-Utu Cathedral - on Wallis Island, is a Roman Catholic cathedral built with blocks of cut coral. It is a French national monument.
• The King's Palace - on Wallis Island
• Tonga Toto - another set of ruins on Wallis Island which are harder to get to and more overgrown.

Events and Festivals

Weather

The Wallis and Futuna Islands has a tropical climate typical for the Pacific. Temperatures during the day average a pleasant 28 to 30 degrees Celcius and drop to around 24 degrees at night. Temperatures variations on Wallis are smaller than on Futuna, where the wintermonths of April to October are slightly cooler, both during the day and at night. This is also the driest period, although you can't really speak of a dry and a wet season, it is just a bit drier during these months with rain possible on 20 to 25 days a year, compared to 25 to 29 days from November to March, the wetter season. From January to March, the occasional hurricane (typhoon) might strike the islands, but years can go by withouth one.

Getting there

Plane

The main international airport is on the island of Wallis. There are flights from here to both French Polynesia and New Caledonia with Aircalin, the national carrier of the latter country.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

The only way to reach the islands by sea, is to hop on a cargo ship that visits the island once every few weeks or to be lucky enough to get a bed on a private yacht.

Getting Around

By Plane

Aircalin makes about 5 trips a week between Wallis and Futuna, making this the best way to travel between the two islands.

By Train

By Car

The only way to get around on Wallis and Furtuna Islands is by car and you can rent one on both islands.

By Bus

Public transport is non-existent.

By Boat

You can travel by cargo ship between the two main island of Wallis and Futuna, or hope to hop on a yacht.

Red Tape

Money

The CFP franc is the currency used in Wallis and Futuna. The initials CFP originally stood for Colonies Françaises du Pacifique but now means Change Franc Pacifique. New Caledonia and French Polynesia also use the CFP franc and they can be used in all three states.
It is subdivided into 100 centimes. There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 franc. Banknotes include the 500, 1000, 5000 and 10,000 ones.
All banknotes are identical in all three states. The coins on the other hand, have one side which is identical and one side where the inscription of the respective country (New Caledonia also applies to Wallis and Futuna by the way) can be found.

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