A Wallis lagoon boat trip to the islets means a taxi boat from Gahi Bay, Vailala or Liku, or a kayak from the Vakala watersports centre, to one of the more than a dozen uninhabited islets inside the reef. The tourism board pages are undated, so reconfirm operator details before you go.
Things to do ·
Wallis lagoon boat trip: islets, operators, rules
Plan a Wallis lagoon boat trip: which islets, taxi-boat operators, the canoe day, permissions and what we cannot confirm.
01
The lagoon you are crossing
Wallis is encircled by a lagoon and a barrier reef. The reef is 4 to 5 km wide, with about 220 km² of coral, and the lagoon holds more than a dozen uninhabited islets, or motu. All of them lie on the eastern side of the reef. The passes through the reef are on the west and south, and only the Honikulu pass in the south takes large ships.
Futuna has no lagoon, so a Wallis lagoon tour (an excursion lagon Wallis, in French) is something you can only do on Wallis.
02
The islets of Wallis: which ones, and how many
We have no reliable count beyond 'more than a dozen', so ask your boatman which ones are on the day's route.
The islets named on the cited operator page are Faioa, Fenuafoou and Nukuatea. Nukuatea has a story: a trader bought it in 1830 for sea-cucumber fishing.
03
Wallis lagoon tour operators
Four taxi-boat operators appear on the tourism board listings. Taxi Boat Gahi runs from Gahi Bay, by reservation only, for up to 15 people. Taxi Boat Fetuufoou runs from Vailala for up to 20 people to the northern islets including Nukufoto. Nukutapu taxi boat is based at Alele and takes up to 10 people. Association Vakala at Liku also offers a taxi boat alongside watersports.
Prices are quoted in CFP francs (XPF) and the board pages are undated, so reconfirm before you go. Taxi Boat Gahi serves Faioa, and Fenua foou, Nukuatea and Faioa together. Taxi Boat Fetuufoou quotes adult and child rates. Association Vakala quotes group rates for Kaviki, Nukuhione and Nukuhifala. Nukutapu lists no prices. The listings do not always say whether a price is per person or per boat, so ask when you book. Contact details are on each operator's page on wallis-futuna.travel, or through the board's contact form.
04
Pirogue Wallis: a traditional canoe day
For something slower, about ten traditional sailing canoes still sail the northern lagoon, grouped under the Lelei Hifi league, and sailing on them is open to tourists. The Nukuteatea Association at Vaitupu offers an outrigger canoe day with an umu lunch; confirm days, hours and price with the association before you plan around it.
The Lomipeau canoe, said to hold about 100 people, symbolises the link between Uvea, Tonga and Polynesian seafaring. The territory's plan favours outrigger travel to the islets over jet skis.
05
In the water: snorkelling, wildlife and the view from above
Snorkelling is done at the islets via taxi boat, and kayaks can be hired from Vakala. Marine life around Wallis includes hawksbill turtles, spotted eagle rays, sharks, parrotfish, Napoleon fish, spotted garden eels, anemones, sea fans, corals and dolphins. Coral monitoring since 1999 at six sites shows Wallis reefs better protected than those of Futuna and Alofi.
The Evasion Bleue dive centre at Halalo offers guided dives and courses. If you prefer the air, the Aeroclub du lagon runs ultralight flights from Hihifo airfield, which are best at low tide for blue tones.
Humpback whales and pygmy killer whales may be seen in late summer or early autumn, with no guarantee, and we found no whale-watching operator.
06
Permission, protected areas and respect
Check with the Tourist Office about protected areas and rules before you go to the islets. Beaches in front of houses belong to the owner. We have no information on camping or overnight stays on the islets, so ask the Tourist Office.
A guide advises that chiefs almost always grant permission for islets, and that on Wallis the water-taxi operator usually handles it. That is advice to confirm locally, not a rule.
07
What to bring and how to plan
Sunscreen, a hat and water are common-sense items rather than sourced advice, but the records do give practical points. Cash is useful: the dive centre takes cash or cheque, and many shops lack card terminals. Taxi Boat Gahi is by reservation only, so book ahead rather than turning up at the pier.
Gahi Bay has the restaurant La Paillote beside the taxi-boat pier, and Liku is home to the Vakala watersports centre, so those two places make natural starting points. For the best lagoon colour from the air, go at low tide.
Questions people ask.
- How do you get to the islets of Wallis?
- By taxi boat from Gahi Bay, Vailala or Liku, or by kayak from the Vakala watersports centre. Check with the Tourist Office about protected areas and rules first.
- How much does a Wallis lagoon tour cost?
- We have no confirmed prices, and the tourism board pages are undated, so ask the operator for a current price before you travel.
- How many islets are there in the Wallis lagoon?
- More than a dozen. We have no reliable exact count, so ask your boatman.
- Can I camp on a Wallis islet?
- We have no confirmed information on camping on the islets, so ask the Tourist Office before you plan an overnight stay.
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