Table of contents
Regions / Culture and History / Climate / Landscape / Travel to Tokelau, visa requirements / Flights to Tokelau, airtickets / By boat / Get around / Talk / Shopping, Tokelau souvenirs / Costs / Good restaurants and cheap meals / Tokelau nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs. / Hotels, youth hostels, lodging / Learn / Work / Stay safe / Stay healthy / Respect / ContactTokelau is in Polynesia, a group of three atolls about half way between Hawaii to New Zealand.
Regions
- Atafu
- Nukunonu
- Fakaofo
Culture and History
Originally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island groups, the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate in 1889. They were transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925.
Tokelau's small size (three villages), isolation, and lack of resources greatly restrain economic development and confine agriculture to the subsistence level. The people rely heavily on aid from New Zealand -- about $4 million annually -- to maintain public services, annual aid being substantially greater than GDP. The principal sources of revenue come from sales of copra, domain names, postage stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts.
Climate
Tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)
Landscape
Tokelau consists of three atolls, each with a lagoon surrounded by a number of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over three meters above sea level.
Travel to Tokelau - Visa Requirements
Flights and airtickets to Tokelau
Tokelau has no airports. Lagoon landings are possible by amphibious aircraft
By boat
Tokelau has no ports or harbors; offshore anchorage only. A twice monthly service runs from Apia onboard the MV Tokelau. This is subject to change and often unreliable. Foreigners take last priority in securing a place.
Tours and Getting around Tokelau
Talk
Tokelauan, a Polynesian language closely related to Samoan and Tuvaluan, is the native language, and most people can speak and understand English.
Tokelau souvenirs and shopping
The New Zealand dollar is used. Some Tokelauan-branded dollars have been produced but are hard to find.
Costs
Tokelau Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive
The Luana Liki Hotel in Nukunonu is the only public eating place.
Tokelau nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs
Samoan beer is available in shops and at the Luana Like Hotel, but sale is strictly rationed in Nukunonu.
Tokelau cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging
The Luana Liki Hotel in Nukunonu is Tokelau's only commercial accommodation. Homestays may be arranged in advanced through the Tokelau-Apia Liaison Office in Samoa.
Learn
Work
Stay safe
Tokelau lies in the Pacific typhoon belt.
Stay healthy
Respect
Contact
This page was last edited by Wikitravel user Ypsilon. Based on work by Jani Patokallio, Ian Sergeant, Todd VerBeek and Michele Ann Jenkins, Wikitravel user(s) Valtteri, Episteme and InterLangBot, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license
