Not to miss

Alofi

Alofi is only a 15-minute boat ride from Futuna, but the lack of adequate fresh water has kept permanent residents away. Home to a reputed 10,000 pigs, this small island also boasts the best beach Wallis & Futuna has to offer. Think tropical island paradise: white sand, clear water and shady trees.

Plenty of locals spend the day at Alofi looking after their pigs and tending their gardens, so you'll be in good company. There is a small church, and if you want to do the Robinson Crusoe thing, there are some open fale with solar-powered lighting for overnight stays.

Wallis

The volcanic origins of Wallis are evident in its many crater lakes. It's the busiest, most populated island, and reinforces this mantle by offering several video shops and discos. A standard-issue small Pacific island, its other charms include lagoon islands, churches and archaeological sites.

Downtown Mata Utu, Wallis' main centre, is a mixture of the prosaic and the profound - the local cathedral mixes it up with restaurants, shops, a hotel, the King's Palace and the post office. A short walk westward you'll find the Uvea Shopping Centre and, further on, other restaurants and hotels.

Churches

The ratio of churches to people is high on these devoutly Catholic islands and, if only for their cool interiors, almost all of the churches are worth a visit as you make your way around the islands.

The beautiful Church of St Joseph, the oldest church on Wallis, is a recommended stop off, with its kaleidoscopic decoration of patterns, biblical scenes and fish motifs. Closer to Mata Utu, the Church of the Sacred Heart is like a multitiered lighthouse towering beside the road - it's unmissable.

On Futuna, Pierre Chanel Church, named after Oceania's patron saint, is top of the list for curio value. It boasts relics of the saint, including some of his clothes and the war club said to have dispatched him. Leava Church also impresses with its carved wood figures of men. The figures lean out from the side walls and support the roof rafters with outstretched arms.

Pierre Chanel Church

Near the quiet villages northwest of Futuna's airport is the famous, towering Pierre Chanel church (called Petelo Sanele in Futunan). The exterior is in need of a new coat of paint, but the interior, which has enough pews to seat several hundred worshippers, is painstakingly decorated throughout with white and brown tapa.

The chapel includes relics of the saint, killed in 1841 and declared the patron saint of Oceania in 1954, including some of his clothes and the war club said to have dispatched him. There is a large wooden statue of Chanel that welcomes you at the door.

Lake Lalolalo

Lake Lalolalo is the most spectacular of the Wallis crater lakes. The eerie lake is an almost perfect circle with sheer rocky cliffs falling 30m (98ft) down to the inky, 80m (262ft) deep waters.

Tropical birds are often seen gliding effortlessly across the surface and it is tabu to clear the jungle here, making this some of the best preserved primary forest on the island.