Tonga

Travel Guide > Oceania > Tonga

Introduction
Brief History
Geography
Islands
Towns
Sights and Activities
- Whales
- Mapu'a 'a Vaca Blowholes
- Tongatapu
- Other sights and activities
Events and Festivals
Weather
Getting there
- Plane
- By Boat
Getting Around
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- By Car
- By Bus
- By Boat
Red Tape
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Quick Facts

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Capital: Nuku'alofa
Population: 108,000
Government: Monarchy
Religions: Christianity
Languages: Tongan, English
Calling Code: +676
Nationality: Tongan

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Introduction

Market in Nuku'alofa

Making up the southern flank of Pacific island nations (if a flank it could be called), Tonga sits on such a longtitude to have given it the honor of being the first nation to welcome in the new millenium. Tonga is also the only Pacific kingdom. The local tourist board will try to convince you that theirs are the Friendly Islands, but this is a distinction that is a little more doubtful: Tongans were historically a war-like people who looked down on pacifists, and the person who originally dubbed them the Friendly Islands, the venerable Captain Cook, was unaware of the Tongan plot on his life.

Gorgeous and culturally fascinating it is, however. Alongside the usual Pacific fun of swimming, snorkelling and diving, Tonga awards caving opportunities both underwater and on land. Local music and dance are somewhat modernized but stylistically as close as it gets to traditional Tongan styles. Kava, the local inebriant, is as popular among travellers as it is among the locals.

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Brief History

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Geography

Tonga is an archipelago consisting of 169 islands, 96 of which are inhabited. It is located in the South Pacific, south of Western Samoa. The islands stretch for some 800 kilometres from north to south. The largest island, Tongatapu, is 257 square kilometres.

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Islands

Tonga consists of several main island groups.

Tongatapu, where the capital, Nuku'alofa, can be found
Ha'apai
Vava'u
Niua, the most northerly group

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Towns

Nuku'alofa, the capital

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Sights and Activities

Whales

Tonga has some excellent possibilities to go out whale watching and offers the unique chance to go swimming with them as well. The best places to go are the Vava'u group of islands which are an attractive tropical paradise of clear warm turquoise waters, beautiful coral reefs and white sandy beaches fringed with and coconut palms. In the waters there are at least 7 different types of whales and an encounter with sperm whales or the big humpbacks in these tropical waters is a memorable experience. The best time is from July to September. The trips are well organised and there are restrictions regarding what agencies can or can not do. It is not cheap, but for more information you can start reading over here.

Mapu'a 'a Vaca Blowholes

The Mapu'a 'a Vaca Blowholes ('Mapu'a 'a Vaca' means 'Chief's Whistles') stretch for 5 kilometers along the southern shore of the island of Tongatapu. The Blowholes are best viewed on days when there is a strong wind and at high tide. Then the maximum amount of water is forced up through natural vents in the coral limestone, thus forming geyser-like fountains of seawater up to 30 meters high.

Tongatapu

Tongatapu has more to offer than the blowholes. Take your time on the biggest island in the east of the Tonga chain to admire the archaeological sit of Mu’a. It contains the richest concentration of archaeological remnants in Tonga. Here you will see piramides which once functioned as royal tombs. The Ha’amonga’a Maui Trilithon is a kind of large stony gate. There are marks on this gate which function as a way to see when the sun sets and rises and when the longest and shortest days of the year are. This means people living here in the past were already aware of the presence of a certain form of time and were actually quite developed back then. Nowadays, the people here are a big draw still and it is a very relaxing island to visit.

Other sights and activities

Kava - Drink kava with the locals, without a hangover
Tongan National Centre - Vaiola

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Events and Festivals

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Weather

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Getting there

Plane

Visitors will arrive at Fua'amotu International Airport (TBU), not far from the capital Nuku'alofa on the Tongatapu Island group. There are direct flights with Polynesian Airlines from Apia in Samoa and several cities in New Zealand, as well as with Air New Zealand from Auckland. In addition, Air Pacific and Pacific Blue fly from Nadi onFiji and Australia respectively. Air Fiji flies from the Fiji Islands as well, serving Suva.