Intro
With
a capital whose name translates as 'Abode of Love', there has to be
something going on in the Friendly Islands that we don't know about.
Most Tongans are warm and welcoming, but it's difficult to see how
they could be otherwise when home is a series of lush Pacific islands,
bordered by unbelievable beaches, surrounded by coral reefs, basking
under a tropical sun. That's hard to beat. But there's a more active
side to island life, with possibilities for hiking through Pacific
rainforest to crater lakes and to the lips of active volcanoes, diving
to shipwrecks and underwater canyons, abseiling down seaside cliffs
or watching the local rugby team go through its paces.
Among
the few Pacific peoples never to be colonised, Tongans have maintained
their customs and traditions while fervently embracing various brands
of Christianity. You'll be welcomed on feast days, party and drink
kava at festivals till you drop, be impressed by the Sunday church
turn outs, and then escape to deserted beaches where, between snorkelling
in untouched coral gardens and sipping coconut juice, the most you
need to do is watch the waves slap against the shore.
Destination
Facts
Full
country name: Kingdom of Tonga
Area: 688 sq km (268 sq mi)
Population: 98,000
Capital city: Nuku'alofa
People: Polynesian
Religion: Protestant, Catholic, Mormon
Government: Hereditary Constitutional Monarchy
Head of State: Prince Lavaka Ata Ulukalala
GDP:
US$228 million
GDP per head: US$2,200
Inflation: 1.4%
Major industries: Agriculture, fishing and tourism
Major trading partners: Japan, Australia and New Zealand
Facts for the Traveller
Visas: You only
need a valid passport and an onward ticket to be granted a visa for
three or four weeks upon arrival.
Health risks: There is some chance of hepatitis or bacterial infection.
Time: GMT/UTC plus 13 hours
Electricity: 240V, 50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric, except for land, which is measured in
acres.
When to Go
May to October is
the best time to visit. Summer, from November to April, is the hurricane
season and can be hot, humid and wet. Large numbers of Tongans living
abroad also return home in December and January, and if you're planning
to be there then you'll need to make reservations well in advance.
Events
On 4 July Tongans
celebrate King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV's birthday with the Heilala Festival,
which becomes a week-long bash featuring parades and processions, music
festivals and competitions. It coincides with the flowering of the heilala,
Tonga's national flower. The torch-lighting ceremony, Tupakapakanava,
coincides with this festival. People carrying flaming torches of dry
reeds line the northern coastline of Tongatapu, and the Tongans liken
the festival to Guy Fawkes Day in the UK or the USA's 4 July fireworks.
On Vava'u, the Crown Prince's birthday in early May kicks off a week
of partying with the Vava'u Festival. Also in May is the week-long Red
Cross Festival, which is followed by the Red Cross Grand Ball.
In early June the
Ha'apai group celebrates the three-day Ha'apai Festival, coinciding
with Emancipation Day festivities. In a nation as Christian as Tonga,
locals take Easter seriously, and celebrate an Easter Festival, with
youth choirs, passion plays, concerts and cultural performances. All
the major island groups host agricultural fairs from late August to
October, and they are presided over by the king. Late September sees
the Tonga International Billfish Tournament celebrated, attracting local
and international anglers to Vava'u. Another international competition
is the Miss Galaxy Pageant in Nuku'alofa. The contestants are all men,
or fakaleiti, the local version of transvestites.
Basic food
and accommodation are more reasonably priced than in most South Pacific
countries, but forget about upgrading your Roller, as Tonga's not a
great place to buy electronic goods, film, packaged foods or cars. They're
all imported and considerably more expensive than in the USA or Europe.
If you're really squeezing your budget you can get by on US$35 a day,
but US$60-70 will make your trip quite comfortable. If you like your
creature comforts and top restaurants, you'll need to budget for US$130
a day or more.
Tonga has
yet to make the move to ATMs, but credit cards - generally Visa and
MasterCard - are widely accepted. The currencies most commonly accepted
for exchange are the US, Australian and New Zealand dollars and British
sterling, although the Fijian dollar, deutschmark, franc and yen are
also fairly standard currencies of exchange. Banks are open from 9 am
to 4 pm on weekdays, and and in Nuku'alofa and Neiafu they're open on
Saturday mornings as well. Several of the mid-range and more expensive
hotels will also exchange currency, but at a lower rate than the banks.
Tipping and bargaining
are not practised. According to custom a tip is seen as a gift and imposes
an obligation on the receiver to return the favour. If a price is asked,
that's what the seller wants for it and it would be ill-mannered to
suggest a lower price.
Attractions
Nuku'alofa
Sitting on a promontory facing the Pacific and backing onto the Fanga'uta
Lagoon, Nuku'alofa ('Abode of Love') is gradually swallowing up surrounding
wetlands and agricultural land, and shanty towns are springing up on
the outskirts. You won't exactly get caught in traffic jams in the capital,
but the 'pumpkin-led boom' of recent years has put a few more cars on
the streets. Most of the town's main features are found within a compact
rectangle.
The Royal Palace
on the waterfront is arguably the most impressive building in town.
The white Victorian timber building was prefabricated in New Zealand
in 1867 and has become a symbol of Tonga to the world, although it is
closed to visitors. On the slopes of Mt Zion, just behind the palace,
is the Sia Ko Veiongo, the 'royal estate', which, over its 600 year
history, has been sacked repeatedly. Next to the palace is the Pangao
Si'i, a public park used for kava ceremonies, feasts and Saturday sporting
events. The Royal Tombs or Mala'ekula, contain the graves of all the
Tongan sovereigns since 1893, as well as their spouses and close relatives.
The town common contains the Tongan War Memorial, commemorating those
killed in both world wars.
Many travellers
tend to join Tongans at church on Sundays because everything else is
closed, and the churches in town are impressive; you can't miss the
Basilica of St Anthony of Padua opposite the royal tombs, where inside
the stations of the cross are carved of coconut wood inlaid with mother
of pearl. The Centenary Chapel behind Mt Zion accommodates more than
2000 people, and St Mary's Cathedral is worth visiting for its beautiful
vaulted ceiling, stained glass and rose gardens.Yellow Pier is a great
snorkelling site close to town, although it's not as spectacular as
the reefs further out. If you're into markets you shouldn't miss Talamahu
Market, which sells the best of Tonga's agricultural produce - it will
give you a crash course in tropical fruits and vegetables. Go early
to the Saturday morning flea market for the best selection of junk,
treasure and collectables.
While you can get
reasonable accommodation and eat well in the city centre, you shouldn't
forget the resorts around Tongatapu and on off shore islands. You have
the option of staying in an apartment or townhouse with its own kitchen,
bathroom, bedrooms and lounge, and they can be rented short or long
term. The abode of love has plenty of good restaurants catering to all
budgets and tastes, and you can visit one of the waterfront bars to
kick off the evening. The Tongan National Centre, the International
Dateline Hotel and the Good Samaritan Inn all put on great nights with
island buffets and traditional music and dance, and if you haven't tasted
the local kava (the stuff that dreams are made of) already, these places
give you the chance to get into it (or out of it).
Eastern
Tongatapu
This one's for the history buffs, with what must be the largest concentration
of archaeological sites anywhere in the Pacific. Pyramidal stone tombs
at Mu'a were traditionally used for burying royalty, and there are 28
(15 of them monumental) at Mu'a. Just outside the archaeological site
is a shallow ditch, which was once the moat surrounding the royal capital.
Tonga's most impressive ancient burial site is at Paepae 'o Tele'a,
thought to contain the body of Ulukimata I, who reigned during the 16th
century. Tongan oral history preserves tales of the slave labour used
to undertake this massive construction.
One of Polynesia's
most intriguing monuments stands at the eastern tip of Tongatapu: the
Ha'amonga'a Maui Trilithon. If you thought you'd had your fill of trilithons
at Stonehenge, you were wrong, because one pops up here of all places.
This trilithon was constructed at the turn of the 13th century under
Tu'itatui, and each of the stones weighs about 40 tonnes (88,000lb).
While speculation about the purpose of this one has been rife, when
swathes of vegetation between it and the sea were razed, the sun was
seen to rise and set in perfect alignment with the clearings at winter
solstice. While you're in the area, the fishing pigs of Talafo'ou are
quite a hoot; porkers that have learned to go searching for shellfish
at low tide, putting a whole new spin on the concept of pork and seafood.
The area is easily accessible by bus from Nuku'alofa.
Western
Tongatapu
Vanilla plantations west of Hufangalupe once produced Tonga's primary
export crop, but vanilla has now been surpassed by pumpkins. You may
spot red shining parrots at the Tongan Wildlife Centre Bird Park, which
promotes conservation and carries out captive breeding of rare and endangered
species. The Kolovai Flying Fox Sanctuary might remind you of a Boris
Karloff movie, with hundreds of the nocturnal fruit bats hanging upside
down from the trees. Or it might not. The bats are sacred (tapu) in
Tonga, one of the few places in the Pacific where they are not eaten,
except by royals who can hunt them for sport.
Keleti Beach is
great for a dip, and a series of clear pools trap a variety of eccentric
marine life at low tide. Near the village of Hoiuma you'll find the
Mapu'a 'a Vaca blowholes, which, on a good day, will shoot sea water
30m (98ft) into the air. You could easily walk around the west of Tongatapu
in a few days, but there are frequent buses from Nuku'alofa.
'Eua
The second largest island in the Tongatapu group, 'Eua has a completely
different character from Tongatapu. It is rugged and mountainous, with
Tonga's largest areas of natural bushland and rainforest, and is great
for hiking, climbing and abseiling. Tufuvai Beach has a lovely white
sand beach and its reef makes a great swimming pool at high tide. The
ruins of 'Anokula Palace on the top of 120m (393ft) cliffs give you
a view of the whole island. Birds and flying foxes hitch a ride on thermal
currents around the cliffs. Central 'Eua harbours myriad caves and sinkholes,
and bush tracks crisscross the area. 'Eua's best beach is on the south
coast at Ha'aluma, and it has the best beach camping on the island.
Many people fly to 'Eua from Tongatapu and take the ferry back to Nuku'alofa,
as the ferry trip to 'Eua can be very rough.
Tofua
The site of Tonga's most active volcanoes, Tofua was also the site of
the mutiny on the Bounty in April 1789. Although the island is no longer
occupied, some of Tonga's best kava plantations are here, and are tended
part time by people from nearby islands. You can visit Mutiny on the
Bounty Beach, where quartermaster John Norton was clubbed to death by
islanders, if it tickles your fancy, but the main reason to come here
is the large freshwater lake. You can fly into it by seaplane, and at
the landing near the northern shore there's good swimming beneath the
rim of a gaping volcanic vent. Tracks lead through pristine rainforest
full of bird life and gigantic ferns. Fly via seaplane from Nuku'alofa
to reach Tofua, in the Ha'apai group, or arrange the trip by sea from
Lifuka.
Off
The Beaten Track
The Niuas
Many Tongans from the more southerly islands know more about New Zealand
or England than the Niuas, the farthest flung of Tonga's island groups.
Tradition remains strong on the three islands, and the trip up is well
worth it for the traveller, if not for the hypnotically beautiful beaches
then for the friendly people who see so few tourists. You can climb
the perfect volcanic cone of Tafahi, hike around the barren lava flows,
swim in the beautiful Vai Lahi Lake on Niuafo'ou, and swim in the western
waterways. Hihio is the sleepy capital of Niuatoputapu, and a plane
from Tongatapu or Vava'u is the best way to get there. You must fly
to Niuafo'ou as it has no safe anchorage, (from Tongatapu via Vava'u).
You can reach Tafahi by boat from Niuatoputapu.
Vava'u's
Southern Islands
The large, placid lagoon formed by Hunga and the neighbouring islands
of Kalau and Fofoa look like an enormous volcanic lake, but it makes
an ideal anchorage for cruising yachts. Cliffs on Hunga make an ideal
viewing point for passing humpback whales. Foe'ata, just south of Hunga,
has brilliant white sand beaches and fantastic snorkelling. Mariner's
Cave is worth a look on the island of Nuapapu. Will Mariner was a boy
working on the privateer Port-au-Prince, which islanders ransacked in
1806. Most of the pirates were massacred, but Mariner was spared and
taken under the wing of the the reigning chief of Ha'apai for the next
four years. On Kapa, the beautiful Swallows' Cave is inhabited by hundreds
of not swallows but swiftlets, which nest in its dim upper reaches.
Despite the swiftlet droppings, visibility in the cave's underwater
floor is an impressive 50m (164ft). You reach the Vava'u group by ferry
from Tongatapu or plane from Tongatapu, Ha'apai or Fiji. Once you hit
the main island, get around by local charter, or, if you're a yachtie,
under the power of your own spinnaker.
Nomuka
Nomuka has been historically important to passing vessels because of
its fresh water, but it is best recognised today by its brackish lake,
which occupies most of the hilly interior. The island is ideal for hiking,
but the villagers have a reputation for being a little more aloof than
is the norm in the Friendly Islands. About 30km (18.5mi) west of Nomuka
lies the volcanic island/pile of rocks Fonuafo'ou, which throughout
its turbulent history has been measured at 2km (1.2mi) long and anywhere
between 0m and 320m (1050ft) above sea level. By 1949, the island had
collapsed and disappeared under the action of the waves. You may only
see a few steam vents, or be treated to its more serious attempt to
create dry land. Nomuka, in the Ha'apai Group, is not on any inter-island
ferry schedule, but ferries do occasionally stop there, or you could
take a seaplane from Tongatapu and land on the lake.
The Lifuka
Group
Lifuka is composed nearly entirely of agricultural plantations surrounded
by fantastic beaches. Swim and snorkel off the western shore, and check
out the wild weather on the eastern shore as the coast is buffeted by
waves. The Olovehi Tomb lies at the southern end of the island, and
it was constructed in the late 18th century for Nanasipau'u, sister
of the reigning king. Many unfortunate commoners copped it in the neck
here, to serve the princess in her (and their imminent) afterlife. Just
south of the tomb is the 'Ahau Bathing Well, which in traditional Tongan
society was owned by the chief. A little further south of that is the
site where 3000 year old Lapita pottery has been excavated.
You can reach Lifuka
by air from Tongatapu and Vava'u, or by boat that calls in on the Vava'u-Tongatapu
run.
Activities
Caving, both on
land and underwater, is spectacular and easily accessible. Tongatapu
has one cave, Vava'u has several and 'Eua has dozens of limestone caves.
Exploring underwater caves is best on Ha'apai, which has a deep cave
full of flashlight fish. With water temperatures around a pleasant 23°C
to 30°C (73°F to 86°F) snorkelling, surfing, swimming and
diving are great in any of the major island groups. Volcanoes, shipwrecks,
canyons, coral reefs, a stunning variety of reef fish and visibility
that in places reaches 70m (230ft) make the snorkelling and diving spectacular,
and the surfing is as good at any time of year as it gets anywhere in
the world. The surf's best on Ha'apai and Vava'u, and the best surfing
on Tongatapu is at Ha'atafu Beach.
Kayaking
is increasing in popularity, and Tonga offers a wide scope for challenging
sea kayaking. The Vava'u group offers clear, calm and sheltered waters,
and the Ha'apai group has a little more open sea. The whale-watching
season is from June to November on Tongatapu and Ha'apai, and July to
November on Vava'u. On trips to watch whales, underwater microphones
catch whale songs for you to hear. Game-fishing charters are showing
up all over Tonga, and you can also indulge in the less competitive
form with a good book, a deserted beach and a long line. Hiking
can be fun too!
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