Tonga (South Pacific Islands)

Tonga is the first country in the world to see in a New Year. It lies just past the international dateline and became the focal point for the Millenium celebrations of 2000. This is how Tonga first came to my attention, I saw the broadcast from the isalnd and thought it looked fantastic and decided that I would definitely go. I happened to have the chance to go to New Caledonia and looking at a map saw that nTonga was nearby (relatively speaking). ...
...make the short flight to Tonga and stay for as long as our money would hold out. We weren't disappointed!

GETTING THERE
We flew with Air France from New Caledonia to Fua'amotu International Airport which is about 10 miles away from the capital of Nuku'alofa. This flight cost about $150 for the round trip. There was a $25 departure tax upon leaving. I beleive that most people fly to Tonga from either New Zealand or Australia ... more

Tonga is the first country in the world to see in a New Year. It lies just past the international dateline and became the focal point for the Millenium celebrations of 2000. This is how Tonga first came to my attention, I saw the broadcast from the isalnd and thought it looked fantastic and decided that I would definitely go. I happened to have the chance to go to New Caledonia and looking at a map saw that nTonga was nearby (relatively speaking). So wehn my two weeks in New Caledonia was over my girlfriend and I decided to make the short flight to Tonga and stay for as long as our money would hold out. We weren't disappointed!

GETTING THERE
We flew with Air France from New Caledonia to Fua'amotu International Airport which is about 10 miles away from the capital of Nuku'alofa. This flight cost about $150 for the round trip. There was a $25 departure tax upon leaving. I beleive that most people fly to Tonga from either New Zealand or Australia so a flight may be cheaper form there I'm not sure just going on personal experience. You don't need an entry visa in advance you just turn up with your passport, outward flight ticket and proof that you have enough money to support yourself. We had about $200 and got an four week entry visa!

THINGS TO KNOW
Tonga is an English speaking country and was once part of the British Empire so there were no communication problems. The currency in use is the Tonga Pa'anga, but Us dollars are widely accepted, there are about 4 Pa'anga to the pound. There are no major health risks when visiting Tonga, there is a slight risk of Hepatitis but you can obtain an injection from your doctor before you leave. November to April is the hurricane season and apparently can be extremely humid and unpleasant, many Tongans leave the island during this time. We visited in August which was quite hot but not humid and uncomfortably. Average daily temperature was probably about 35.

HISTORY
Discovered by Cpatain Cook in the 18th Century and named the Friendly Isles the Tongans pride themselves on this name and are extremely friendly to strangers. Since the mid 18th cnetury Tonga was a member of the British Empire. Tonga gained independence and became a member of the Commonwealth in 1976. Tonga is called the island kingdom due to the fact that it is made up of approx 170 islands. We only managed to visit a few of these which I'll talk about below.

PLACES TO VISIT
Tongatapu Group
The Tongatapu Group are the main islands of the Tonga group and are the most visited. We only had time to visit this group of islands in the two weeks we stayed in Tonga. The chief island is Nuku'alofa and is home to the royal palace. This is the main attraction on the island and the is the most impressive building in the Tonga group. Unfortunately it is closed to visitors as it's occupied by the Tongan Royal family. But you can wander through the grounds which contain ancient Tongan royal tombs and one of the most impressive collections of Pacific flora and fauna you will ever see. The other main attraction in Nuku'alofa is the show which is put on every Saturday and Sunday evening. We were treated to a native banquet and traditional dancing until the early hours of the morning. It was fantastic and the people really lived up to the friendly reputation. The food was great and although I had never thought to try stuffed yams they were delicious.

Eua
The other islands in the group are very different to Nuku'alofa. Eua is heavily forested and mountainous and we spent a great few days there hiking and camping in the national park. We went on several guided tours that took us round the park, where I was lucky enough to see a flying fox. Not at all what I had expected! One of the main reasons we chose to go to Eua was for the diving. It has the 'best diving in the Pacific' according to the dive school there. I was not dissapointed and I dived my first shipwreck here. It was an old freighter that had gone down in a hurricane and was really eerie to think that people had drowned where I was diving! However, the sea life was fantastic and I managed to dive with a whole rainbow of fish that puts Finding Nemo to shame! Eua also has a huge cave network that is easy to get around, but we didn't have time to try it out although we met several groups of people that highly recommended it.

Tofua
Tofua is famous for several things it has the most active volcano is the Tonga group. It is seriously active and smoke rises from the top of it constantly which was always a worry to me when staying on the island! Tofua is also famous as the sight of the mutiny on the Bounty. You can visit the mutiny on the Bounty beach, but it's not too impresive considering the wealth of beaches available in the Tonga group. Tofua is also home to the Polynesian equivalent of Stonehenge. It is on the eastern side of the island and was constructed in the 13th century by the fierce Polynesian warriors who emerged from Tonga to populate most of the Pacific are. The Maoris of New Zealand are descended from the people who built the monument on Tofua.

Hufangalupe
This is home to the Tonga wildlife park, this park is extremely good and manages to give you an informative overview on the wildlife of the Tongan islands. Nearby are the Mapu'a 'a Vaca blowholes. The sea will rush into these and shoot water about 30 foot into the air. this was a fantastic experince and amusing to watch an unsuspecting American tourist stand on one just before it blew!

I only spent two weeks in Tonga and this is just a brief guide to what I did wehn I was there. There are many more islands in the Tonga group to visit and I'm sure that they are all as spectacular as the ones I visited. Most islands are easily reached by sea plane or ferry, neither option is too expensive. The most I paid for a plane ride was$20. Although it will probably cost more depending on how far you are going. Hotel and hostel accomodation is plentiful, good quality and reasonably cheap. Prices in the cheaper hotels and hostels ranged form between $5-$15 a night for a good sized double room. Tonga is great to visit for anyone who wnts to experience golden sandy beaches and wonderful clear seas. It is especially good for divers and those just looking to relax.

 

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