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# Tonga or Fiji Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Tonga
mr_ianwilson 16:06 UTC 08 Apr 2007 | Hi fellow travellers, Has anyone been to both Tonga and Fiji and able to recommend which is better for a nice island resort with good beaches and snorkelling? We plan on going to Tonga anyway to try and swim with some whales in Vava'u but after that are torn betwen spending AUD 250 per night staying at Fafa island resort or flying to somewhere in Fiji and getting more for our money. What are we looking for? - good beaches - clear, warm water - snorkelling at our doorstep - not a party island Any opinions would be most valued. Cheers, Ian |
amaile 10:57 UTC 09 Apr 2007 | Hi mrianwilson, Fafa is in Tongatapu, not in Vava'u. You may want to check Mounu, Treasure Island, Ika Lahi, and Blue Lagoon in Vava'u. They are a bit cheaper than Fafa, I think. See Vava'u Accommodation for details. For domestic air, see either Airlines Tonga or Air Peau Cheers, Amaile | 1
mr_ianwilson 14:53 UTC 09 Apr 2007 | Thanks Amaile. We're already booked into Treasure Island but was wondering if there's another good place to stay in Tonga that you'd recommend? Cheers, Ian | 2
amaile 02:01 UTC 10 Apr 2007 | Hi Ian, In Tongatpu, I may choose Ha'atafu beach resort or Blue Banana beach fale to stay, instead of going to a small off-shore island. Cheers, amaile | 3
jay_dee 22:01 UTC 10 Apr 2007 | Hi Ian - I second amaile's recommendation for Ha'atafu beach resort. We stayed there as a family and loved it - I think it was the best place we stayed (we were in Tonga for 9 weeks). It would definitely be cheaper than Fafa resort. From what you describe in your post though I'm not sure if it's what you're after. It has been established as a surf resort - although not everyone who stays there surfs. We stayed in a nice little fale overlooking the beach. It is very well run and the accommodation and facilities are clean, comfortable and basic. Shared amenities and cold water showers (although they do provide you with a solar shower bag). Breakfast and dinner are included and the food is really, really good and plenty of it. Dinner is a communal affair at 7pm each night. The place has a really nice, friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Many of the guests congregate near the beach to drink beer and watch the sunset each evening. The beach there is quite nice - we snorkelled with our kids off the beach. But you can't really swim at low tide - which is a bummer. I think Blue Banana is not far away - I've heard good things about that too. LOL | 4
mr_ianwilson 07:52 UTC 13 Apr 2007 | Thanks for the info. Any thoughts as to whether a trip to Ha'apai is worthwhile too? The Sandy Beach resort? Cheers, Ian | 5
jay_dee 09:26 UTC 13 Apr 2007 | Hi Ian - I afraid I can't help on that front - we didn't get to Ha'apai - we were in Tonga for a work assignment so spent about 7 weeks on Tongatapu and 10 days in Vava'u. We stayed at Mala Island resort in Vava'u - it was very comfortable and nice - had a lovely little beach from which there was good snorkelling. The reason it wasn't the highlight for us was because it wasn't as kid friendly as Ha'atafu resort and also the weather was very windy the whole time we were there and a few rainy days too. cheers Jeanette | 6
amaile 13:43 UTC 13 Apr 2007 | If you are going to Vava'u, why not stop over in Ha'apai as well. Four island groups Vava'u, Ha'apai, Tongatapu, 'Eua are all totally different. Personally I like Ha'apai the best. Sandy Beach is well run by German father and a son. Very nice. | 7