Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Current state of Tonga / Ha'apai after Cyclone Ian Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea
pzleric 07:08 UTC 13 Jan 2014 | Hello, Having seen the terrible damage cause by the cyclone on Ha'apai, I was wondering if anyone had any more insight into just how bad the damage is over there, how are things affected, and how long it may take to somewhat recover. I have plans (flights booked) to holiday in Ha'apai during early March, and am wondering if this is even possible anymore or if I should look to change my plans. Also one thought that occurred to me is that if I do go ahead with my holiday in Ha'apai, how could I find opportunities to help out with the recovery? Thanks in advance for any insight anyone can give on this situation. |
hardnosethehighway 21:23 UTC 17 Jan 2014 | They just got the phone lines back I suggest you contact your accommodation and ask them. One thing I will say it's amazing how quickly people who live in tropical areas recover from disasters like this I think it has a lot to do with having seen it all in the past. | 1
shaunpicto 04:22 UTC 24 Jan 2014 | How did you get on? Any further updates? Am also currently planning a trip to Tonga in April, so would appreciate an update. | 2
pzleric 05:06 UTC 28 Jan 2014 | No further updates unfortunately. I haven't been able to get a hold of Taiana's on Uoleva, though to be fair I've only tried to contact them via email and haven't tried the phone. If anyone else has any news, that would be welcome as well. I read an article a while back on http://matangitonga.to/ that said all tourism facilities on Ha'apai have been affected with Matafonua being the hardest hit, but they havent been able to get contact with those on Uoleva or other outer islands. | 3
kitesurftonga 08:45 UTC 03 Feb 2014 | Hey all We have just been to Lifuka as we are in the throws of creating a small resort on the same island as Tiannas Resort- Uoleva island. We are close friends with the family and visited Uoleva last week. Unfortunately for them and their guests, Tiannas is currently not operating after receiving devastating damage during the cyclone. They are currently working hard with the various aid agencies and government departments for the necessary assistance to getting rebuilt as soon as possible. If you need to contact them, best to call or text Finau on +676 8831722 Internet access is extremely limited. Regards Fanifo Lofa | 4