Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Giving Tips Back Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Tonga
brtata 19:39 UTC 20 Jul 2009 | I am also back from Tonga, and wanted to thank you for the tips I got and also share a bit of what I saw. Went to Ha'apai and Vava'u and found both places amazing. The first one is clearly much more isolated and rustic, being that it really seems to have been forgotten by human kind. For some things this is good, as you do get in touch with people, everyone is smiling and curious about you and very opened for contacts. Plus sides include a very enriched polynesean culture, and if you are into, you can really experiment traditional living and food. The bad side of the story is also that modernity is coming slowly and in some places you can see that houses are 'tidy', but on the backyard fulled stocked with cans and garbage that find no use in the end. That's also the bad side of the story, Tongans are having each time more and more canned food, and also producing some kind of waste that they have no idea of what to do with it. Also, they don't seem to bother. In some places you pass by and the garden is just in order, but cans are all spread as if they were 'beautiful'. So, once you go there, be conscious of that. Also, please, don´t take me wrong, Relegion has a very important place in their culture, but of course i don't suppose Mormons are naturally from Tonga, and so, in some places you do see a lot of traditional prayers and cultural events, but in some others you are just in the middle of any church. It's a cultural interference that kind of 'kills' the indigenous past and can be discussed. Overall people in Ha'apai are generous and kind. Kids will always play in the streets giving you the opportunity to stop and talk (they do speak a very good English). The place is beautiful and really good for walking around, biking and water activities, being Diving and Whale Watching the best. I stayed with a Tongan family that my Dive centre helped me to find and accept me in Faleloa. I found out tha dressing code is very restricted and, although a 'palangi' can wear whatever, you do feel out of the place with short clothes and also disrespectful, so, be attentive on this one. In Vava'u the atmosphere is very different and although it was the begining of the season it was very, very calm. I found the people also warmth, but in there you do have a little tourism infraestructure. Researching on the net you can find all sorts of accomodation and I managed to stay in a guesthouse in there. You have got a few more options to eat out and also experiment local food. The harbour concentrates all the tourist operation and you can find reliable diving and also whale watching operators. Attending to a church will only bring you friends and also you can go into a kava session if you feel like experimenting. If you are in the mood for biking, PLEASE ask for a reliable source how long it takes. I just had this experience of biking 45km in one day, and it was always suppose to be a 30minutes road... In general i found young Tongan to be very open minded, specially if you are a tourist. Treating old people with respect will also bring you friends. If you get a huge and fun laugh, it may be something funny or out of context you must have said... Don't worry, they are always laughing anyway! |
fyrelizard 22:48 UTC 25 Jul 2009 | A great reflection, thank you! Glad you enjoyed your trip! | 1