Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Recommendations Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Tonga
kiwisara 02:52 UTC 03 Feb 2014 | Hi 2 of us in our early 30s want to travel to Tonga in late August for about 10 days and are looking for suggestions. We're keen to head to Vava'u but after reading some previous posts it looks like Ha'apai is better for swimming with whales. Should we make the extra stop or are we OK to head straight to Vava'u? Do the boats go out on Sundays? Accommodation recommendations welcome - we're after somewhere to relax but also have things to do ( that we can bike or scooter to), socialise, eat, have a few drinks... Any other things people suggest to see and do? Thanks in advance for your help! Sara |
h2ooh 04:26 UTC 03 Feb 2014 | Both Ha'apai and Vavau are worth visiting. I think ha'apai is better for swimming with the whales... Fewer boats, 10 min vs an hour to get to them, lots of whales. Vavau is great for dining, drinks and social activities. For Ha'apai... On a budget trip stay in town on Lafuka and use Fins and Flukes for the trips. If you want more expensive digs try the two resorts on Foa. we stayed at the Port Wine Guest House on Vavau and loved it. About the only thing to do on Sunday is beach snorkeling, drinking, lazing, etc. you can eat at the resorts on Foa and Lafuka.. On Vavau a few restaurants are open Sun or your hosts might serve meals.... Or go to church, everyone is real friendly and you'll probably enjoy the singing in most churches. | 1
twocats 12:40 UTC 15 Feb 2014 | I stayed for 4 nights at Port Wine in Vava'u last December, and all I can say - the bed bugs in my room were spectacular. The owner mislead me several times regarding different things and tried to rip me off by charging exorbitant amounts of money for an island tour. The place, in my opinion, is totally not worth the money, time and nerves. Would not recommend it unless you're only interested in a convenient location. | 2