5 Days in Tonga - Advice Please

Hey there

My girlfriend and I just scored a great flight deal to Tonga on Pacific Blue flying out of Auckland... thank you Mr Branson! We arrive the morning of the 21st Feb (Thursday) and depart the evening of the 25th (Monday). We are on a tight budget (total for both of us, around $200TOP per day, all inclusive) and are looking for a laid back trip with some good beach time, tasty seafood and a bit of a cultural experience.

Given time and budget constraints, and after reading these forums (and on Trip Advisor) we've thinking that we are probably going to have to base ourselves on Tongatapu (perhaps at Nerima Lodge), but have a few questions for those helpful souls with some island knowledge:

1) It seems that Tongatapu isn’t the place for the better beaches and its better to go off-island... most people suggest Pangaimotu for a daytrip, but we were thinking of maybe staying there for a couple of days instead? Or are we better off going to Eua? If so, where on Eua would you suggest we stay at?

2) Where would you recommend for great seafood (without having to pay big $$$)... lobster and shellfish would be nice!

3) Where would you recommend for a traditional feast night?

4) Where would you recommend for a good kava session? I've head from a friend that you have to watch out for the water that’s used for the kava session - if you're not used to the local bugs, you'll get sick... any truth to this???

5) There seems to be several day tours that are recommended – Toni’s and Teta seem to be the main ones. Are they both pretty much the same? Any more out there that are worth considering?

6) We are looking at purchasing some large tapa cloth pieces - any suggestions where would be the best place to go? Or are we better off looking through the markets?

Appreciate any help/advice you can offer – looking forward to a great trip!

Cheers!

For cheap and tasty food, try the corner of Fatafehi and Laifone. There are Fakalato and Best Bite. You can eat for less than 10 dollars.

Lobster and shellfish are not cheap at restaurant. Go to fish market before 9 am to cook on your own.

Tonga National Centre holds Dinner Show on Tuesdays and Thursdays fo T$25.00 per person. I prefer this feast because they only perform Tongan dances, unlike other places which show Hawaian, Samoan, Cook, Tahitian dances.

Depending on the night of a week, different local kava clubs gather together to have semi-all-night sessions. Some have great singing, and others just play cards. Ask the locals when you get there. Fofo'anga and Mosimosi are two famous kava clubs for their great singing. About water, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Toni's tour is the best!

Authentic large piece of tapa, which is called "Launima", cost T$2,000.00. Smaller ones can be also found for less than T$100 at the Talamahu market.

5 days in Tonga is short but you can see a lot. I went last June for 7 days and enjoyed every minute. We went to Eua because my step-daughter got married there. We stayed at the Hideaway Resort (about $30 AUS a night) and Taki was the perfect host. Did a four wheel drive tour of the island through him also. Your options for getting there are by ferry or air. We took the ferry over (for about $5-$10), it took 3 hours and we shared it with two deceased people who were being brought home to Eua to be buried (they were in a coffin and wrapped in tapa mats) then the family sang and cried some of the way...a very unique cultural experience. We got a flight back and that took 8 minutes and cost about $40/$50.

I would definitely recommend going to Eua and you could go one day, stay one day and return the next. Flights go a couple of times a day and the ferry leaves the mainland about 12pm and returns in the early morning about 6am.