Going to Tonga on December 27th for a week

Hi,
Our family is heading to Tonga for a wedding on the 01.01.2011. The wedding is in Nukualofa. We are wanting to find out good places to stay that are close by for the 31.12.2010 and th 01.01.2011. Then we want to find a good beach spot that is also not too far, but has beautiful white sandy beaches.
We are looking for neat, clean accommodation. We would like a few options - some really nice/expensive resorts and some that don't cost as much but are still great. There will be a few kids too, so the accommodation would need to be able to sleep kids too.
Is there anything else we should be aware of?
We have heard it is cyclone season at that time of year - how bad does it really get? Would you consider it to be too dangerous to be in budget accommodation with kids?

I went out last year in January. It was fairly hot and humid. The weather varied between heavy downpours which would be sudden and short, followed by gorgeous sunshine until the next bout of rain. Cyclones hit rarely but you may find there are strong winds.

The best beaches on Tongatapu are on the north west side of the island. I have stayed at Otuhaka twice, it is a pleasant budget place with lovely beaches and some good snorkeling. Everything happens on Tonga time here, so be prepared to chill out and relax. If your budget can stretch a bit farther, Ha'atafu surf resort is nearby; pricier but much nicer, with great service. Both resorts are by the sea but protected by a lagoon (which makes for safe snorkeling and swimming). Ha'atafu resort is set back a little from the beach in pleasant gardens, so should be relatively safe in a storm.

I have also stayed at Heilala lodge, which was previously near Nukualofa, but is moving to Ha'atafu. It was very well run in its old location and I would highly recommend it, hopefully the move will lead to more of the same but in a better location!

You may prefer to stay on Tongatapu rather than going to outlying islands. However, Pangaimotu and Fafa both make short and very beautiful day trips. Fafa offers luxury accommodation too. It is stunning! The snorkeling off Pangaimotu was very impressive, a year or so ago the accommodation was very basic though. Friends cafe in Nukualofa can help arrange daytrips.

I hope this has been helpful; Tonga is a wonderful place and I hope you will have a great time there!

Edited by: fyrelizard

Hi there!

Yes, definitely do not worry about the cyclones. Those of us who live here know how to prepare for them, and even though they hit rarely, your hosts (wherever you stay in Tonga) will take good care of you, that you can be sure of! :) Tonga is one of the safest places in the world to visit.

You have received some great advice on accommodation, so I will just provide you with some more ideas of things to do while on Tongatapu:

1) Take an Adventure Tour with Fatai Kayak Adventures in Holonga Village. You can rent a kayak on the lagoon, or take a kayak/snorkeling adventure tour to the outer islands. They also have fun tours on the lagoon. It is located in a traditional village and can easily be reached by bus or taxi. A great activity for the kids.
2) If you are a surfer, bring your board and don't miss the breaks at Ha'atafu Beach. If you stay at Ha'atafu Beach Resort, Steve takes his guests out to some amazing breaks.
3) Go scuba diving with Deep Blue. They also take people diving at the famous "cathedral" on 'Eua.
4) If you like to fish, bring your fishing pole and try your hand a cliff fishing on the Eastern side. There are some amazing cast off points near Keleti, and a favorite for locals. (This is not a good place for kids, but you can also take the kids fishing at the many beaches on Tongatapu)
5) Rent a car or scooter and spend a day driving around the island. Check out the Ha'amonga, Captain Cook's Landing, Lapaha Langi, Nukuleka (oldest settlement in Polynesia), Blowholes, etc. Or take one of the many great day tours. Toni's Guest house has one, and there are several others.
6) Stop by Keleti Beach Resort for lunch with a view of the waves breaking on the reef. (This is also a great place for the kids to swim, while the adults enjoy the scenery)
7) Do not miss Hufangalupe Lookout. It is absolutely amazing at sunset - bring a bottle of wine to make the most of your sundowner.
8) On Sunday, visit a local church to take in the signing & culture. (But since you are coming to attend a wedding, I am sure you will have plenty of church! :)
9) Try out the nightlife in Nuku'alofa. If you enjoy pub crawling, stop by Reload, Steak & Rock, and definitely do not miss Billfish (a must in Tongan nightlife). It is all a great experience.
10) Another Sunday favorite is to take a boat out to one of the outer islands for a day trip; Pangaimotu, Fafa, or 'Atata.
11) Do a dinner show. On the Western side there is Vakaloa, Liku'alofa, and a few others in town. A favorite is 'Oholei because they perform the entire show in a cave. It creates an amazing ambiance.

A few good websites to check out on Tonga (in addition to the awesome Lonely Planet) are:

www.thekingdomoftonga.com

www.tongaholiday.com

Anyways, have a fantastic time!

The picture I use for an avatar ← was actually taken by me on my mobile looking north from Fafa Island's al fresco restaurant.

Fafa is expensive but very relaxing.

I can highly recommend Green Lodge near Nukualofa if you like to have a lot of space for your kids. 10 min with car to the town centra. We stayed in one of their houses for eight nights in februar this year.
It's great if you are a big family. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen/livingroom, washingmashine, TV and so on. It's fully equiped and has a nice backyard for the kids to play at.
It's a real bargain at only 100 Pa'anga a night!
It's a bit isolated though, so you would need a car or taxi to get to town. Taxis are about 6-10 Pa'anga oneway.
When we stayed there the worst cyclone for many years hit Tonga but we were never the least afraid. Just make sure you stock up with food and drinks if you hear there is a cyclone on it's way. Also prepare for a powercut that might be for several days. Apart from this I'm sure you will be just fine as long as you stay indoors.
Can't help you with the beachaccomodation since I assume you will stay on or near Tongatapu with just a week in the country. We moved on to Ha'apai for the beach and that was nice.
Hope you enjoy Tonga as much as we did!

Don't worry about cyclones, actually pretty unusual for the most part. But it willbe hot, and very very humid at that time of year.

And lots of shops will be closed for three or four days straight. So, esp. w/kids, I'd rent a car so you can search out shops and other things to do, as many places will be shut down.

Fyrelizard is of course right about where the best beaches are, but in general the beaches on TBU are not that great.

if you go to hufangalupe make sure you stay away from the edge of the cliff. it is very dangerous and people have died there. resorts on the western beach like Ha'atafu, Blue Banana, and Vakaloa are good. Heilala in its new location no doubt will be well run and worth staying.