Ha'apai Accommodation? Current information?

Looking to spend about 10 days in the Ha'apai group.

Seeking up to date advice on the basic to medium options for accommodation including any homestays.

I have heard that Serenity Beaches is the only option on Uoleva following storm damage, but that it is not anywhere near as good as it is presented on its website.

Any tips on diving in Ha'apai, whale watching and visiting Tofua would be much appreciated too.

Thanks

Hi skink,
there are a few basic, but clean guesthouses in Pangai on Ha'apai´s main island Lifuka. The cheapest room starts at T$15 for a shared room at the well-run Langilangi Guesthouse that is a 3-minute walk from the center and is something like a homestay. The Tongan lady who owns it is always happy to share stories and information with guests and can even conjure up a Tongan-sized lobster dinner for just T$30 pp. Apart from that there are Fifita Guesthouse directly in the center, Evaloni Guesthouse a very short walk from town and Lindsay Guesthouse about a 10-minute walk from Pangai. The prices range between T$25 for a single with shared facilities to about T$70 for a more spacious ensuite room. Further outside of town there are the Mele Tonga guesthouse (very basic) and Billy´s Place on the East Coast.

The only place on Uoleva that suffered from the storm was Diana´s Resort, but they have rebuilt the fales and have already had many happy guests. Then there is Captain Cook´s Hideaway, and like Diana´s, it is basic, but clean and they both have absolute beachfront fales on a gorgeous white sandy beach. Prices between T$18 and T$50 for single/double.

If you want more detailed info on the places mentioned above, you can check out http://www.finsnflukes.com/generalinformation_acclifuka.htm

The dive sites in Ha'apai are very diverse and include seamountains covered in stunningly pristine hard coral, tunnels, drop-offs, swimthroughs, caves and more. You can see all the colourful reef fish as well as bigger pelagics and if you´re lucky of course the Humpback Whales from July to November. The dive base in Pangai on Lifuka is close to all the budget accommodation and can even pick you up for diving and whale watching from Uoleva.

Regarding Tofua, it is a great adventure to go out there, but quite frankly hardly ever possible since you need perfectly calm weather and sea, there is no anchorage, which means you have to swim ashore and climb over rocks sharp like blades and try to make your way through the bush without getting lost. This trip takes a lot of preparation - I know what I´m talking about, I´ve done it - and is really not easy and there is no one who offers regular trips. You can always try to find a boat to take you out there, but be well aware of the risks.

Hope this helps!

I looked at the Serenity Beaches web site and I'm so thankful that I was in Uoleva before that place was built. Less than two years ago I had the island to myself and now it looks like Thailand in Tonga.

I had said in my review of Ha'apai a few years ago that it was only a matter of time...

I hope the storm didn't wash away those interesting, fale seeking pigs at Tiana's... Nothing like a moist, warm snout in your face to wake you up.

Thanks for Finsnflukes for the information and web site, very helpful!

Our pleasure.

i just came back from Ha'apai. I got in touch with Glenn/janey from Happy Ha'apai DIvers and asked them to help me to find a family to stay with. They did it and I am really glad to them. Also, it was a very special experience, although a bit hard some times. If that is what you are looking for, please contact them or someone that you may find accordingly to your interests, mine was diving, and i am sure they will help you out. Also, you could do like 5 days in a homestay and 5 days in some guesthouse.... If you are willing to spend some money, get in tough with the kiwis from Matafonua lodge, also lovely people.

I highly reccomend you to vist the schools, or even attend to some of the churches sundays. It's amazing fro the singing. Also they are really nice and the kids will always talk to you. I managed to bring 80 boxes of colored pencils and donated to the school in Faleloa. I am sure it´s easy to get in touch with people from the Peace Corps once you are settled.

Hope you have a great Stay. Ha'apai is in my heart! :-)

For general information:

There are alot of very hard working Tongan people in Ha'apai who operate very economically priced homestay/guesthouse tourist accomodation. As low as T$15 per night!

Please help support locally owned small businesses by choosing to stay with licensed guest houses only, these people work hard to pay their annual tourist license and health certificate fees and actually deserve your custom.

Staying with families who are unlicensed for providing tourist accomodation is detrimental to the tourism industry in Ha'apai, poses risks for you as a traveller and can lead to further problems from cultural misunderstandings.

Please be a responsible traveller by supporting those people who try very hard to provide legitimate tourist services for visitors to Ha'apai through their licensed operations.

Licenesed accomodation owners in Ha'apai include Langi Langi (Fanongovainga) Guesthouse (Lifuka), Evaloni Guesthouse (Lifuka), Mele Tonga Guest House (Lifuka), Lindsay Guesthouse (Lifuka), Fifita Guesthouse (Lifuka), Billy's Place (Lifuka), Sandy Beach Resort (Foa), Matafonua Lodge (Foa), Captain Cooks Resort (Uoleva), Dianas Resort (Uoleva) and Serenity Beaches (Uoleva).

Thank you.

skink you can still stay at dianas or captain cooks, dianas have lost fales in previous hurricaine but still open. They were full when we got there and captain cookes were off the island for the day thats howc come we ended up at serenity beach, which although not really pitched at backpackers was good and not too ostenntatious and nice helpful people running it.....they also sorted a nice price for us......langilangi guesthouse on pangai was good and cheap.......ps silvencat it wasnt quite "thailand in tonga" but i understand the fear