Ha'apai or Vava'u for the Whales?

Ha'apai or Vava'u for the Whales?
I hear that Ha'apai has as many whales as Vava'u and is easier to get to so why would one choose Vava'u over the other?

Thanks in Advance

Ha'apai is a little more rustic than Va'vau.

Va'vau has all the modern conveniences.

You can see whales from Tongatapu. I once saw a mum and bub off fafa island.

The whales don't "live" in Va'vau, they are travelleing north from Antarctica and will pass a lot of places.

have a look at reply #5 in this thread: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1853031

The trips on Vavau are more plentiful and far more organized. Not many people offer this on Haapai.

A common question is; “Whats the difference between whale watching in Ha’apai and Vava’u?”

Hundreds of Whales stop at Ha’apai each year between July and October and as Ha’apai is further South geographically many whales wishing to travel to Vava’u have to pass through Ha’apai first anyway.

Being further South the sea is slightly cooler in Ha’apai and the whales like this.

Ha’apai has fewer operators than Vava’u (2 compared to approximately 18); this means less competition between boats in Ha’apai and ultimately more time with the whales for you.

With less boats cruising around in Ha’apai the whales are very relaxed and approachable.

Ha’apai has a comparably greater area of shallow water suitable for the baby whales. Many females with their new born calves choose to stay in Ha’apai to raise their calves.

As it is not such a busy place boats in Ha’apai often carry fewer passengers and as only four people are allowed in the water at any one time with the whales this means you have an excellent chances of getting a swim with the whales in Ha’apai.

Operators are only allowed to spend one and a half hours with any group of whales, fewer tourists in Ha’apai increases your chances of getting longer swims with the whales as you have to swap with other excited guests less frequently.

Money talks, Whale watching can be less expensive in Ha’apai when compared to Vava’u. (T$230 Vs T$300+). Essentially, you can have 4 days whale watching in Ha’apai for the price of 3 in Vava’u. But it gets even better:

Ha’apai costs much less to fly to than Vava’u (T$239 Vs T$150 ew). You start off saving a massive T$178 just by choosing Ha’apai – that’s almost enough saved for one day of whale watching.

Considering flights combined with the actual experience cost you can basically have five days in Ha’apai for almost the same price as only three in Vava’u*. See complex mathematics below:

Ha’apai - Flights $300 return plus 5 days whale watching with at $230/day equals $1450

Vava’u - Flights $480 return plus only 3 days whale watching with local operator $300/day equals $1380

That’s two full days of extra whale watching in Ha’apai for only T$80 more!

The more time you spend on the water with the whales the better your chances for those dream moments become; so from a financial perspective Ha’apai may be considered a better option as you get extra whale watching time for the same money.

Most of the yachting community visiting Tonga stays in Vava’u. Again, less yachts in Ha'apai means less disturbance for the whales, fewer boats on the water and a better experience for you.

Accommodations in Ha’apai, particularly on Lifuka Island, are much cheaper when compared to Vava’u. Guesthouses on Lifuka Island cost an average of only T30/night.

Ha’apai is less commercial in general (more rustic) with a more genuine South Pacific charm and many accessible beaches. .

*Savings based on Chathams Pacific standard price flights and a $230 trip in Ha'apai versus a $300 trip in Vava’u.