Heilala Holiday lodge

george_muggins04:50 UTC18 Mar 2012

Hi,

I hear that the Hailalla Holiday Lodge has moved to Haʻatafu and Kanokupolu. I didn't know much about it before the move, but am thinking of staying there.

Are there any thoughts on this hotel?

busylizzy08:18 UTC25 Mar 2012

I will be staying there over Easter weekend for 4 nights so will try to remember to come back and give you an update (give me a nudge on this thread, if I forget!)

I was telling a friend about my upcoming trip and it turns out that she had stayed at their old resort back in 2006 or so. She spoke very highly of the owners, the food and the accom so that's a good sign! Reviews on Tripadvisor are pretty favourable, and my reason for choosing it is that it's supposed to be the nicest beach on Tongatapu.

george_muggins04:03 UTC26 Mar 2012

Thank you!!!

watsoff16:07 UTC26 Mar 2012

I stayed there in the old days and found it very pleasant. The owners were/are really nice and helpful.

george_muggins00:14 UTC27 Mar 2012

thanks.

busylizzy21:59 UTC11 Apr 2012

Hi George

I just had 4 nights at Heilala and can highly recommend it as a great place to stay on Tonga. But just be sure to set your expectations to the right level. Don't expect Pina Coladas by the pool. Instead, expect a friendly, clean family run resort that is a great place to just relax.

The new location is less than 2km from the very tip of the west coast tip and about an hour out of Nuku’alofa and there is not a whole lot to do in the vicinity – but if you’re happy relaxing by the beach and just chilling with a book, it’s great. The latest reviews on TripAdvisor are pretty accurate descriptions of what to expect. The rooms are very nice – clean, comfy beds, good hot showers, screens on windows to keep bugs out and a decent ceiling fan.

There are 3 styles of rooms – the superior ones have a fridge and is closer to the main reception/kitchen building. The ‘Tongan’ ones are identical to the superiors, but without fridge. The ‘basic’ rooms are in a concrete block and have shared bathroom (although I believe there is basin/sink in the room. Many people made use of the communal kitchen for their meals, but I enjoyed the restaurant food.

The restaurant has a small but changing menu each day. Breakfast is included with the room, lunches were approx TOP$7-16 (I think!) depending on what you eat, and dinners were TOP$22-$26 or so. Meals are usually based on chicken or fresh fish (snapper, tuna) although they do a vegetarian option too. The very minor downside is that you need to book your meals ahead of time (ie in the morning) if you plan to eat at the restaurant) and are generally at a fixed time (dinner at 6.30pm). It’s not really a problem but just be aware.

The beach is lovely and good for snorkelling and swimming, but really only at high tide. Because the beach is quite long, it’s easy to get away from others if you want. There are lots of hammocks, chairs under trees etc so you can easily find a quiet spot to relax while reading a book or whatever. If you’ve been snorkelling in Fiji and other great places, you will be disappointed with the quality of underwater life. If it’s your first time snorkelling, you’ll be impressed as you have nothing to compare it to! There is no colourful coral, just lots of weedy plants with a few fish.

But it’s still nice to swim around and have a look.

There is another resort (Valoka, I think) within easy walking distance along the beach (maybe 500m) that you can go to for meals for a change. Very good food there – and they do a feast and dance show on Friday nights for TOP$35. Blue Banana is also within walking distance although I didn’t go there.

They have bikes that you can rent for free if you want to go further afield. I actually hired a motorbike from Jones Travel for about USD$35/day which gave me a lot of flexibility to travel around as I wanted. I think I would have felt a bit isolated if I hadn’t done that – but I’m someone that likes to check stuff out, and not just spend the time on the beach! Beach if you can find it

Sven and Kalolina who run the resort are fantastic hosts and will go out of their way to accommodate you in any way they can. If they are running errands in town, they are happy to take you along for the ride.

Overall – if I were to go back to Tonga, I’d happily stay at Heilala again.

george_muggins02:23 UTC17 Apr 2012

wow! Thanks for that great report.

Heilala Holiday lodge Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Tonga
george_muggins04:50 UTC18 Mar 2012	Hi, I hear that the Hailalla Holiday Lodge has moved to Haʻatafu and Kanokupolu. I didn't know much about it before the move, but am thinking of staying there. Are there any thoughts on this hotel?
busylizzy08:18 UTC25 Mar 2012	I will be staying there over Easter weekend for 4 nights so will try to remember to come back and give you an update (give me a nudge on this thread, if I forget!) I was telling a friend about my upcoming trip and it turns out that she had stayed at their old resort back in 2006 or so. She spoke very highly of the owners, the food and the accom so that's a good sign! Reviews on Tripadvisor are pretty favourable, and my reason for choosing it is that it's supposed to be the nicest beach on Tongatapu.	1
george_muggins04:03 UTC26 Mar 2012	Thank you!!!	2
watsoff16:07 UTC26 Mar 2012	I stayed there in the old days and found it very pleasant. The owners were/are really nice and helpful.	3
george_muggins00:14 UTC27 Mar 2012	thanks.	4
busylizzy21:59 UTC11 Apr 2012	Hi George I just had 4 nights at Heilala and can highly recommend it as a great place to stay on Tonga. But just be sure to set your expectations to the right level. Don't expect Pina Coladas by the pool. Instead, expect a friendly, clean family run resort that is a great place to just relax. The new location is less than 2km from the very tip of the west coast tip and about an hour out of Nuku’alofa and there is not a whole lot to do in the vicinity – but if you’re happy relaxing by the beach and just chilling with a book, it’s great. The latest reviews on TripAdvisor are pretty accurate descriptions of what to expect. The rooms are very nice – clean, comfy beds, good hot showers, screens on windows to keep bugs out and a decent ceiling fan. There are 3 styles of rooms – the superior ones have a fridge and is closer to the main reception/kitchen building. The ‘Tongan’ ones are identical to the superiors, but without fridge. The ‘basic’ rooms are in a concrete block and have shared bathroom (although I believe there is basin/sink in the room. Many people made use of the communal kitchen for their meals, but I enjoyed the restaurant food. The restaurant has a small but changing menu each day. Breakfast is included with the room, lunches were approx TOP$7-16 (I think!) depending on what you eat, and dinners were TOP$22-$26 or so. Meals are usually based on chicken or fresh fish (snapper, tuna) although they do a vegetarian option too. The very minor downside is that you need to book your meals ahead of time (ie in the morning) if you plan to eat at the restaurant) and are generally at a fixed time (dinner at 6.30pm). It’s not really a problem but just be aware. The beach is lovely and good for snorkelling and swimming, but really only at high tide. Because the beach is quite long, it’s easy to get away from others if you want. There are lots of hammocks, chairs under trees etc so you can easily find a quiet spot to relax while reading a book or whatever. If you’ve been snorkelling in Fiji and other great places, you will be disappointed with the quality of underwater life. If it’s your first time snorkelling, you’ll be impressed as you have nothing to compare it to! There is no colourful coral, just lots of weedy plants with a few fish. But it’s still nice to swim around and have a look. There is another resort (Valoka, I think) within easy walking distance along the beach (maybe 500m) that you can go to for meals for a change. Very good food there – and they do a feast and dance show on Friday nights for TOP$35. Blue Banana is also within walking distance although I didn’t go there. They have bikes that you can rent for free if you want to go further afield. I actually hired a motorbike from Jones Travel for about USD$35/day which gave me a lot of flexibility to travel around as I wanted. I think I would have felt a bit isolated if I hadn’t done that – but I’m someone that likes to check stuff out, and not just spend the time on the beach! Beach if you can find it Sven and Kalolina who run the resort are fantastic hosts and will go out of their way to accommodate you in any way they can. If they are running errands in town, they are happy to take you along for the ride. Overall – if I were to go back to Tonga, I’d happily stay at Heilala again.	5
george_muggins02:23 UTC17 Apr 2012	wow! Thanks for that great report.	6