Help needed with Tongan holiday

Hi All

My gf and I are heading to Tonga for 2 weeks in Sep/Oct. We have most things sorted but I have a couple of lingering questions that hopefully some of you can help me with:

1 Accommodation on Tongatapu near Queen Salote Wharf
We arrive at Tongatapu late at night and need a place to stay for one night until we catch the ferry to Eua the following day. We won't be there for long so really just need a good bed to crash on. Any recommendations?
Also, are there airport transfers you can book for 11pm at night?

2 Accommodation in Ha'apai
We're staying at Matafanua Lodge on Foa for a couple of nights but it's booked out for the other night we're in Ha'apai. Are there any other good accomm options near here (for 1 night)?

3 Sailing in Vava'u
I've done a little research on the web into yacht charters but they are prob out of our price range. Is it possible to charter a yacht for perhaps one or two nights when we arrive? We want to see some of the islands around Vava'u and do some snorkling away from the main island. Can someone recommend any day boat charters/tours that we could do this on?
Also, we're looking for a relaxing place to stay, hopefully near a nice beach. Any recommendations?

4 Whale swimming
Is it possible to book whale swimming tours once we arrive in Tonga or do we need to pre-book?

Thanks for your help

Vavau---There were some day-trip and overnight yacht charters/tours available. Ask at the place you'll be staying or in town.

Toni Tours can do a pick up, but your hotel should handle it.

Along that road is the dateline Hotel (expensive for lousy service), the waterfront and a couple others. pretty much 2 minutes walk to the wharf.

actually, why not stay at the Nerima lodge and get them to pick you up at the airport, and drop you off at the wharf?

Better to pre-book whale tours as soon as possible, as this is one of the most popular activities for tourists these days. My wife and I are doing the whale cruise in Ha'apai on August 30th, and it sounded like it was already pretty full. And that's Ha'apai, where not that many tourists go for the whales… So you'd better make some enquiries ASAP.

I'm in a similar boat as you with Matafonua, as my wife and I could only book two nights there and will have to find other accommodations before and after that. I lived in Pangai for two years, and got a feel for some of the places down there. Lindsay Guest House is owned by one of the local bigwigs, a guy who used to work for the now-defunct Royal Tongan Airlines, and it was a nice, quiet place with a bakery that offers fresh bread and a pretty lawn and garden in a quiet part of Lifuka. But it's not on a beach; it's just a quiet guest house. Fifita's is right in Pangai, the main town on Lifuka, above the only real restaurant in town. So that's a good spot to be because you're near the wharf, the food, the few shops, the bank, and the main road. Billy's Place is little bit outside of Pangai but it's on the beautiful deserted windward beach and it's a very nice spot if you prefer to not be in the middle of things. I think they provide bicycles or rides for when people need to get around. They used to make pretty decent pizza, too…

There's also Sandy Beach Resort (right near Matafonua on Foa, which is a separate island connected to Lifuka by a causeway) but Sandy Beach is a bit more expensive and, personally, I wasn't a huge found of the colonial attitude of the owners. (They are German and seemed to be interested mainly in catering to Germans. A group of us Peace Corps volunteers wanted to eat dinner there once and they told us no because one time some other Peace Corps had refused to pay, or something like that.) There's also a very very very basic place to stay out on Uoleva called Daiana's (huts with mosquito nets, basically) but Uoleva is a stunning island, the kind of place where you can really play castaway and can snorkel on some very nice reef at the southern tip. Out on 'Uiha there's a similar place but they feed you there and you're actually in a real village and not isolated as you are on Uoleva.

Check out www.tongaholiday.com for other Ha'apai accommodations.

Thanks for the insight.

Bummer about Matafonua lodge being booked out!

I've read elsewhere on the forum that Uoleva is a beautiful island, but that it's a little difficult to get to. I'd love to have a look around the island, but am a little wary of making the effort to get out there and back to stay for only one night. How difficult is it to get to?

Would I be better of staying at Lindsay Guest House in town and trying to get out to Uoleva for a day trip, but only if its convenient?

PS Love your Jimmy Barnes quote, Harry

1. On arrival there will be taxis at the airport - as well as transfers if you contact and arrange with the hotel/motel accommodation place. Best place to stay re. the wharf is either the Harbour View Motel which is right across the road from the harbour, or the Friendly Islander Hotel which is about a kilometre along the waterfront.

2. Isurus has got Haapai covered :-) and as it will only be for one night.. Lindsay or Billy's might be worth the change.

3. Best to hit Vavau and then have a chat to charters directly. You might also be able to hook up with other like minded individuals and share the costs for a day or two. Also very dependent on boats being available as I understand they are heavily booked at the this time of the year, but there might be a couple of days in between charters that you might get lucky with.

4. As with the yachts, best to leave until you arrive in Haapai/Vavau as there are a few outfits and you can check them out by talking to others who have used their services for feedback.

I'd stay at tonis guest house. They'll pick you up at the airport and take you to the wharf and its cheap.

We spent a day on a sail boat called Orion at vava'u. It was very good. A day trip with snorkling and stuff.

On the eua ferry i recomend sitting on the roof but waterproof yourself and what you are carrying on you. Leave your luggage inside.