SOS!! 2 weeks in tonga - WHAT TO DO?

Hi

My boyf and I are going to Tonga for 2 weeks in November and are starting to plan the finer details.

We have been looking through the various accommodation websites and are shocked to see how expensive most of the resorts/hotels are in comparison to other places in the south pacific. Is it possible to travel around tonga and stay in places $25 USD a night and under that aren't completely shabby.

Also where are the best places to go. We want to go to places with beaut beaches that aren't too hard to get to. Also is it hard to be a vegetarian in Tonga?

Please help us plan our trip!

"Is it possible to travel around Tonga and stay in places $25 USD a night and under that aren't completely shabby. "
A select few-I hope you mean $25 each.

"Also where are the best places to go."
In two weeks you can see it all except for the Niuas.

"We want to go to places with beaut beaches that aren't too hard to get to"
Ha'api, Eua-not cheap though.

"Also is it hard to be a vegetarian in Tonga?"
It'll be a challenge but if you eat plainly you'll be fine.

Hi,

Tonga is not a very cheap place to travel.

Try Billy's place in Ha'apai. To be a vegetarian outside of Tongatapu may be quite a challenge, though.

Yeah, I agree with "copperspoon" that you mean $25 each, because food is also not so cheap.

Cheers

You can buy food at markets in TBU and up in Neiafu, and cook for yourself, if the place you are staying has cooking faacilities, of course. Adventure Backpackers in Vavau is one budget choice. There is a decent supermarket a block away, in the middle of town, with basic canned foods, veggies, fruit, pasta, cheese, etc etc. But the airfare RT from Tongatapu may be out of your budget range.

Stay at the Nerima lodge on Tongatapu.

Hi there
You could try Heilala Lodge on Tongatapu. We stayed in a fale there which was priced above your budget however they also have Lodge accommodation which is cheaper. Heilala is close to the Tongan National Centre and although it's around 3 kms from the town centre you can catch a bus close by or get a cheap taxi into town if you need to. The Lodge is set in a lovely tropical garden and there is a swimming pool and restaurant. We also did a day trip around Tongatapu which was organised by the Lodge and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Yeah I would agree with Rachr (above). We enjoyed Heilala, even though its not near the beach, its a nice spot to stay in when you first arrive in Tongatapu if you are thinking of going out to the islands later. Nice food and clean accomodation.

currently $25us = T$48 approx
And yes, there is plenty of accomodation for less than T$48 for 2 people per night!
the OP asked about accomodation for under $25us, they didn't ask about visiting tonga on a $25us a day budget!

Nuku'alofa: At Tonis guest house you can get a double private room with shared bathroom for T$30 per night (for the room, not per person) Tonis is a great budget place to stay. Its very clean and tidy these days. It has kitchen, laundry and internet facilities. Toni and his drivers will take you where ever you want to go for very reasonable prices. Tonis tours are all day for T$30 per person and very worthwhile. Tonis is a great place to stay when you arrive and before you leave as he does T$10 per person transfers to the airport.

'Eua: The hideaway has fales with shared bathroom facilities for T$45 a night. Pick up from the airport/ferry is free but transfers around the island as a bit pricey. There is no kitchen facilities, but free tea and coffee all day and breakfast is included. Dinner is $15 for vegetarian up to T$20 for fish. Lunch is T$4 per sandwich. They have some bikes you can hire, but they are crappy and expensive. You can get a more expensive room for T$55 which has ensuite.

There is also other options in 'Eua such as Taina's place, which i have not stayed at but others i met did and they enjoyed it. Its T$20 for 1 person, T$30 for a double.

Vava'u: Adventure backpackers is T$25 per person for a dorm bed, which is only a fraction more than $25us... Its right in town and has decent facilities and hot showers.

Vava'u guest house is a 5 min walk out of town and has a T$30/nite double room (not per person) in a 4 room little house with shared bathroom (cold shower) and a kitchen (not the greatest in the world) Single rooms are T$20 or you can get a double fale for $45/nite which has ensuite and hot shower plus a sink and kettle.

So there you go, there is plenty of options for under or around $25us a night for 2 people. I'd call that pretty cheap... not "SE asia cheap" though.

In general package tours and transport/accom packages in tonga are not good value. It is usually cheaper to book direct with the accom and pay in local currency and buy your own ferry or flight ticket. eg the packages on THIS page.

If you want nice secluded beaches, i hear Ha'apia is proberbly the best bet, but i have not been there myself. Tongatapu (main island where international airport is) does not have many beaches good for swimming as there is a rock shelf around the island. A nice beach thats easy to acess from Tongatapu is on the island of Pangamotu which is about 1 km off shore from nuku'alofa and costs T$15 per person (return) to get to but boat (11am daily and more often on weekends).It has a wreck you can snorkle around. Beaches in 'Eua tend to be the same as tongatapu. Vava'u has some good beaches for swimming. IMO you don't go to Tonga just to visit the beach. You go to visit tonga. The "best" places to go would vary depending on your time, budget and interests.

Tongatapu, Vava'u, 'Eua and (from what i hear) Ha'apai are all very different to eachother.
-Tongatapu has a population of about 70,000 and is must "busier". Its a flat island with a lot of farm land. The capital nuku'alofa is there and worth checking out - yes, there is not much there but its interesting to see the "big smoke" of Tonga.
-Vava'u had 17,000 people is more touristy than anywhere else in Tonga. You will find more restraunts and activities there. Many people visit there to see the whales and to dive also. It is also a popular place for yatchs to stop in at. Vava'u is hilly and foresty and very beautiful.
-'Eua is small and very un-touristy. It has few shops and no restraunts as far as i know. I don't think it has an ATM, but maybe i'm wrong. You can whale watch there (not on sunday) but not swim with whales as its too rough. There is a national park and the "rock garden" to check out. Its hilly and has small villages dotted around. Most roads are dirt there. Its interesting to ride a bike through the small villages on sundays there.
-Ha'apai i didn't visit but i here there is one restraunt and no ATM there. I hear its got lots of little islands with small resorts and deserted beaches. You can whale watch there (and swim) but there is only 1, maybe 2 opperators.

In 2 weeks i would suggest you visit 1 or 2 other island groups and spend a few days in tongatapu to check out nuku'alofa and do one of tonis tours for a day, and maybe pop over to pangamotu if you have time to kill. I found it weird when i met people in Vava'u who were not even visiting Tongatapu except to pass through the airport there. It depends what day you arrive and leave as to how you should plan also as many things happen only once a week in Tonga, and not much happens on Sundays at all.

on vegetarian eating in tonga, see my comments on THIS THREAD