Staying longer term in Tonga

Hey all,

I've a few months (3-4) to spend and wanted to learn to dive (to a high-level qualification, e.g. tec), sail (same), do other watersports (surfing, kitesurfing etc) and Tonga looks an amazing place to do all this, thanks to the waters, the natural life etc.

What's it like being there for a longer period? Are there decent instructors / schools for the above activities?

Thanks

David

Edited by: davidwoodfield

Visitors are allowed a maximum of 30 days stay in Tonga before they need to reapply for an extension on their Visa.

Whether or not the extension is granted is totally at the discretion of the Immigration Officer on duty and from what I've been told is quite a hit 'n miss process.

Fiji is probably a better bet as you're allowed 6 months.

Solomon Islands allows 3 months, provided you have a return or onward ticket.
It is considered a divers paradise.

Hi David, #2 makes a good point about the visa - I don't know what country you're travelling from, but if it's Australia or New Zealand - the airline won't take you unless you have a return ticket dated within the 30 days or if you have already obtained your visa for the length of your stay. While I found Tonga immigration to be very relaxed about extending visas after arrival - the airlines can be completely inflexible on this. I've extended stays in Tonga and really enjoyed it - but didn't do any diving - so unfortunately can't offer any advice re diving. Vavau would probably offer the most in terms of diving. Good luck

Yeah, the visa thing might be an issue for you.

As for diving and watersports, you'll want to be in either Vava'u or Ha'apai. Ha'apai offers more immediate access to the ocean because it's a group of small islands, most of them very flat. In Vava'u the main town, Neiafu, is on the harbor, which is pretty far inside the island. This means you have to get out to the outer islands to really feel like you're on the ocean. But Vava'u has way way more infrastructure as far as tourism and activities. There's yachting, diving, big-game fishing, whale watching, biking. Ha'apai basically has one dive operator, a handful of places to eat, and not much else. I lived in Ha'apai for two years, and really loved the environment and the slow pace of life, but you definitely have to figure out how to make things happen on your own.

By the way, go to www.tongaholiday.com and click on the "Diving" tab to find out about dive operators there. Most of the info seems pretty up-to-date...