Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

Tonga at Christmas/New Years?

Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Tonga

Dear fellow TT-ers,

i could do with some help please :)

My fiance and I are looking for a nice and easy get away for a week or so over the Christmas/New Years period, somewhere in the region of 22 December - 3 January. We don't care where we spend Christmas or New Years, and we are not looking for anything flash to do on either of those days. We just want to get 'away' for a bit, relax and do nothing, or not much anyways :)

I popped into our local travel agent yesterday and they have a special on Tonga at the moment, with return flights and 5 nights accommodation at Heilala holiday Lodge including breakfast for NZD776 (thats USD670) per person.

The lodge looks nice online and has very good reviews on Tripadvisor, and I think price-wise it is a good deal.

Now, I realise late December isn't main season for Tonga, but I would like to know if it still makes sense to go?

The Lodge is 18km south of Nuku'alofa in the village of Kanokupolu and on the beaches of Kanokupolu and Ha'atafu. We want to sit on the beach for a few days and read a book, have a look around the island, check out the blowholes.... nothing too fancy, just a bit of a get away really.

Does this make sense at that time of year?

As I said earlier, I'm not concerned about Christmas or New Years, we're not looking for somewhere cool or exciting to spend NY, and if we miss Christmas this year then that's fine with us too. I'm just a bit unsure weather-wise. I also realise no-one can predict the weather (especially not these days) but I'd be interested to hear what we can expect.

Thanks everyone!

Why wouldn't it be sensible?

You will probably get some rains, but it shouldn't ruin your whole holiday.
I'd say just go. I tend to spend the Christmas-NY period in tropical islands every year, often in ones where it's the rainy season. Never regretted it.

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I agree with Laszlo. Even in the wet season, tropical islands only seem to get rain for a couple of hours a day. Take advantage of the special, go and enjoy yourselves. Take some books to read while it rains.

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Thanks guys, sounds like it's a go-ahead then!

I've read about the whale watching/swimming, but I assume we're not there in the right season? Or can you still go in late December?

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I think you'll be too late.

4

That's a lifetime on Nukulofa-a dead zone of ever I saw one.

If you like Church services you're in for a treat-if not.......

5

Nukulofa'a is a friendly little town, IMO more appealing than Apia because of the people.

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