I noticed that some friends are asking whale watching at Vava'u.
I'm just back from there and got some tips to share.
1) Whale watching company:
It is said that there are totally 19 whale watching companies in Vava'u, excluding some boat/yatch that do whale watching in name of science study(they also take customers out to lower their cost).
Upon my own experience, these companies are doing almost the same. But some of them are very commercialized and looking for your money while some others are more of a friend.
I DID NOT recommend a company called " Whales in the Wild", which is operated by a couple called Jeffery and Jenin. They are from Austrilia and have been settled in Tonga for about 24 years. They are almost locals.
This company got 2 boats but condition is not good. One boat is very slow and can cover a very limited area. Each time, this boat begins to head back at 1 o'clock pm while other boat start to be back around 4 pm.
The price is not cheap but no lunch, even water/beverage is not provided.
This couple charged me 11 TOP per night as commission for booking a room priced 88 TOP/night, unbelievable! 12.5% as commission!!!
Moreover, Whales in the Wild is so far as I known the only company which asks for deposit. No other company ask such deposit.
I recommend "Dive Vava'u" to you. It is run by Paul and Karen, two biologists, who really love the whales. They also got two boats which are all very fast. But the smaller one might be a bit bumpy when the surface is rough.
I prefer the bigger one which is perfect. And Paul knows the whale very well and can teach you some basic knowledge of the whales.
It's unnecessary it book before your arrival. You can call these companies one or two days before you wanna go out to see the space availability.
2) Accomodation
You need not book all accomodation before hand. You can book one or two nights and looking for your ideal home after you got there. There are plenty available. The price can be as low as 30TOP per night each person.
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