Tonga - 6 days: Ha'apai/Vava'u? Flying Real Tonga?

Hi,

I'm a single male traveller (35) and plan to travel to Tonga around the 31st August/1st Sept. 2013 and will be leaving for Vanuatu on Sept. 6. I'm fully aware that this is a rather short time for Tonga but as I also have vanuatu on my schedule this is currently all that i could spend there.

After reading up on Tonga I got the impression that the capital and the main island does not offer as many interesting/breathtaking destinations than the Ha'apai or Vava'u island groups.

With the issue of suspended operation by Chathams and the replacement by Real Tonga I'm wondering whether flying is my only option of getting to these island groups? And whether I should have any special concerns about flying with an airline that has been criticized over safety concerns?

Also, as there are no flights on Sunday Sept. 1, is it sensible to fly to one of the island groups on Sept. 2 and back on Sept. 5 to catch my onward flight on Sept. 6? (From what I've read I would prefer to have some safety buffer - i.e. 1 day here - before flying on to Vanuatu)

Which of the two island groups would you recommend? I'm interested in experiencing local culture and the country, some beach time and possibly swimming with humpbacks and diving.

Thanks for any advice!

Cheers,
Tim

It might be a good idea to get your inter-island tickets purchased. That's the height of the whale-watching/swimming season.

Yes, I realized that last minute booking as in SE Asia is probably not the best idea. I have most of the intl flights located that I need but the inter island trips in Tonga have me a little worrying... Anyone used Real Tonga lately and can tell me something about delays and flight plan reliability?

Give your destination hosts a call and see what they have to say about it.

Looks like they're flying the MA60 on the Vava'u run.