Tonga - August 2007

Hello

After doing much of my research on Tonga on this web page i thought it may be helpful to update you after having just returned from a 2 week holiday in Tonga.

Here goes:

Booked flights with Air New Zealand when we arrived to Tongatupu we booked flights to Ha'api (we were quite suprised at the prices) but it was T$140 each way and flights to Vavau were almost double this. So when booking your flight to Tonga please bear in mind you will need to add on at least $US100 if you want to get out of the capital. There is a ferry which is alot cheaper but it is only once a week.

Accomodation

Tongatupu - Nerimas Loadge - T$80 per night for a double
Lovely place about 5 mins walk from the main town - u stay in the lovely japenese ladies house, there are hot showers and breakfast included. if you want to stay near the main town then i would highly reccomend this

Ha-apai - Evalonis guesthouse - after a few notes on here we saw that this place was highly recommended. We stayed there only one night and then moved as soon as we could - it was like a ghost house, there was no one there and our room had windows with no cover so a great invitation for mosquitoes to fly in and bite us all night and there were cold showers in a dark cubicle with no light! We had to leave asap so we moved to FIFITAS guest house (above the mariners cafe). This was much better and again i highly reccomend it. There were nice hot showers, free breakfast and a kitchen thats free of charge.
Only downside staying there (on the main island - lifuka) is that you have to travel 30 mins by car to get to the nice beach which is on the next island (next to matafonua) the beach is worth the 30 minute taxi ride and is also where you book your whale watching trip (in the right season).
We booked this with Ha'api Happy divers - $US90 but worth it cos we saw whales on the surface throughout the whole day and also got to snorkel with a mother a calf. it was amazing and only wish we could have spent the whole day swimming with them!

When returning to Tongatupu we stayed in the infamous Tonis guesthouse - havent got anything bad to say about this place - nice rooms, nice kitchen, ok bathroom, its is little bit out of town but you walk it an hour and you can get a lift from toni and his crew for a very cheap price. Also reccomend the famous Toni tour - great way to see the main island and you will be suprised how many sites are on the main island

Other things we did that are worth mentioning:

Day trip from tongatupu to the small island - pagamotu. Only a 20 min boat ride, if you have a day to spare then pop over to this island - you will have to yourself as there is only one resort on there. nice day out

Captain cook resport - ideserted island next to ha'api - only 2 resorts on the main island - very simple accom but they have done well building showers, kitchen and toilet with there lack of resources - styaed for 2 days and that was enough however some people stay there for 2 - 4 weeks.

Tonga visitors beaureu - the cultural dance and feast there was entertaining and a mus tsee on any visit to Tonga

Food at the Freinds cafe - propably the best in Tonga!

The weather (begin of august) was ok, partly cloudy on most days and some light rain but other then that it was really good

Summary - having no guide book was a bit daunting arriving in Tonga (especially as we booked it 4 days before we went!) but as soon as we arrived we realsied we could cope fine. everything is so laid back, and the people are so friendy and pleased to see you. It really is one of the last of the pacific islands to be untouched by tourism, the locals just carry on their everyday lifes (unlike most countries in SE asia where as soon as they see a foreigner they try to sell them something!) Tonga ended up being a pleasant auprise - anyone thinking twice about booking it just do it now!!

Hope that helps

anymore more questions fell free to contact me

Amy

Thanks so much for your report. I've copied it for future reference.

Captain Cooks wasn't creepy? I had heard some negative reports about it. You preferred it over the other place on the island?