There were no other tourists there as it was rainy season, and only four locals on the entire island. I arranged a boat from Lifuka Island, the Main Island of Tonga where Ha’apai airport is located. Even in the capital, options are very limited.Money changers at Tongatapu airport offered better exchange rates than my bank in New Zealand or using my ATM card. Tonga is much more expensive than South East Asia but less expensive and less developed than many other Pacific Islands.This all involves traveling to tinier and tinier dots in the Pacific! Know before you go – Tonga Travel Tips Once on Vava’u you will need to travel to other islands for beaches. I didn’t go to the Vava’u group but travelers I met consistently recommended Port Wine Guest House. It was so wet that flights were cancelled for several days the week I was there. I negotiated a lower rate than the internet rate as I visited at the height of the rainy season.
Foa Island is connected to the island that Ha’apai airport is on by a causeway. Mid range – Matafonua Lodge is on Foa island. You can also take your tent and pay a small fee to camp.ĭiana’s resort will arrange the boat – also around 35 TOP each way (approx 15 minutes). You’ll feel like you’re on Survivor, but it’s great. Ha’apai groupīudget – If you need to stay in Lifuka for some reason (the island where the Ha’apai airport is located), stay at Eveloni’s Guest House. There was a resident kitten when I was there. Expect that you might hear some roosters outside etc. The price is around $20-35 TOP (Tongan Paanga). I was given a bowl of mangoes off the tree on arrival. There is a fridge and clean kitchen available for guest use. Not being one to follow the crowd, I chose Tonga.įacilities are shared so expect the usual issues that come with that. I wanted to see a little bit more of my own neighborhood. I’m a New Zealander but until last year I hadn’t visited any other Pacific Islands (except for Australia and Hawaii). The other guests were mainly Tongans visiting from other islands and a few backpackers. This was a very authentic local experience. On Tongatapu, I stayed at Sela’s Guest House. You can Trek and hike on ‘Eua and you can watch Tongan men doing Rugby training in the park in Nuku’alofa. It’s known for hiking but not for beaches. This is an island located off Tongatapu that can be reached by ferry or flight. Average lows in the mid 60s and highs in the mid 70s.) ‘Eua island Tou can go swimming with whales off Vava’u from June to November (Consider that this is Tongan winter so the temperatures won’t be super high. The season for this is Tongan winter when air and sea temperatures are quite cool and perhaps not the tropical vacation you might’ve been expecting. One of the main attractions people go to Vava’u for is swimming with whales. Interisland flights from Tongatapu to Vava’u are even more expensive than to Ha’apai (however you can get a pass that allows travel to multiple island groups). The flight schedule changes frequently so don’t book interisland travel the same day as your domestic flight. Flights go most days with no flights allowed to operate on Sundays in Tonga. My only co-passengers were a catholic sister and a teenage girl. I traveled on a 6 seater plane and sat directly behind the pilot. The cost was the same as what my international flight to Tonga cost. The flight to Ha’apai takes around 40 minutes. This is where I went, in addition to spending a few days in Nuku’alofa. If you want great beaches without taking additional internal flights then Rarotonga in the Cook Islands would be a better option instead of Tonga. This island is mainly considered a jumping-off point for reaching other places in Tonga. Nuku’alofa is the equivalent of a very small town. This is the island where the capital, Nuku’alofa, and international airport are located. Infrastructure and communications have been damaged. On Saturday, January 15, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano caused a tsunami causing extensive damage to Tongatapu and other nearby islands. Tonga is the only nation in the South Pacific region never to have been colonized and because of this travel to Tonga provides a very authentic cultural experience.įlights to Tonga from New Zealand are very affordable, however, internal flights within Tonga are expensive. The total population of all the Tongan islands is only around 100,000 people. The main island of Tongatapu is a 3-hour flight north of Auckland, New Zealand. The Kingdom of Tonga consists of 176 islands stretched over 500 miles lengthwise, 52 of which are inhabited. It has not been updated for travel advice to Tonga. This post about travel to Tonga was originally written by Kate of 30Traveler who no longer blogs. Travel to Tonga – What you Need to Know.
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