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Island Groups in Tonga: Ha'apai, Tongatapu and Vava'u

The Kingdom of Tonga is an independent archipelago in the southern Pacific, about one third of the way between New Zealand and Hawaii, south of Samoa and east of Fiji.

Each year the waters of Tonga are turned into a breeding place for the famous Humpback whale. The adventurous visitor can jump in the water and swim with the whales - its one of the few places in the world where you can do it. The tonga whale site tells you who conducts whaling trips and appropriate information on whales.

Tonga is positioning itself as one of the best game and sports fishing areas in the world. The Kingdom's leading game fishermen share their tales. Tonga holds several fishing world records and here is the best place to chase the magical marlin.

The waters of Tonga offer superb sailing and in the yachting world it is well known that Vava'u - the northern group of islands in Tonga - is a must-do place to sail. The perfect place for the perfect sailing holiday. Also include appropriate information on yacht chartering companies.

Capital City of Tonga : Nukualofa.


hotels, travel agency, travel guides, transportation / travelling to tonga

links


Hotels in Tonga

 Tonga Holiday
 Tonga, the Kingdom of ancient Polynesia - Official site
Info about the islands, sights, facts, hotels etc.

Travel Agents / Tour Operators

 Ebookers.com 

 Expedia.com 




 Tonga Holiday
Accommodations, resorts, tours, diving, fishing, cruising, kayaking, whale watching, surfing etc.

Travel Guides Tonga / Related Books

Travel Guides South Pacific

Lonely Planet Tonga - Matt Fletcher (Editor)
This guide offers practical information and advice for visitors to Tonga. It includes coverage of traditional ceremonies and festivals, restaurants and accommodation, and contains a glossary of common words.
Paperback 208 pages (December 1, 2001); Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications
Moon Handbooks South Pacific - by David Stanley
For more than 30 years, the award-winning Moon Handbooks series has been the top choice among independent travellers who want a unique experience, a new perspective, and a few new stories to tell. With Moon Handbooks, travellers are given the tools to make their own choices and create a travel strategy that's theirs alone. The result? A more personal and ultimately more satisfying travel experience. From lagoon swimming in the Cook Islands to witnessing the race of the banana bearers in the Heiva i Tahiti festival, travelers will find the best of the South Pacific, both popular and obscure, in this guidebook. Moon Handbooks South Pacific provides in-depth coverage of outdoor recreation, with specifics on swimming, diving, yachting, kayaking, biking, hiking, camping, climbing, caving, and horseback riding. Complete with useful advice on practicalities such as food, entertainment, shopping, visas, money, health, packing, and inter-island travel, travelers will find the tools they need for a uniquely personal experience in this guidebook.
Paperback 1136 pages (October 2004); Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing,US; ISBN-13: 978-1566914116
Lonely Planet South Pacific - by by Tione Chinula, Geert Cole, Sally Dilon
This guide includes coverage of all the Pacific islands. It gives descriptions of canoe voyages taken by Pacific islanders in ancient times, and includes a special illustrated section on Pacific arts and artefacts.
Paperback: 776 pages; Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; 2nd edition (October 2003); Language: English; ISBN-13: 978-1864503029

Transport / How do I travel to Tonga

 Fua'amotu International Airport - near Nuku'alofa on Tongatapu
The airport is served by international airlines from Auckland, Apia, Sydney, Nadi, and from the West Coast of the USA via Honolulu, Apia and Nadi. Tonga's flag carrier, Royal Tongan Airlines, links Auckland, Sydney, Suva, Nadi and Honolulu and Niue with Tongatapu and Vava'u' with Nadi.

 Royal Tongan Airlines - International and domestic airline
Provides frequent domestic services to the outer islands (Vava'u, Ha'apai, 'Eua, and the Niuas) with weekly connections between Apia and Nadi from Vava'u
Kingdom of Tonga: Tel. +676-23-414; Fax. +676-24-056
 Air New Zealand
Connects Tonga with Auckland and Los Angeles, via Honolulu and Apia. Please refer to carriers time table.
 Air Pacific
Provides regular services from Nadi and Suva three times a week, and twice weekly from Los Angeles via Nadi.
 Polynesian Airlines
Serves Tonga from Apia, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and Wellington.
Samoa Air - connects Vava'u with American Samoa twice weekly.

 Map South Pacific - map of Tonga

 Map of Tonga [ Uni Texas - Perry-Castañeda Library - Map Collection ]

Vacation rentals in Tonga

 Tonga Holiday
 Tonga, the Kingdom of ancient Polynesia 


Links 

 Travel Insurance - online travel and holiday insurance for UK and Irish residents


 Tonga Holiday - Tonga Visitors Bureau / Tonga Consulate in San Francisco
Everything here you need to know about having a magical holiday in the Ancient Kingdom.

 Tonga, the Kingdom of ancient Polynesia - Official site
Info about the islands, sights, facts, hotels, activities, the tongans, ecology, cultur, business and technology. And also a spoken message from H.R.H. Crown Prince Tupouto'a.

 Tonga - Government of Tonga

 'Eua - one of the oldest islands of the Pacific
Eua National Park is Tonga's premier location to experience nature. Large scale tourism does not exist on 'Eua - it's a quiet, peaceful, mostly undeveloped location. It's easy to get there as a ferry leaves most days from Nuku'alofa and takes about two hours - or enjoy one of the shortest passenger flights in the world and take 8 minutes for the trip. The island is 19km long and 7.5km wide with a highest point of 312m.
 Ha'apai [ group of islands ] - noted for its beaches
 Niuas
Across the north of Tongatapu lies the two Niuas - Niuatoputapu and Niuafo'ou. They are about 300 miles from the main island of Tongatapu.
oo Niuatoputapu is surrounded by magnificent white beaches. The most beautiful beaches are on the north-west side of the main island. Along the sandy beaches of Niuatoputapu one can walk for hours.
oo Niuafo'ou is the tip of an underwater volcano, which was created by sub-oceanic eruptions many years ago. In the island's south and west, extensive, blackish grey fields of lava bear witness to Niuafo'ou's volcanic history.
 Tongatapu
Tongatapu is home to the capital - Nuku'alofa. Here is the centre of Government and business and it is where the Royal Family lives. Its terrain is flat so it is easy to explore by car or bike or simply walk around.
 Vava'u / Vavau Inselgruppe - one of Pacific's top Yacht centers
Swim inside the Swallows Cave and dive into Mariners Cave or discover the calm waterways by sea kayak - If you are feeling up to it why not venture out overnight and stay under the stars on your own white sandy beach. Try your hand a game fishing and if your lucky enough to visit during June and November why not have a swim with a whale. For a day on land take a stroll through Neiafu and stop and have a drink, lunch or even dinner at one of the great cafes or restaurants overlooking the Port of Refuge. And for the fit and energetic a climb to the top of Mt Talau is not to be missed.
There are more than 50 islands in the Vava'u Group so go out and explore. Some you can get to by land others by water and some you can even stay on overnight.

 Nuku'alofa - Capital City Tonga
On the coast of Tongatapu Island

 Blowholes
There are the magnificent blowholes on the south western side of the island to the ancient capital of Mu'a - with its fascinating Terrace Tombs in the east. Nearby is the mysterious Ha'amonga - the Stonehenge of the South Pacific.
 Ha'amonga
 Mu'a - ancient Capital of Mu'a
 Plast - Residence of King Siaosi Taufa'ahau Tupou

Cuisine - Polynesian Foods - Polynasian recipes 

 Tonga Holiday

History of Tonga

Independence: 4 June 1970 (emancipation from UK protectorate)

Tonga is one of the world's few remaining constitutional monarchies. It is the only South Pacific country never to have been colonized by a foreign power. Tonga is ruled by His Majesty King Taufa'ahau Tupou.

The colonisation of the Tonga Islands occurred about 3,500 years ago. The origins of these settlers is unknown. Botanical records, food production, language, and material artefacts imply immigration from the west and some believe that pre-European colonisers of the islands of Tonga, Samoa and some migrants to Fiji were from the same seafaring people. It is uncertain, and widely debated on the islands, whether these immigrants originated from Micronesia, or whether they have more exotic origins.

Music, Art & Culture, Entertainment

The country preserves its ancient traditions alongside modern policies designed to stimulate economic development.

 Music - Music of Tonga - Wikipedia and Music of Polynesia / Polynesische Musik
The most important instrument is the voice, though multiple varieties of slit drums and conch shells are also popular. Other instruments include the pandanus, a sitting mat that is also used as a percussion instrument, nose flutes (best-known for Tonga's Honourable Ve'ehala) and derivatives of Portuguese guitars like the ukulele and slack-key guitar.

Portals / Search engines / Directory

 Tonga on the Net - Portal Tonga
 Tonga Online
 Earth-Link - group of web sites bringing to the Internet the diaspora of human kind
 Tonga - Starting Page [ Dutch / English ]


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