Overview to Tonga: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
The largely uninhabited 176 islands of Tonga are scattered across 700,000 square kilometers of Pacific Ocean. And with their deserted stretches of white sands, wind-kissed palm trees and sparkling sapphire waters they could scarcely be any more idyllic.
Geologically and ecologically, too, the islands are absolutely remarkable. There are active volcanoes, lush stretches of rainforest, innumerable striking coral forms, limestone cliffs and some magnificent sea blowholes along the south coast of Tongatapu.
Like neighboring islands Samoa and Fiji, there’s some great surfing off the coasts of Tonga. The best breaks tend to be along the northern shore of the main island, Tongatapu. Here, the shallow reefs of Ha'atafu Beach are particularly popular.
And, unsurprisingly, given the islands’ location in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, there are countless fantastic opportunities for scuba diving and snorkeling. The islands are also notable for their prestigious sailing, with Vava’u being especially well-known.
June and July sees the real highlight of the Tongan marine calendar, as the island witnesses a migration of Humpback Whales. Coming down from the freezing Antarctic to Tonga’s warmer waters to calve, they are a truly remarkable sight.
Exhilarating and relaxing in equal measure, what really makes Tonga stand out, though, is the exceptional hospitality of the locals. Chatting to the locals over a few kavas in a palm-roofed beach hut more than explains why Tonga is known as the ‘friendly islands’.