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Featured Book Moon Handbooks - South Pacific |
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Cafés
Camping
Canoeing
Captain Cook
Car Rental
Caves
Cemeteries
Centenary Church
Chemist
Children’s Activities
Children (travelling with)
Church
Cinema
Climate
Clothing
Coconuts
Communications
Consulates
Cook Islands
Coral
Coral Cuts
Credit Cards
Cricket
Crime
Cultural Centre
Currency
Customs
Cybercafes
Cycling
Cyclones
CafésIsland Time without a coffee is just a sit… briefly here are a few options:
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CampingSome of the budget beach resorts will let visitors pitch a tent but with budget accommodation being so inexpensive, why bother? Camping is banned in Ha’appai.>Top
CanoeingVava’u is probably the best place to head for canoeing/kayaking in both the ocean and protected waterways. The Friendly Islands Kayak Company runs guided kayaking trips in the Vava’u and Ha’apai archipelagos (Ph 70 173 - www.fikco.com) - and if it weren’t for Captain James Cook the company would undoubtedly have a different name.>Top
Captain CookExplorer Captain James Cook visited Tonga in 1773, 1774 and 1777. Cook dubbed Tonga ‘The Friendly Islands’ because of the warm welcome he received. He arrived during the ‘inasi festival (annual donation of first fruits to the King) and he and his crew were invited to the festivities. Some writers believe the invitation was to involve killing the visitors and serving them up as ‘the other white meat’ but either the chiefs couldn’t agree on a plan or they were super impressed by Cook’s offering of profuse thanks. Apart from the dining and dancing, boxing competitions were also held, in which Cook’s men were no match for the athletic Tongan men (and women). On one of these visits he presented the king with a tortoise who was given the name Tu’i Malila (Tu’i means ‘King’ in Tongan). The tortoise lived until May 19, 1965 and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest animal recorded.>Top
Car RentalForeign and international driver’s licences are not recognised in Tonga so you need to purchase a Tongan driver’s licence from the Traffic Department at the Central Police Station (T$15). This is simply a revenue-raising exercise and there is no test apart from one of patience. Allow about an hour because you need to queue to get the form, queue again to pay and then queue again to get the official stamp. Having received your official souvenir you can present it at Avis, upstairs in the Tungi Arcade (Ph 21 179) - small cars start at T$80 a day with unlimited kms. There’s also E.M. Jones Travel (Tuafa’hahau and Wellington Roads - Ph 23 423) and Budget, next to Asco Motors south of town (Ph 23 510). Driving is on the left. Drive slowly, obey the road rules and don’t run over a pig (see Driving). In Vava’u you can rent cars for T$70 per day from Liviela Taxi (opposite the Bounty Bar - Ph 70 240) or from JV Taxi (opposite Vava’u Trading Centre - Ph 70 136). You can get your licence from the police station around the corner. If you are a tad nervous about driving in another country where things may not be as predictable, ask the going rate to have a driver for a day.>Top
CavesOn Tongatapu you can visit ‘Anahulu Cave and there are rewarding caves to explore on the offshore islands of Vava’u. Mariner’s Cave, southwest of Neiafu, is one for those with a spirit of adventure and no claustrophobia. The opening is about a metre below sea level at low tide and you have to swim underwater for about four metres to enter (snorkel gear is recommended). There are tours where a guide will swim behind you to give you confidence and make sure you go right through. Swallow’s Cave on Kapa Island is large enough for entry by boat - inside is a rock that sounds like a bell when hit. Day tours to both caves usually include a picnic on Nufu Ilsand, where the snorkelling is good. Another interesting cave is on Umuna Island (eastern island boat tour from Neiafu’s Old Harbour).>Top
CemeteriesAmid groves of Frangipani trees you will find graves unlike any others. Sandy mounds covered with banners and flags, surrounded by inverted beer bottles, seashells and artificial flowers mark the final resting spot for the Tongan people. By day you may see family members sitting next to the mounds, quietly mourning. Mourning can go on, with decreasing frequency, for up to a year. The living leave the cemeteries at night for fear of ghosts. To honour the dead, family members place valuable gifts (tapa cloth, mats, quilts and heirlooms) on the graves. On public holidays the cemeteries become quite busy with people cleaning up the family plots.>Top
Centenary ChurchBuilt in 1952, south of Mt Zion, this is the main house of worship for the Free Wesleyan denomination. It can seat 2000 people and the Sunday service (10:00am) is often attended by members of the royal family.>Top
ChemistThe Fasi Pharmacy is on Salote Road next to the Australian High Commisssion.>Top
Children’s ActivitiesIf you are looking for a resort where the kids are whisked away to a Kids Club for the day, best look at a destination like Fiji, Vanuatu or Samoa. Tonga is more a destination for the traveller than resort tourist and the rewards come from experiencing the place with your young ones.>Top
Children (travelling with)Even though there are direct flights to Tonga from Australia and New Zealand, it is further than Fiji and a bit of planning can make flying with children more pleasant. Packing a couple of favourite games and toys is a good idea and perhaps a few little wrapped presents to open when they get bored - every hour or so there’ll be something else to open up and amuse them. Or you can invent little games like find out how many passengers are on board or how many windows there are on the plane. Also pack their favourite food and drink - the in-flight menu may not appeal and kidds have a habit of getting hungry and thirsty in between trolley passes. On Pacific Blue, invest $15 in a digiplayer for this trip - you’ll have time to get in a couple of movies. It’s also worth getting to the airport early so you don’t have to queue and panic and ask for seats close to either the rear or front going over (they disembark rear and front and there will undoubtedly be a toilet break needed) and near the front to Australia and New Zealand (front exit only usually). This will give you a head start to the customs queue.>Top
ChurchThe Sabbath is enshrined in the Constitution as sacred - it is against the law to work, hold sporting events or trade on Sundays. Contracts signed on a Sunday are not valid. Even Seventh Day Adventists take Sunday as the Sabbath (not Saturday) - they justify this by saying there is a bend in the International Dateline that allows them to pretend it is Saturday. More likely it is simply better to have all church services on the one day because Saturday Adventists would die of boredom trying to amuse themselves on a Tongan Sunday. There are 16 official churches in Tonga and most Tongans attend church. The main denominations are Free Wesleyan and the other branches of Methodism. There are also Catholic, Anglican, Mormon, Assembly of God and Baha’I places of worship. If visiting and you’d like to attend a church service, Nuku’alofa’s Centenary Church (Free Wesleyan) will be memorable (service starts 10:00am). Dress in your Sunday best - tourists aren’t expected to match the locals (the men wear coats and ties). The church choir is sensational and you may share the experience with members of the royal family. In Vava’u, head to the Free Wesleyan Church, on Tui Road, opposite the Flea Market. Both the choir and congregation here are also large, loud and lyrical.>Top
CinemaLoni’s Cinema (Nuku’alofa) is the only place to take in a movie. All movies are highly censored and may start late if the box office thinks it can sell a few more tickets. Movie screenings are at various times Monday to Saturday. Of course, the cinema closes on Sunday but there may be a one minute past midnight screening that gets around the loophole of everything closing. Some nightclubs also open a minute after midnight Sundays and allow parting until sunrise Monday morning - there must be a few bleary eyes kicking off the working week.>Top
ClimateWhile in the tropics, Tonga is cooler than most other Pacific destinations. The average temperature is 24 degrees Celsius. While temps rarely hit 30 degrees, it can be quite humid from December to March (traditionally the ‘wet’ season). For a local weather update in Nuku’alofa, ring 23 401 during business hours.>Top
ClothingSummer clothing is suitable during most of the year, however a sweater, jacket or wrap can come in handy in the evenings. Just remember Tongans are conservative so moderate dress is expected. Shirts should always be worn in public places (there are on the spot fines for people appearing in a public place without a shirt. Women should not wear swimsuits, low-cut tops, or very short skirts away from hotel pools and beaches. Most Tongan women don’t own a swimsuit and swim in their clothes.>Top
CoconutsWhat a versatile tree the coconut palm is! If it had been manmade rather than natural it would surely have one of those zingy TV commercials - “it chops, it shreds, it dices, it slices…” Not a part of the tree is wasted. It provides natural shade and shelter, the trunk can be fashioned into bowls or part of an outrigger canoe, the leaves woven into baskets, the husk turned into fibre and the leaves matted together for roofing. And, of course, the flesh of the coconut is nutritious, the juice is a great thirst quencher and, once you know how, the trees are easy to climb. There are actually two liquids in a coconut - the fresh coconut juice from the green coconut (which is so pure you can use it as a saline drip in an emergency!) and coconut milk, which is extracted from the flesh of mature coconuts. This is often sold in tins labelled ‘coconut cream’. Best to avoid buying the small tins of solid coconut cream (mainly Asian brands) as they can be rancid. The jewel of the coconut tree is the heart of the palm. This is a delicacy and ‘heart of palm salad’ is known as millionaire’s salad because you have to kill the tree to get to the heart. Coconuts are cheap from the markets - or even cheaper if you climb a tree. You’ll pay a couple of dollars for one in the supermarkets at home. For the non-skilled, ‘cracking’ a coconut is easy - puncture one of the ‘eyes’ with a screwdriver and remove the juice then bake in an oven for 10 minutes. A couple of taps with a hammer will then open the coconut. Run the flesh under cold water to stop it cooking - or shave/cut the flesh into strips and return to the oven until the slices start to brown - one fine bar snack!>Top
CommunicationsThe government-owned Tonga Telecommunications Corporation is a monopoly. The best way to get in touch with family/friends back home is to purchase telephone cards or use Internet (see Cybercafes). There are telephones outside the post office, at the Telecom office and at the airport. The post office sells phone cards.>Top
ConsulatesBoth Australia and New Zealand have High Commissions in Tonga.
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Cook IslandsThe Cook Islands is another rewarding Polynesian tropical holiday destinations. There are a couple of Tonga-Cooks connections. Captain William Bligh and his loyalists were cast adrift from the Bounty in Tonga and Fletcher Christian and the mutineers sailed the Bounty through the Cook Islands looking for a safe place to settle. The 2001 Disney flim, The Other Side of Heaven, about the life of a Mormon missionary based in Tonga, was actually shot on location in The Cook Islands. Here’s a link to our Cook Islands A to Z website.>Top
CoralCoral, combined with colourful fish and excellent visibility makes for great snorkelling and diving. The difference between hard and soft coral is that soft coral (more delicate and pretty) requires currents to keep it alive, so the best soft coral is found on off-shore reefs with hard coral bommies in the sheltered parts of lagoons. Apart from looking you can also explore with your ears. If you listen hard, you will hear soft, crunching sounds - the noise of fish chewing on coral.>Top
Coral CutsCoral cuts can be irritating and occasionally nasty. They can turn into tropical ulcers, although this is more likely to happen to someone who lives in the tropics because of the constant heat and humidity. If you get a scratch or graze (and it can happen without you knowing while snorkelling - it’s only when the air hits do you realise), nature’s cure is to squeeze lemon or lime onto the wound. In the Cook Islands they dab the cut with the white sap from a frangipani tree (snap the flower from a stalk). The best stuff to cleanse the wound is Hydrogen Peroxide (if it doesn’t fizz, it’s not infected), followed by an anti-bacterial cream and cover with a dressing. Repeat a number of times a day and be aware that coral dust can be on cement or the ground away from the water. Treat any graze with caution and care. In Australia or New Zealand you would leave it uncovered and let the air heal - in the tropics it’s the reverse. Having said that, cuts are rare if you wear reef shoes when walking on coral and if you watch where you snorkel.>Top
Credit CardsAll major credit cards are accepted in the Tongatapu area and at resort accommodation.>Top
CricketThe Tongan Cricket Association is united and enthusiastic but a little behind other cricket playing countries in skills, quality gear and equipment and grounds for practice and games>Top
CrimeThere’s no threatening/violent crime in Tonga but theft happens. It’s a temptation thing - if something is there for the taking, it just might be. This can apply to unattended clothing, valuables, food in a communal kitchen or drinks in a disco if you hit the dance floor. Just be wary and think like you would at home (as in lock your car or hotel room).>Top
Cultural CentreTongan culture is rich, complex and rewarding and the Tonga National Centre can give visitors an excellent insight. There are handicraft demonstrations (tapa, canoe making, carving, weaving), art and historical displays. Weekdays there’s a BBQ lunch and fashion show (12:30pm) and at 2:00pm there’s a two-hour guided cultural tour including story-telling, kava ceremony and traditional dancing. Tuesdays and Thursdays are usually the best days to visit because of the dinner show (T$20). This is great value and a great experience - huge buffet dinner, kava, traditional dancing, string band etc. You can pre-book at the Tonga Visitors Bureau or phone the Centre on 23 022.>Top
CurrencyThe official currency of Tonga is Tongan Pa’anga (also called the Tongan dollar). Australian and New Zealand currency is also widely accepted. (See Money)>Top
CustomsNotes on traditional customs are elsewhere on the site (dance, music, traditions etc) - Thought this a good place to give a few tips on local customs and ‘island time’ that may come in handy. Firstly, be patient and go with the flow, especially when dealing with people in positions of authority. They may want to finish their phone call with a friend or reading the paper before attending to you - or this could be a test on how you are fitting in. Showing patience will be rewarded by attentiveness - being stroppy will result in a longer wait or being ignored totally. Anger is not the Tongan way. Go with the flow. On a more personal level, Tongan people have trouble saying ‘no’. So if you ask for assistance, attempted help will probably be provided. If the result isn’t what you expected, don’t shoot the messenger. Be grateful and put it down to circumstances beyond anyone’s control. The worst thing that can happen to a Tongan is ‘losing face’. Gentlemen, unless you are on a beach, keep your shirt on. Appearing topless in public is considered offensive and incurs a T$20 fine. In private there may be promiscuity, in public, all has to be above board. Beware of unsolicited ‘gifts’ (necklaces, handicrafts etc) - what might ostensibly look like an act of goodwill could be a sales ploy. And finally, while bargaining is not part of the culture, there may be a ‘tourist price’ on goods and services. Rather than bartering, just be aware and maybe ask, “Is that the best price?”>Top
CybercafesInternet access is improving and will become less expensive - but still doesn’t cost a lot just to check or send email. The Tonga Telecom Office on Salote Road can be busy (T$2 for 15 minutes) so may be better to try a café. There’s one on the ground floor of Tungi Arcade behind the Air New Zealand office (T$5 an hour) and Friends Tourist Centre next to Friends Café on Taufa’ahau Road (T$4 for 15 minutes). Tonga Telecom operates the kalianet.to email service (named after the ‘kalia’ - the double-hulled Tongan war canoe).>Top
CyclingTongatapu is pretty much made for cycling - not much traffic, no steep hills, road signs to direct you and lots of scenery and village life to take in. Quality 15-speed mountain bikes can be rented from Niko Bicycle Rental (opposite the Dateline Hotel) for T$2/$10 per hour/day. Some guesthouses also have bicycles for rent. Because there’s not much happening on Sundays, this can be a good day to get out and explore (make sure you reserve the bike prior to Sunday though because everywhere has to appear to be closed for the day of rest).>Top
CyclonesTonga is in the tropics and therefore tropical cyclones blow in from time to time (usually between November and April in the ‘wet’ season). The further north, the more chance of encountering one but they come, they go, you get plenty of warning and it shouldn’t be a reason not to travel.>Top
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