Tonga A-Z Visitors Guide - Small Guide to a tropical paradise
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 Tonga A-Z - The Tonga Visitors Guide

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Tonga


Fafa Island Resort

Fafa Island Resort is arguably Tonga’s finest. Perfect for honeymooners or those just wanting to relax and enjoy the myriad watersports, the fales are comfortable, the restaurant is excellent and the setting sensational (palm-covered, seven hectare island with turquoise blue lagoon). It’s 30 minutes from Nuku’alofa on the ferry or 15 minutes in the ‘fast boat’.
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Fakaleiti

The Fakaleiti, in western terms, are cross-dressers or transvestites. A Fakaleiti is a male child who decides, or is prevailed upon by his family, to dress and behave as a girl. Traditionally, if a woman had many sons and no daughters she would need one of the children to assist with ‘women’s work’ - cooking, cleaning etc - so would bring up one of the boys as a girl. These days it can be a lifestyle choice. Fakaleiti means like a lady and those who take that path refer to themselves as leities (ladys). There is no actual stigma attached to Fakaleiti and they mix seamlessly with the rest of society. To generalise, ‘straight’ Tongan males are ‘real men’ - and the women are feminine. Mainstream society treats fakaleiti with a complex mixture of impatience, mockery, tolerance, and admiration. And they sure know their way around making frocks, hair-dressing, and decorating - particularly in the context of beauty pageants. The fakaleiti are part of the complex and someytimes paradoxical fabric of Tongan life - on one hand so conservative and church-going, on the other so tolerant of something many first world countries have trouble accepting.
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Fakamolemole

While the word is nearly as long as this sentence, fafamolemole is the formal way of politely saying, ‘please’.
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Fales

A fale is a traditional style of thatched accommodation. While many Tongans live in more modern, conventional style housing, there are fales in villages. The fales are similar to those elsewhere in the South Pacific - constructed from coconut posts with roll-up walls of pandanus matting and thatched roofing.
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Ferries

From Nuku’alofa, ferries to ‘Eua leave from Faua Jetty but ships to Ha’apai and Vava’u depart from the adjoining Queen Salote Wharf. The shipping offices are at the entrance to the wharf.
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Fiji

Another tropical paradise that's definitely worth a visit, especially if your goal is a ‘resort’ style holiday. Find out more at our sister site Fiji A-Z.
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Fishing

Anglers Paradise! All species of fish frequent Tonga’s clear waters, particularly around the Vava’u group of islands where there are vast areas of reef, drop-offs, canyons and sea mounts. And where you find the smaller fish, you’ll also find the whoppers like marlin, mahi-mahi, spearfish and tuna. Prices start around $200 per person per day. Some contacts: On, Vava’u Henk and Sandra Gros have an 8 metre powerboat, Target One and a clever domain name - www.invited.to/target1 (Ph 70 647); Pat and Keith McKee have Kiwi Magic, a 10 metre power boat (Ph 70 441) and Paul Mead at the Ikapuna Store offers reef fishing (Ph 70 698). If you only get to Tongatapu and want to get amongst the big fish, Neil Dalgety of Flying Scotsman Charters takes up to three anglers for half and full day trips (Ph 23 348).
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Flag

The Tongan flag has been around since 1864 but was formally adopted when the constitution was laid down on November 4, 1875. It looks similar to the flag of the Red Cross (was originally identical but changed to avoid confusion - the Red Cross was founded in 1863) - more here. The Tongan constitution states that the flag shall never be altered. There is also a Tongan Royal Flag.
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Flying Fox

There are two types of flying fox - a species of daytime feeders (Pteropus samoensis) that roost in the rainforest canopy alone or in small groups and the nocturnal bats (Pteropus tonganus) that live in colonies of several hundred. In Samoa they are hunted by villagers, in Tonga, they are protected and considered sacred (although members of the Royal Family are allowed to hunt them). They are pretty special - they only produce one offspring per year and it stayed with its mother for a further six to eight months - so you can see how vulnerable this species is. Their feeding flights just before dusk provide the task of dispersing seeds and pollinating plants and rainforest trees. This is becoming an increasingly important task as bat habitats are becoming scarce. On Tongatapu only one small tract of old growth rainforest remains. If you want to see these flying mammals up close, there is a Flying Fox Sanctuary in Western Tongatapu where thousands of them hang from casuarina trees along the side of the road. Hire a pushbike and head to Kolovai or take the Hihifo bus. In Vanuatu, some locals and French expatriates consider them a delicacy and you’ll find flying fox on the menu at l’Houstalet (in French, ‘rousette’?). Restaurant owner, Clement Martinez, says the secret to serving the tastiest of bats is to “cook zem in ze gertz.”
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Football

Football in Tonga is rugby, not soccer (although soccer is played) and perhaps ‘rugby’ should also be listed under ‘religion’. They love the game and they are good at it. Being a small nation, Tonga is regarded as a ‘minnow’ team on the world stage but they certainly weren’t disgraced in the 2007 World Cup in France. They beat the USA 25-15, Samoa 19-15 and nearly upset the mighty South African Springboks losing 30-25. And consider how many players of Tongan descent play in other countries - Jonah Lomu, Willie ‘Ofahengaue, George Smith, Willie Mason, Brent Kite, Willy Tonga, Israel Folau, Anthony Tupou and Antonio Kaufusi. This means nothing to readers who are not from Australia or New Zealand but for those who are, how would you like to have that mob running at you at full speed?! Rugby League is also played.
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Frangipani

The lovely scent of frangipani is part of the tropics. Frangipanis are white flowers with yellow centres (and occasionally pink). Chances are you will be greeted with floral lei along your travels and be intoxicated with the sweet aroma. You’ll find cemeteries set in groves of Frangipani tress. The name comes from the Marquis Frangipani of Rome, who invented a perfume for scenting gloves in the 16th century.
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Friendly Islands

Captain James Cook dubbed Tonga the ‘Friendly Islands’ because of the warm welcome he was given by the locals, unaware that there were plans to have Cook and his crew as part of the feast rather than part of the crowd (see Captain James Cook). Interestingly Cook called neighbouring Niue the ‘Savage Island’ because of the hostile reception he received from warriors who had painted their teeth red.

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