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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Malaria

There is no threat from Malaria in Tonga. The only countries where you need to worry are Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and parts of Vanuatu.
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Mango

Many people have a love or loathe relationship with this tropical fruit. It is high in fibre, rich in Vitamins A and C and potassium and capable of drenching the front of a shirt in no time at all. Test the ripeness and quality of the fruit by smelling - no fragrance means little taste. They can liven up a salad and make excellent chutneys. Locals also believe that plentiful, large mangos in a season means a cyclone will arrive that year - just nature’s way of looking after itself.
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Markets

If you are after fruit and vegetables, head to the Talamahu Market in Nuku’alofa. Be sure to leave with your produce before consuming. Curiously, you’re not allowed to eat in the markets and police keep an eye out. Upstairs you will find handicrafts that can be purchased directly from the craftspeople.
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Marriages

Marriage is one of the four most important occasions in Tongan culture. The others are first and twenty-first birthdays and funerals. At present there is a bill before the parliament to allow visitors to have a legally recognised marriage while in Tonga. Until then, couples wishing to marry in the tropics can opt for Vanuatu, Fiji, Cook Islands and Samoa - here’s a link to Resort Weddings.
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Medical Services

If you require medical/dental assistance, Vaiola Hospital is just outside Nuku’alofa on the way to the airport (Ph 23 200); the private German Clinic is on Vaka’akolo Road opoosite the barrachs (Ph 22 736 or 24 625 after hours); private dentist is Dr Sione Ui Kilisimasi next to the Fasi Pharmacy on Salote Road.
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Milk

Milk is usually long-life or powdered - not particularly noticeable in tea or coffee but may be on cereal.
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Missionaries

Missionaries are the reason religion is so strong in Tonga today and why everything is closed on Sundays. The London Missionary Society tried introducing religion around 1800 but had no success, unlike in other parts of the Pacific. Christianity didn’t arrive until 1822 when Methodist (Wesleyan) missionary William Lawry arrived. Lawry built the first school, printed the first book (the Bible) and his masterstroke was to convert Taufa’ahau, the chief of Ha’apai, who became King George Tupou I.

The other main player in spreading the Good Word was Shirley Baker. He was born in England in 1836 and, after stowing away on a ship to Melbourne, he embraced the Wesley faith and offered his services as a missionary to Tonga in 1860. He was installed as Premier of Tonga by King George Tupou in 1880 and in 1885 Baker established the Free Church (Wesley in doctrine but independent of Australian control). The king ordered all Tongans to join the new church, which saw church pews fill dramatically. (See Shirley Baker and Mormons)

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Mobile Phones

A wireless cell phone service was introduced in 2002. Check with your service provider before travel to see if global roaming will work for you.
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Money

Prior to decimal currency being introduced in 1967, the currency was the Pound. The Tongan dollar is called the pa’anga and is divided into 100 seniti (cents). There are notes of one, two, five, 10, 20 and 50 pa’anga. Having a few coins can be handy when shopping because prices are always rounded up, not down, if there’s no change to be had. Tongan notes are difficult to exchange outside the country so get rid of them prior to departure. Australian and New Zealand dollars are accepted in many parts of Tonga. So, how did the pa’anga get its name…?

On the same spot where Cook landed in 1777 and called Tonga the ‘Friendly Islands’, another boat landed in 1806 and got an unfriendly welcome - most of the crew were murdered by warriors but the chief spared young William Mariner, the 15yo ship’s clerk, and took him under his wing for four years. On the ship was a stash of coins - money wasn’t part of Tongan culture and the chief considered the coins to be pa’anga (seeds used for ornamental purposes or as pieces in a dice-throwing game). The lad later taught the chief that, in his culture, the coins had great value - and this was the chief’s reply:

If money were made of iron and could be converted into knives, axes and chisels there would be some sense in placing a value on it; but as it is, I see none. If a man has more yams than he wants, let him exchange some of them away for pork. Certainly money is much handier and more convenient but then, as it will not spoil by being kept, people will store it up instead of sharing it out as a chief ought to do, and thus become selfish. I understand now very well what it is that makes the papalangi [white men] so selfish — it is this money!

And that’s partly how the Tongan money got the name pa’anga when decimal currency was introduced - the other reason was that ‘dollar’ translated to ‘tola’, which means ‘pig’s snout’, ‘the soft end of the coconut’ or a vulgar way to refer to someone’s mouth. Incidentally, Mariner made it back to England, became a stockbroker and accidentally drowned in the Thames in 1853.

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Mormons

You could call the Mormons ‘Millennium Missionaries’. Tonga has the highest ratio of Mormons (Church of the Latter Day Saints) compared with any country in the world. The actual percentage will differ depending on whether you are talking to a Mormon or a Methodist but it is somewhere between 15% and 38% of the population - probably towards the upper end. The ‘mission’ is to not only spread the word of the church but to have the first country in the world with a Mormon majority. The first actual Mormon mission was established as a branch of the Samoan church in 1891 but after six years and only attracting six converts, they closed the doors. These days things are a lot slicker. Mormon churches have been popping up in villages throughout Tonga - you can pick them because they come with basketball courts to attract the young). Apart from sporting facilities, the Mormon faith also offers free schooling and children’s lunches plus the opportunity for higher education. Unlike other Pacific nations that have automatic entry to first world countries for secondary and tertiary education (e.g. Cook Islands with New Zealand, American Samoa with USA), Tonga is on its own and, with close to 100% literacy, values education highly. And so there are an increasing number of converts who are ‘school Mormons’ who will be offered the opportunity via the church to attend colleges in Honolulu or Salt Lake City. Another reason for the increase in popularity for this religion compared to other countries is because they have time-shifted services. In the rest of the world Mormons go to church on Saturdays. In Tonga, they argue that there is a ‘bend’ in the International Dateline that allows them to worship on Samoan time - meaning that Tongan LDS services are on Sunday so converts just change church, not lifestyle like having to give up rugby on a Saturday. In the game of religion, this is certainly the team to watch.
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Museums

More a Cultural Centre than a museum, the Tonga National Centre gives visitors a excellent insight into traditional and local culture. 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. There’s also a library in the University of South Pacific near the Golf Club that has a collection of antique war clubs.
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Music

A lot of traditional Tongan music disappeared when missionaries arrived with hymns to be sung (the Tongans did add their own flavour though by transposing them from major to minor chords and writing their own). The panpipe (mimiha) is no longer played but slit-drums (lali) are beaten to herald the beginning of church services and the ‘Atensi Institute has ensured that the bamboo nose flute (fangufangu) is still played. Radio Tonga begins its daily broadcast with a nose flute recording performed by the late Tongan nobleman, Ve’ehala. Church choirs are popular - they practice hard and most congregations sing in harmony. Brass bands are also part of Wesleyan church services. Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus (from Messiah) is a favourite with choirs, as in many parts of the world. If this piece of music gives you goose bumps, expect a gaggle of them in Tonga. Many Tongans play a mean guitar and there’s no shortage of rock and pop in the nightclubs of Nuku’alofa.
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