Although we had originally planned to head to Va'vau, the northern island group, to swim with the humpback whales, late planning restricted us to the southernmost island group (which is where the international airport is located). We stayed at FaFa Island, a small island off of the main island that has been leased by a German couple for 100 years (the kingdom of Tonga does not allow land ownership by foreigners).
We arrived in Tonga from Fiji after dark. The airport was little more than an airline hangar, which just added to the charm of the place. Greeted by a representative of FaFa Island, a boy not more than 18 years of age, we loaded into his pickup and headed toward the port. It was pit
...Read More
We arrived in Tonga from Fiji after dark. The airport was little more than an airline hangar, which just added to the charm of the place. Greeted by a representative of FaFa Island, a boy not more than 18 years of age, we loaded into his pickup and headed toward the port. It was pitch-black when we reached the port and loaded onto the boat--a small, motorized boat with no floatation devices and little covered space. Our guide, my husband, and I headed out into the pitch black with no one else onboard. The trip took about a half hour, and we couldn't see the island until we were almost on top of it. As we hopped out of the boat and into thigh-high water, we wondered what we had gotten ourselves into... but the main lodge and restaurant were perfect.
We were early enough for a late dinner and were joined by the Czech and Brazilian couples at the other table. The next morning, we greeted a beautiful day in our relatively open-air cabin (with its entirely open-air bathroom and shower). We spend the next few days snorkeling (we hadn't been able to arrange diving, since the only dive shop on the southern island was busy with Japanese tourists) in the most spectular, diverse, and remote snorkeling sites we've ever seen.
Quick Tips:
Plan ahead--book diving early on. If you plan to fly to the northern island group (Va'vau), book early on Royal Tongan and plan that you might be bumped OR that your flight will be cancelled.Best Way To Get Around:
Read Less