Blogs from Tonga, Oceania

Tour Day 24, Cruise Day 24 – Nuku'alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga – Liku'alofa Scenic Island Drive (3.5 hours) – Explore the island of Tongatapu as you board an island-style bus and travel to the west coast. You will pass the Royal Palace and the Central Business District of the capital city of Nuku'alofa. Take in some scenic highlights, including the Liahona Coconut Plantation, home to a bizarre three-headed coconut tree. The blowholes on Tonga's western coast, called the Chief's Whistles, are widely considered the most spectacular in the entire South Pacific. Then, continue to Kolovai Village, renowned for its flying fox colony. Observe the flying foxes -- these nocturnal fruit bats sleep suspended from trees, heads down, and wings folded. The bats are Tonga's only native land mammal, and their wings span nearly three feet. They enjoy ... read more

Our next destination, Neiafu on the island of Vava’u was still within the Kingdom of Tonga. This island lies only 162 nautical miles north of Nuku’Alofa. To get there we crossed the second deepest section of the Pacific Ocean after the Mariana Trench. Known as The Tonga Trench, it averages a depth of 6,900 metres with the deepest part, the Horizon Deep, almost double the average at just over 10km to the seabed. The smaller Holland America ships are trying to steer away from traditional on-board entertainment and are now being marketed as an innovative approach to cruising for travellers who are looking for thoughtful and immersive ways to see the world. The ‘seeing’ bit was provided by the nine Zodiacs that the Maasdam carries. In selective areas, the Zodiacs are launched and, for a price ... read more

The island of Vava'u is situated in the north of Tonga, and is famed for beautiful beaches on it's Outer Islands. Many tourists visiting the Kingdom only stop off in Nuku'alofa, before catching an Air Tonga flight north to the resort mecca. However, I had the privilege of spending four enjoyable days in the capital prior to heading to the airport, for a direct one hour flight on a propellor plane out to Vava'u. There seemed to be quite the crowd milling around at the arrival area of the airport, but to my astonishment I wasn't pounced upon by a bevy of taxi drivers haggling for business. This was a first for me, literally no-one was paying me any mind. I couldn't believe it, and out of desperation approached a westerner for help. He got the ... read more

RealTonga had rescheduled our flight to Va'vau four times, so we set off for our noon departure with low expectations. It was immediately clear our fears were well founded. RealTonga’s only plane, was running late. Our flight was now scheduled to take off at six p.m. Probably. Over the next ten hours, we watched the plane arrive and leave four times, flying to and from various Tongan islands. Eventually, 7½ hours late, our turn came. In the dark, we flew to Vava'u, as far East as we will get on this trip. Vava'u is a small irregular island. The north has high cliffs and small sandy coves but the rest of the island is a maze, fingers of land winding between deep-water bays and lagoons. Beyond the main island, more than 50 smaller island are scattered. ... read more

'Eua is an hour by fast ferry - and a lifetime away! Still a traditional Tongan island in many ways it is a nature lovers paradise. But of course we chose the wettest weekend this year to go! But what's a little rain amongst 7 intrepid travellers. The "things that can really go wrong" did not stop there. When we arrived slightly green from the trip and really, really wet no one came from our booked accommodation. But one of our party had a friend who knew someone who asked someone - and we secured a lovely little cottage. We managed some walks - mostly wearing black plastic bin liners. But it was so worth any discomfort - lovely forests, sweeping coastlines and even wild horses. In part it looked more like the Welsh moors than ... read more