About the island
Tonga, also know as the Friendly Islands because of the congenial reception accorded to Captain James Cook on his first visit in 1773. This country is a group of 170 islands in the pacific with a population of approximatelly 106.000 people. The Kingdom of Tonga is divided in 3 main island groups: Tongatapu, Ha’apai and Vava’u.
How to get there
Direct flights from USA, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji arrive in the international airport located in the main island of Tongatapu group. The country also has its own airline, Real Tonga, with daily flights to the Island groups. There is also a ferry (the timetable is not really reliable) that runs once a week from the capital Nuku’alofa and take 12 hours to Ha’apai and 24 hours to Vava’u.
The different groups of islands
There are plenty of things to do in Tongatapu, but if you really want to experience the pacific islands life you should go to Ha’apai or Vava’u as well. Eua Island is interesting to explore caves and do some hikes. You can either take a 2 hours ferry in the capital city or take the shortest commercial flight in the world, approximately 7 minutes. Ha’apai group is surrounded of coral reefs and it is a great spot for diving and fishing. Vava’u is a volcanic island and also an important sailing destination.
Between the months of July and October, southern humpback whales (Picture by Tonga Tourism Board) take shelter in the tropical reef-protected waters of Tonga to give birth to their young and is possible to swim with them in those islands. .
In addition, coconut trees are also abundant in the country. According to the company taste of Tonga there are half a million coconut trees that produce about 15 million coconuts a year only in Vava’u.