A Closer Look at the Fantastic Islands of Tonga
You might not have heard of Tonga before, up until the recent Rio Olympics opening when it was pushed to the spotlight. This is thanks in part to the greased hunky flag bearer of the country. Pita Taufatofua became an instant internet sensation after his unforgettable appearance. The truth is that there’s more to Tonga than this pretty athlete. If you are in search for your next travel destination, you might want to visit the islands of Tonga.
Getting there
To reach Tonga, you have to fly to Auckland, New Zealand or Sydney, Australia first. There are a few airlines traveling to Tonga from these places. You can also fly to Fiji via Fiji Airways, where there are also flights connecting to the USA, Samoa and Hong Kong. Not all flights are available on a daily basis though. Thus, you need to make advance reservations and carefully carve out your travel plan.
What to do
There are a lot of things you can do in the islands of Tonga. Their beautiful beaches are to die for. You can go kayaking, canoeing, scuba diving and trailing all over the country. The Vava’u is a group made of over 50 islands. It is one of the most popular destinations in the country. Its clear waters and exotic marine animals are among the reasons why people love visiting the place. It is also getting more popular. Hence, it is easy to find great hotels. You can stay in the main islands of Neiafu or dare visiting the outlying islands.
The Niuas are also popular among tourists. There are flights from Vava’u to Niuas on a weekly basis. It is popular for its white sand beaches and breathtaking scenic spots. You have to understand though that the islands are situated on the tip of an underwater volcano which erupted several years ago. Accommodation choices in the area are pretty limited.
Lovely tradition
Aside from its beautiful tourist spots and tons of activities that you can do, Tonga is also a home to Pacific islanders who still practice their century-old traditions until now. There are a lot of traditions that you can see for yourself if you visit the islands. Its feudal culture is such a delight as you can’t see it elsewhere. You might also want to try their traditional drinks such as the kava which is also considered a mild narcotic. You should also visit Tonga if you want a daily dose of fresh seafood at a fairly reasonable price.
The islands are inhabited by only a few thousand people and we barely hear anything from them. It was great that Tonga was finally placed on the spotlight after Pita became an eye candy during the Olympics 2016 opening. Of course, there are more Pita’s if you visit Tonga. These are just among the reasons why you should finally book a plane ticket to Tonga for a vacation of a lifetime you will never regret.
Photo Attribution:
Featured and 1st image by Jansan (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY 2.5 pl (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/pl/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons
2nd image by Tauʻolunga (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
