Tonga Things to Do Tips by easterntrekker

Tongatapu is a tiny island and it is a short trip to go anywhere on the island . You can rent a car but we travelled in a van on a private tour with Joe's Island Tour. The blowholes were beautiful . You stand on the edge of the coast on the black volcanic rocks and as far as you can see are huge spouts of gushing sky blue water .There are hundreds of them along a four mile stretch of wild windswept coastline .It's hard to get a picture because as soon as they rise they are gone . The groaning sounds they make are surreal.

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Directions: south west Tongatapu

This is a wonderful evening out . There are everal of them around the island on various nights. We went to the one at the National Cultural Center. Ther is traditional dance and singing and the dances are explained. Then there is a big buffet. A warning though the Tongans eat big , so take what you want the first round ....might not be any for seconds.

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Address: Tonga National Center , Tongatapu

In popular myths the Ha'amonga is believed to have been made by the demigod Maui, as the stones would be too huge for mortals to handle. However they got here they've been here since the 13th century and they are huge . The limestone slabs, are about 5m high, 2m wide, 6m long. They reminded me of Stonehenge.

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Address: Tonga
Directions: near the village of Niutôua, in the north of the island of Tongatapu

Located behind Ha'amonga Triliton is a huge resting stone , believed to be contructed for Tui Tu'itatui the 11th king of Tonga. This area was once the seconf capital of Tonga.

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Address: Tonga

There's a stone house on the cliffs of the blowholes area of Tongatapu where you can get a pretty good massage . Its kind of a hippy sort of place but the guy seems to know his stuff and its only $20.00 . He said he was the personal massuese to the King ( not sure if that means much).

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Address: Tongatapu, Blowholes

The Tongatapu Royal Palace is not so grand by our standards but it sits on a choice spot in town overlooking the ocean . When we were there the new King hadn't moved in yet , perhaps concerned about security.. Maybe he had good reason ...there was a mood of change in the wind.

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The north coast of Tongatapu is where at low tide you will see pigs swimming . Most of the pigs belong to the families across the street from the beach . We caught the pig in the picture on his way home after a dip.
Fun to watch but not iinviting for a swim.

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Address: North Coast Tongatapu

The paved road ends at Niutoua, but a narrow dirt track proceeds down the east coast. Anahulu Beach has a cave with limestone stalactites near the village of Haveluliku. If you have a chance to go to the caves be warned this is nature in its raw form . There are no lights in there and the bats are buzzing overhead. You need to bring a big flashlight. If you brave it however yuu will be rewarded with a cool place for a swim.

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Address: Anahulu Beach , Tongatapu

These were not new to us , we had seen them in Australia . Still they are fascinating creatures. They look like big fruit hanging in the trees. You can often smell them before you see them . Even though it was mid morning and they are nocturnal , they were still flying about. They are a bat with a foxlike head found on many islands in the Pacific. On some islands they are considered a delicacy. In Tonga, however, where they live in trees throughout the villages of Kolovai and Ha'avakatolo, they are thought to be sacred, and only members of the royal family can shoot them. Legend says that a Samoan princess gave the first bats to a Tongan navigator.

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Address: Kolovai, Tontgatapu

Just before the village of Mu'a we see the stone-and-brass monument marking Captain Cook's Landing Place. The great British explorer landed and rested under a large banyan tree here when he came ashore in 1777 to meet with Pau, the reigning Tui Tonga. He attended the traditional presentation of first fruits marking the beginning of the harvest season. Out guide told us that in reality there was a plan to assissinate him at that meeting and he never learned how narrowly he escaped.

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Address: Mu'a, Tongtapu