Introduction

On Tonga you can party and drink kava at festivals till you drop, be impressed by the Sunday church turn outs, and then escape to deserted beaches where, between snorkelling in untouched coral gardens and sipping coconut juice, the most you need to do is watch the waves slap against the shore.

But there's a more active side to island life, with possibilities for hiking through Pacific rainforest to crater lakes and to the lips of active volcanoes, diving to shipwrecks and underwater canyons, abseiling down seaside cliffs or watching the local rugby team go through its paces.

When to Go

May to October is the best time to visit. Summer, from November to April, is the hurricane season and can be hot, humid and wet. Large numbers of Tongans living abroad also return home in December and January, and if you're planning to be there then you'll need to make reservations well in advance.

Events

On 4 July Tongans celebrate King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV's birthday with the Heilala Festival, which becomes a week-long bash featuring parades and processions, music festivals and competitions. It coincides with the flowering of the heilala, Tonga's national flower. The torch-lighting ceremony, Tupakapakanava, coincides with this festival. People carrying flaming torches of dry reeds line the northern coastline of Tongatapu, and the Tongans liken the festival to Guy Fawkes Day in the UK or the USA's 4 July fireworks. On Vava'u, the Crown Prince's birthday in early May kicks off a week of partying with the Vava'u Festival. Also in May is the week-long Red Cross Festival, which is followed by the Red Cross Grand Ball.

In early June the Ha'apai group celebrates the three-day Ha'apai Festival, coinciding with Emancipation Day festivities. In a nation as Christian as Tonga, locals take Easter seriously, and celebrate an Easter Festival, with youth choirs, passion plays, concerts and cultural performances. All the major island groups host agricultural fairs from late August to October, and they are presided over by the king. Late September sees the Tonga International Billfish Tournament celebrated, attracting local and international anglers to Vava'u. Another international competition is the Miss Galaxy Pageant in Nuku'alofa. The contestants are all men, or fakaleiti, the local version of transvestites.

Basic food and accommodation are more reasonably priced than in most South Pacific countries, but forget about upgrading your Roller, as Tonga's not a great place to buy electronic goods, film, packaged foods or cars. They're all imported and considerably more expensive than in the USA or Europe. If you're really squeezing your budget you can get by on US$35 a day, but US$60-70 will make your trip quite comfortable. If you like your creature comforts and top restaurants, you'll need to budget for US$130 a day or more.

Tonga has yet to make the move to ATMs, but credit cards - generally Visa and MasterCard - are widely accepted. The currencies most commonly accepted for exchange are the US, Australian and New Zealand dollars and British sterling, although the Fijian dollar, deutschmark, franc and yen are also fairly standard currencies of exchange. Banks are open from 9 am to 4 pm on weekdays, and and in Nuku'alofa and Neiafu they're open on Saturday mornings as well. Several of the mid-range and more expensive hotels will also exchange currency, but at a lower rate than the banks.

Tipping and bargaining are not practised. According to custom a tip is seen as a gift and imposes an obligation on the receiver to return the favour. If a price is asked, that's what the seller wants for it and it would be ill-mannered to suggest a lower price.

Sitting on a promontory facing the Pacific and backing onto the Fanga'uta Lagoon, Nuku'alofa ('Abode of Love') is gradually swallowing up surrounding wetlands and agricultural land, and shanty towns are springing up on the outskirts. You won't exactly get caught in traffic jams in the capital, but the 'pumpkin-led boom' of recent years has put a few more cars on the streets. Most of the town's main features are found within a compact rectangle.

The Royal Palace on the waterfront is arguably the most impressive building in town. The white Victorian timber building was prefabricated in New Zealand in 1867 and has become a symbol of Tonga to the world, although it is closed to visitors. On the slopes of Mt Zion, just behind the palace, is the Sia Ko Veiongo, the 'royal estate' that, over its 600 year history, has been sacked repeatedly. The Royal Tombs, or Mala'ekula, contain the graves of all the Tongan sovereigns since 1893, as well as their spouses and close relatives. The town common contains the Tongan War Memorial, commemorating those killed in both world wars.

Many travellers tend to join Tongans at church on Sundays because everything else is closed, and the churches in town are impressive; you can't miss the Basilica of St Anthony of Padua opposite the royal tombs, where inside the stations of the cross are carved of coconut wood inlaid with mother of pearl. The Centenary Chapel behind Mt Zion accommodates more than 2000 people, and St Mary's Cathedral is worth visiting for its beautiful vaulted ceiling, stained glass and rose gardens. If you're into markets you shouldn't miss Talamahu Market, which sells the best of Tonga's agricultural produce - it will give you a crash course in tropical fruits and vegetables. Go early to the Saturday morning flea market for the best selection of junk, treasure and collectables.

While you can get reasonable accommodation and eat well in the city centre, you shouldn't forget the resorts around Tongatapu and on offshore islands. You have the option of staying in an apartment or townhouse with its own kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms and lounge, and they can be rented short or long term. The abode of love has plenty of good restaurants catering to all budgets and tastes, and you can visit one of the waterfront bars to kick off the evening. The Tongan National Centre, the International Dateline Hotel and the Good Samaritan Inn all put on great nights with island buffets and traditional music and dance, and if you haven't tasted the local kava (the stuff that dreams are made of), these places give you the chance to get into it (or out of it).

The second-largest island in the Tongatapu group, 'Eua has a completely different character from Tongatapu. It is rugged and mountainous, with Tonga's largest areas of natural bushland and rainforest, and is great for hiking, climbing and abseiling. Tufuvai Beach has a lovely white sand beach and its reef makes a great swimming pool at high tide. The ruins of 'Anokula Palace on the top of 120m (393ft) cliffs give you a view of the whole island. Birds and flying foxes hitch a ride on thermal currents around the cliffs. Central 'Eua harbours myriad caves and sinkholes, and bush tracks crisscross the area. 'Eua's best beach is on the south coast at Ha'aluma, and it has the best beach camping on the island. Many people fly to 'Eua from Tongatapu and take the ferry back to Nuku'alofa, as the ferry trip to 'Eua can be very rough.

This one's for the history buffs, with what must be the largest concentration of archaeological sites anywhere in the Pacific. Pyramidal stone tombs at Mu'a were traditionally used for burying royalty, and there are 28 (15 of them monumental) at Mu'a. Just outside the archaeological site is a shallow ditch, which was once the moat surrounding the royal capital. Tonga's most impressive ancient burial site is at Paepae 'o Tele'a, thought to contain the body of Ulukimata I, who reigned during the 16th century. Tongan oral history preserves tales of the slave labour used to undertake this massive construction.

One of Polynesia's most intriguing monuments stands at the eastern tip of Tongatapu: the Ha'amonga'a Maui Trilithon. If you thought you'd had your fill of trilithons at Stonehenge, you were wrong, because one pops up here of all places. This trilithon was constructed at the turn of the 13th century under Tu'itatui, and each of the stones weighs about 40 tonnes (88,000lb). While speculation is rife about the purpose of this one, when swathes of vegetation between it and the sea were razed, the sun was seen to rise and set in perfect alignment with the clearings at winter solstice. The area is easily accessible by bus from Nuku'alofa.

The site of Tonga's most active volcanoes, Tofua was also the site of the mutiny on the Bounty in April 1789. Although the island is no longer occupied, some of Tonga's best kava plantations are here, and are tended part-time by people from nearby islands. You can visit Mutiny on the Bounty Beach (where quartermaster John Norton was clubbed to death by islanders) if it tickles your fancy, but the main reason to come here is the large freshwater lake. Tracks lead through pristine rainforest full of bird life and gigantic ferns. Fly via seaplane from Nuku'alofa to reach Tofua, in the Ha'apai group, or arrange the trip by sea from Lifuka.

Vanilla plantations west of Hufangalupe once produced Tonga's primary export crop, but vanilla has now been surpassed by pumpkins. You may spot red shining parrots at the Tongan Wildlife Centre Bird Park, which promotes conservation and carries out captive breeding of rare and endangered species.

Keleti Beach is great for a dip, and a series of clear pools traps a variety of eccentric marine life at low tide. Near the village of Hoiuma you'll find the Mapu'a 'a Vaca blowholes, which, on a good day, will shoot sea water 30m (98ft) into the air. You could easily walk around the west of Tongatapu in a few days, but there are frequent buses from Nuku'alofa.

Nomuka has been historically important to passing vessels because of its fresh water, but it is best recognised today by its brackish lake, which occupies most of the hilly interior. The island is ideal for hiking, but the villagers have a reputation for being a little more aloof than is the norm in the Friendly Islands. About 30km (18.5mi) west of Nomuka lies the volcanic island/pile of rocks Fonuafo'ou, which throughout its turbulent history has been measured at 2km (1.2mi) long and anywhere between 0m and 320m (1050ft) above sea level. By 1949, the island had collapsed and disappeared under the action of the waves. You may only see a few steam vents, or be treated to a more serious attempt to create dry land. Nomuka, in the Ha'apai Group, is not on any inter-island ferry schedule, but ferries do occasionally stop there.

Lifuka is composed nearly entirely of agricultural plantations surrounded by fantastic beaches. Swim and snorkel off the western shore, and check out the wild weather on the eastern shore as the coast is buffeted by waves. The Olovehi Tomb lies at the southern end of the island, and it was constructed in the late-18th century for Nanasipau'u, sister of the reigning king. Many unfortunate commoners copped it in the neck here, to serve the princess in her (and their imminent) afterlife. Just south of the tomb is the 'Ahau Bathing Well, which in traditional Tongan society was owned by the chief. A little further south of that is the site where 3000-year-old Lapita pottery has been excavated.

You can reach Lifuka by air from Tongatapu and Vava'u, or by the boat that calls in on the Vava'u-Tongatapu run.

Many Tongans from the more southerly islands know more about New Zealand or England than the Niuas, the farthest flung of Tonga's island groups. Tradition remains strong on the three islands, and the trip up is well worth it for the traveller - if not for the hypnotically beautiful beaches, then for the friendly people who see so few tourists. You can climb the perfect volcanic cone of Tafahi, hike around the barren lava flows, swim in the beautiful Vai Lahi Lake on Niuafo'ou, and swim in the western waterways. Hihio is the sleepy capital of Niuatoputapu, and a plane from Tongatapu or Vava'u is the best way to get there. You must fly to Niuafo'ou as it has no safe anchorage, (from Tongatapu via Vava'u). You can reach Tafahi by boat from Niuatoputapu.

The large, placid lagoon formed by Hunga and the neighbouring islands of Kalau and Fofoa look like an enormous volcanic lake, but it makes an ideal anchorage for cruising yachts. Cliffs on Hunga make an ideal viewing point for passing humpback whales. Foe'ata, just south of Hunga, has brilliant white sand beaches and fantastic snorkelling. Mariner's Cave is worth a look on the island of Nuapapu. Will Mariner was a boy working on the privateer Port-au-Prince, which islanders ransacked in 1806. Most of the pirates were massacred, but Mariner was spared and taken under the wing of the the reigning chief of Ha'apai for the next four years. On Kapa, the beautiful Swallows' Cave is inhabited by hundreds of swiftlets (not swallows), which nest in its dim upper reaches. Despite the swiftlet droppings, visibility in the cave's underwater floor is an impressive 50m (164ft). You reach the Vava'u group by ferry from Tongatapu or plane from Tongatapu, Ha'apai or Fiji. Once you hit the main island, get around by local charter, or, if you're a yachtie, under the power of your own spinnaker.

Activities

Caving, both on land and underwater, is spectacular and easily accessible. Tongatapu has one cave, Vava'u has several and 'Eua has dozens of limestone caves. Exploring underwater caves is best on Ha'apai, which has a deep cave full of flashlight fish. With water temperatures around a pleasant 23°C to 30°C (73°F to 86°F) snorkelling, surfing, swimming and diving are great in any of the major island groups. Volcanoes, shipwrecks, canyons, coral reefs, a stunning variety of reef fish and visibility that in places reaches 70m (230ft) make the snorkelling and diving spectacular, and the surfing is as good at any time of year as it gets anywhere in the world. The surf's best on Ha'apai and Vava'u, and the best surfing on Tongatapu is at Ha'atafu Beach.

Kayaking is increasing in popularity, and Tonga offers a wide scope for challenging sea kayaking. The Vava'u group offers clear, calm and sheltered waters, and the Ha'apai group has a little more open sea. The whale-watching season is from June to November on Tongatapu and Ha'apai, and July to November on Vava'u. On trips to watch whales, underwater microphones catch whale songs for you to hear. Game-fishing charters are showing up all over Tonga, and you can also indulge in the less competitive form with a good book, a deserted beach and a long line.

History

The Tongan archipelago is thought to have been colonised around 3000 BC, but the earliest date verified by radiocarbon dating is about 1100 BC. The Lapita people arrived in Tonga between 3500 and 3300 years ago, and their first capital was near present-day Fua'amotu Airport on Tongatapu. The Tongans' oral history tells of a girl shellfishing who was caught and raped by the sun god Tangaloa, and she gave birth nine months later. The date for this event (determined by oral history) has been placed at 950 AD. Significantly, the Incas also believed their king was descended from the sun, and Thor Heyerdahl put forward the unconventional theory that Polynesians migrated from the Americas, not Asia, given the presence of sweet potato on many Pacific islands. Most of the scientific community has never swallowed this theory.

Tongan warriors were the Vikings of the Pacific, wreaking havoc in their wake. They subscribed to the view that war was pursued by noble and worthy men and peace was strictly for pansies. They extended the Tongan Empire to include parts of Fiji, the Samoas, Tokelau and Niue.

The royal title Tu'i Tonga was passed from father to son, and during the mid-17th century the most powerful royal title to emerge was the Tu'i Kanokupolu. By the time of the first European contact the Tu'i Kanokupolu was the most powerful figure in Tonga. The first Europeans known to reach the islands were the Dutch, who got inter-racial relations off to a classy start by killing one islander and taking several captive en route to the East Indies. Abel Tasman, another Dutchman, passed through the southernmost islands in 1643, taking on supplies and trading with the people of 'Ata, 'Eua and Tongatapu. Needless to say, the Tongans were relatively indifferent to the European place names of Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Pylstaart and Middleburgh that the Dutch magnanimously bestowed on their islands.

The Brits were the next to turn up (and to impose their tyranny of place-names) in the late 18th century. Captain James Cook was among them, and he called Tonga the Friendly Islands, which the Tongan Tourist Bureau today likes to trumpet. While Cook boasted that his ambition had taken him 'as far as it was possible for man to go', he liked to pretend that he hadn't gone very far at all really, likening Tonga to the most beautiful and fertile plains of Europe. Equally ironic was that Cook never knew that the friendliness extended to him was part of a failed plot to kill him and steal all the neat stuff the Tongans saw on his ships.

The Spanish laid claim to Vava'u then promptly sailed away for good. The French certainly sniffed around, but no 19th century power managed to set up a colonial administration. Pirates, deserters, whalers, blackbirders - who ravaged some of the outer isles - and sandalwooders were the most permanent of European residents until the missionaries started spreading their influence in 1822. The Wesleyans were the most successful. By the time the French Catholic missionaries arrived, the Wesleyans had already converted Taufa'ahau, ruler of Ha'apai. Under his influence the whole of Ha'apai converted, and he took the name George when he was baptised, later becoming King George Tupou I when he united Tonga and ascended the throne.

When George's great-grandson took the throne in 1896, the British coerced him into a treaty putting Tonga under British protection in foreign affairs. In 1918, his 18 year old daughter became Queen Salote I. During WWII Tonga formed a local defence force of about 2000 men, which saw action in the Solomon Islands. New Zealand and US troops were stationed on Tongatapu, which became a staging point for shipping.

Queen Salote was less interested in squabbles between churches than in education and medicine for her people. She was a popular queen at home, won friends for Tonga throughout the world and was mourned widely when she died in 1965. Her son, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, is the current king. By 1976 Tonga's full sovereignty was restored and the country was readmitted to the Commonwealth. The King established relations with the Soviet Union that year, which made the USA, New Zealand and Australia sit up and take notice of this stirring kingdom. King Taufa'ahau's reign has emphasised economic development, and the country has even enjoyed a pumpkin-led boom in recent years, with massive exports of pumpkins to the profitable Japanese export market.

By the early 1990s, corruption at high levels and increasing foreign influence had brought about a degree of dissatisfaction with traditional ways, at least in government. A 1990 parliamentary election resulted in unexpected victories for the dissident Tongan Pro-Democracy Movement (TPDM), whose platform included demands for the power of the aristocracy to be curbed and for a constitutional monarchy based on the British model rather than one in which government ministers must also be nobles and enjoy lifetime appointments.

The TPDM has gathered widespread support among Tongans, who, although they may not openly favour democracy or a change to their political system, continue to support the party at elections. There is also a widespread belief that the royally-appointed cabinet minsters and nobles' representatives promote the interests of their own class. TPDM is, however, outnumbered in Parliament by nobility in hereditary positions, and its leaders are continually harassed and imprisoned. In a paternal, 19th century-style concession the king has said that he would hand more power to the commoners at some future date, (as they did not have the experience or integrity to govern at present).

Younger westernized Tongans are now increasingly questioning the role of the monarchy, and there is a growing movement in support of democratic change. When the current king dies, pressure for reform is likely to accelerate. In recent times, Tonga has broken ties with Taiwan in return for closer relations with China and has acceded to the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty. Tonga was the first country to greet the new millenium.

Culture

Dance in Tonga has traditionally been an important art form, turning oral histories and folk tales into a visual form praising and honouring gods, chiefs, places and people. Weaving with the leaves of the pandanus palm is at its zenith as an art form in Tonga, and baskets and intricately worked mats produced by a variety of means are among the most beautiful in the Pacific. A reasonable body of literature has been produced in or about the archipelago in spite of its tiny size, and some of it goes beyond oral histories and folk tales. The earliest accounts are by castaway Will Mariner and Captain Bligh after he lost command of his ship. There are also several more recent collections of poetry and prose by contemporary writers.

The extended family is the basic social unit on Tonga, and it serves as a mini welfare state, with wealth, food and goods shared equally among all members. The concept of the communal extended family is so fundamental in Tongan life that parents have no real sense of 'possession' of their children, who are frequently shifted from one household to another, and may have several places to call home as a result. Gifts are given as a matter of course to new friends and even foreigners, so it pays to have a few tins of corned beef or souvenirs from home to give away so you can join in. These customs were already deeply ingrained by the time the missionaries arrived, and from Ha'apai, where the Wesleyans first started gathering souls, Christianity took a strong hold throughout the archipelago, wiping out most indigenous spiritual beliefs in its wake. Today the Mormons are spreading their influence and building churches throughout the islands.

Tongan food is delightful, and consists mostly of root vegetables such as taro and sweet potato, coconut products, fresh fruit, roasted suckling pig, chicken, corned beef, fish and shellfish. The delicious dishes made from these ingredients are an excuse in themselves to visit the islands. The traditional Tongan feast gets cooked in an underground oven, umu, common throughout Polynesia. The most refreshing drink available is coconut juice, and the locally grown Royal Coffee is excellent if you're after a caffeine hit. Beer is popular, and of course kava (Piper methysticum), the all purpose forget-your-cares-and-stare-at-the-sunset tipple, is widely available. Unfortunately, junk foods are making inroads, and islander's health is suffering considerably.

Environment

The 171 extraordinarily diverse islands of the Tongan archipelago are scattered over an area in the central Pacific Ocean nearly as big as Japan. The dry land, however, would fit easily into New York City with room to fling in a few extra coral reefs. Tonga's nearest neighbours are Samoa to the north, Fiji to the northwest and New Caledonia, more then 1000km (600mi) west. Despite the widely scattergunned placement of the islands, Tongan culture is remarkably homogenous. The four main island groups - Tongatapu, He'apai, Vava'u and the Niuas lie in two parallel lines just east of the Lau Basin, where the sea floor is opening up, causing some unsteady ground at times on the islands. Fewer than 40 islands are inhabited, but most of the land has been converted to plantations or towns. Large areas of rainforest and bushland do remain on the Niuas, 'Eua and many of the volcanic islands.

Tonga has seven officially protected areas, including five national marine parks and reserves, one national historic park, and the 'Eua National Park. Two species of iguana call Tonga home, as do several colonies of flying fox, large fruit bats that enjoy sacred status and protection on the islands. Tonga supports surprisingly few species of birds, although it does harbour a few interesting ones like the blue-crowned lorikeet, the red shining parrot and the incubator bird - that leaves its eggs to hatch warmed by volcanic mud - found on Niuafo'ou. The main land attractions are the flowering plants, such as frangipani, several species of native hibiscus and the heilala, a small, sweet smelling red flower that has a festival in its honour. More than 100 species of tropical fish live in the reefs around the islands, where beautiful hard and soft corals and black coral grow in abundance.

Tonga is far enough away from the equator to enjoy a more comfortable climate than the Samoas or the Solomons, and winter (July to September) temperatures are pleasantly cool at 17°C to 22°C (62°F to 71°F), although rainstorms and strong southerlies can cause decidedly wintry weather. From December to April, the southern summer, temperatures rise to 25°C to 33°C (77°F to 91°F), although nights can still be cool. A light breeze often tempers the humidity, and the islands receive most of their annual rainfall late in the season. The archipelago lies squarely in the South Pacific's cyclone/typhoon belt, with the greatest possibility for wild weather from January to March. The big cyclones come around roughly every 20 years, with a medium one every three to four years.

Getting There & Away

Most visitors arrive at Fua'amotu International Airport, about 15km (9.3mi) by bus southeast of Nuku'alofa (although some flights go to Lupepapau'u International on Vava'u). It's straightforward to fly to Tonga direct from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Samoa and Hawaii, but if you're coming from anywhere else you will have to fly to one of those points first. Auckland (New Zealand) and Nadi/Suva (Fiji) are the best served places. If you're planning to come in by yacht, the entry points are Nuku'alofa (Tongatapu), Neiafu (Vava'u), Pangai and Lifuka (Ha'apai), Felehau (Niuatoputapu) and Futu (Niuafo'ou). Departure tax is T$25.

Getting Around

Flying is probably the easiest way to island hop, unless you have your own yacht. Several inter-island ferries operate between the main island groups, but cabin space is limited and will cost more than an airfare anyway. If you travel as a deck passenger it's cramped and stuffy indoors, and outdoors it can be wet and cold. One of the vessels is known by the fond moniker of the Orange Vomit.

Buses run on the largest islands, and you can recognise taxis by the 'T' on the license plates. You can easily rent a horse (that should be a snigger, as most are rented out without saddles and bridles so you need to be adept at bareback riding) on any of the inhabited islands, but a car may be a safer option, and they're also relatively easy to rent.