Tonga Hotels

The Kingdom of Tonga is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean comprising 169 islands, 36 of them inhabited stretching over a distance of about 800 kilometres (500 miles) in a north-south line. The islands lie south of Samoa, about one-third of the way from New Zealand to Hawaii. Tonga, the only sovereign monarchy among the island nations of the Pacific Ocean, has the distinction of being the only island nation in the region to have avoided formal colonization. The world also knows the islands of Tonga as the Friendly Islands because of the friendly reception accorded to Captain Cook on his first visit in 1773. He happened to arrive at the time of the ʻinasi festival, the yearly donation of the first fruits to the Tu'i Tonga, the islands' paramount chief, and was invited to the festivities. According to the writer William Mariner, in reality the chiefs had wanted to kill Cook during the gathering, but were unable to agree on a plan. In many Polynesian languages the word "Tonga" means "South". The name Tonga was derived from the word "Tongahahake originally means "The wind that blows from the Southeast". The kingdom of Tonga is perched just east of the international date line: when it's a fun-packed Saturday at the beach in Samoa, it's already time for Sunday prayers in Tonga. Thus it's said, most often by the island's tourism industry, that Tonga is 'the place where time begins'. Others, perhaps observing the pace of local life, call it the place where time stands still. Both statements are true in a way, as Tonga is an eclectic country where ancient traditions sit alongside the latest offerings of modern life. Tongans avidly devour DVDs and download the latest hip-hop or international news and opinion from the Internet, but they also still resolve difficult issues the traditional way, around a bowl of kava, and many still weave, and wear, traditional mats. For the traveller, Tonga offers a different experience to Samoa. The snorkelling and diving are far superior for one thing. And some travellers plan their entire trip around Tonga's marvellous whale-watching. There's laid-back resort life if you want it, though without quite the same infrastructure that surrounds resorts in Samoa. There are many opportunities to get right off the beaten track in Tonga's 170-odd islands, with tiny forested islets calling your name left and right. The Ha'apai Group offers deserted white beaches, vibrant reefs and only a smattering of other tourists. For all the fun in the water that you could reasonably be expected to handle, the Vava'u Group and Eua are the activity holiday destinations of Tonga, with sea Kayaking, fishing surfing and diving available.