Tongatapu
On an especially good day at Mapu’a ‘a Vaea (Chief’s Whistles), hundreds of blowholes spurt skywards at once. Time your visit for a windy day with a…
Must-see attractions in Tonga
-
Tongatapu
The South Pacific’s equivalent of Stonehenge, the Ha’amonga ‘a Maui (Maui’s Burden) trilithon near Niutoua, is one of ancient Polynesia’s most intriguing…
-
Tongatapu
Want to see the real of Nuku’alofa? Wander through the aisles at Talamahu, Tonga's main fresh-produce hub. You’ll find produce piled into handmade woven…
-
Tongatapu
On the sunset side of the island, Ha’atafu Beach is a sandy slice protected by a reef, where some of Tonga's best surf peels in (experienced surfers only…
-
Tongatapu
Near nowhere in particular is this impressive arch, aka ‘the pigeon’s doorway’ – a natural land bridge over the pounding Pacific waves, formed when the…
-
Tongatapu
The Mu’a area contains Tonga's richest concentration of archaeological remnants. In AD 1200, Tu’itatui, the 11th of the Tu’i Tonga kings, moved the royal…
-
Tonga
Hihifo, the contiguous suburban area south of Pangai, hides some archaeological relics seemingly of more interest to rooting pigs than anyone else. Hidden…
-
Tongatapu
Honeymooners, start your engines! Fronting onto a magnificent beach, Fafá Island Resort is the most elegant on Tongatapu’s offshore islands, but it makes…
-
Tongatapu
The closest island resort to Nuku’alofa, Pangaimotu makes an easy day trip. Daily departures (including Sunday) chug out from the wharf beside the Fish…
-
Tongatapu
Tongatapu’s most famous cave is an over-loved, slightly eerie place full of stalactites and stalagmites, and blackened from the soot of flaming-frond…
-
Tongatapu
South of Nuku’alofa, between Tofoa and Pe’a, you’ll pass the private royal residences of the Princess, adorned with white tigers and cannons, and the King…
-
Shirley Baker Monument & European Cemetery
Tonga
About 800m north of Pangai, the grave and monument of the imperious-looking Reverend Doctor Shirley Waldemar Baker (1836–1903), Tonga’s revered first…
-
Port-au-Prince Massacre Monument
Tonga
A few hundred metres north of the airport runway is a signed turn-off west to the beach where a monument commemorates the spot where the Port-au-Prince…
-
Tongatapu
As you round the coast to the north of Mu’a, keep an eye out for Tonga's famed fishing pigs. When the tide is out, these unusual porkers trot out into the…
-
Tongatapu
While you’ll get the opportunity to see flying foxes (aka fruit bats, or peka) in many places in Tonga, one spot renowned for their presence is the…
-
Tongatapu
‘Atata, 10km from Tongatapu, has beaut beaches and a little island village to wander through. Snorkelling, diving and fishing are near-essential. There is…
-
Tongatapu
At the northwestern tip of Tongatapu is a modest monument commemorating Dutchman Abel Tasman's 'discovery' of Tongatapu in 1643. He was on his way back to…
-
Tongatapu
If you think we must be scratching around for highlights to include a triple-headed coconut tree, then think again. Locals swear that this is the only…
-
Tongatapu
Encircled by expansive lawns and casuarina trees, the white weatherboard Victorian-style Royal Palace, erected in 1867, is the pinnacle of Tongan grandeur…
-
Tongatapu
A modest cairn above a mangrove inlet near Holonga village marks the spot where Captain Cook came ashore in 1777 (on his third trip to Tonga) and where…
-
Tonga
From Hihifo, the road continues south to Hulu’ipaongo Point, with its sweep of white beach and views south to Uoleva island. About 200m short of the point…
-
Tongatapu
Royal watchers and rubberneckers (regardless of denomination) head to this towering white church for a glimpse of Tonga's royal family at Sunday service,…
-
Tongatapu
Mala’ekula, the large parklike area opposite the basilica, has been the resting place of the royals since 1893. The statue-studded white concrete tomb…
-
Basilica of St Anthony of Padua
Tongatapu
Nuku'alofa's most distinctive structure is the Basilica of St Anthony of Padua, opposite the Royal Tombs. It has a beautiful interior of stained glass,…
-
Tongatapu
St Mary's Cathedral, near Faua Jetty, is worth visiting for its beautiful rose gardens, stained glass and vaulted ceiling.
