Backpackers Townhouse

Tongatapu


This rickety hostel doesn't look like much from the dusty street out the front, but inside things quickly improve. There's a cheery communal kitchen-lounge, complete with beach books and a guitar to strum, free fruit from the owners' garden and reasonable rooms. The cheapest beds in downtown Nuku'alofa.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Tongatapu attractions

1. Royal Tombs

0.17 MILES

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…

2. Basilica of St Anthony of Padua

0.3 MILES

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,…

3. Centenary Chapel

0.31 MILES

Royal watchers and rubberneckers (regardless of denomination) head to this towering white church for a glimpse of Tonga's royal family at Sunday service,…

4. Royal Palace

0.51 MILES

Encircled by expansive lawns and casuarina trees, the white weatherboard Victorian-style Royal Palace, erected in 1867, is the pinnacle of Tongan grandeur…

5. Talamahu Market

0.55 MILES

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…

6. St Mary's Cathedral

1.63 MILES

St Mary's Cathedral, near Faua Jetty, is worth visiting for its beautiful rose gardens, stained glass and vaulted ceiling.

7. Royal Residences

2.75 MILES

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…

8. Pangaimotu

3.29 MILES

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…