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…
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Tongatapu
Low-lying Tongatapu (Sacred South) is Tonga's main island – and the landing and launching pad for most adventures in Tonga. Around two-thirds of Tonga's 106,000 residents live here, most of them in the capital Nuku’alofa (Abode of Love – how romantic), also home to the royal family. Outside Nuku'alofa, the island is a patchwork of dark-brown agricultural plots, small villages, a few chilled-out resorts, wild stretches of coastline and more churches than a year full of Sundays. And smiling kids are everywhere!
Attractions
Must-see attractions
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
