See what the experts are saying about Tonga. Get expert advice on how to get there, what to see and more.
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Introduction
Thanks to a quirk of humankind and not of nature, the international date line swings eastward from its north-south path down the middle of the Pacific Ocean just enough to make the last Polynesian monarch the first sovereign to see the light... Continue reading »
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Planning a trip
Visitor Information The friendly staff has many brochures, maps, and other materials available at the Tonga Visitors Bureau (TVB), P.O. Box 37, Nuku'alofa, Kingdom of Tonga (tel. 21-733; fax 23-507; www.tongaholiday.com). The office is on... Continue reading »
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Fast facts
American Express -- American Express has no representative in Tonga. Bookstores -- Friendly Islands Bookshop, on Taufa'ahau Road near the Pacific Royale Hotel (tel. 23-787), carries greeting cards made from tapa cloth, paperback books, pos... Continue reading »
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When to go
The Climate Tongatapu is far enough south of the equator to have cool, dry, and quite pleasant weather during the austral winter months (July-Sept), when temperatures range between 60°F and 70°F (15.5°C-21°C). However, the ends of occasion... Continue reading »
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Getting there
Air New Zealand flies between Los Angeles and Tonga at least once a week, with a brief stop in Samoa. Those flights go on to Auckland and return over the same route. Air Pacific connects Tonga to its flights to Fiji from Los Angeles, Australi... Continue reading »
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Getting around
By Plane Domestic air service has been in a state of flux since the government-owned Royal Tongan Airlines folded in 2004. As I write, two carriers are operating here -- Peau Vava'u (tel. 28-325; www.peauvavau.to) and Airlines Tonga (tel.... Continue reading »
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Money
The Tongan unit of currency is the pa'anga, which is divided into 100 seniti. The pa'anga is abbreviated in this book as T$. Most Tongans refer to "dollars" and "cents" when doing business with visitors, meaning pa'angas and senitis. At th... Continue reading »
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Suggested itineraries
A Week in Tonga I approach the Kingdom of Tonga as two distinct destinations. On the one hand is the flat main island of Tongatapu, with its scruffy capital of Nuku'alofa, several historic sites worth observing out in the countryside, and... Continue reading »
Real traveler experience in Tonga
