Tonga Travel Guide

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. 24-506; www.airlinestonga.com) -- but indications were that the government might grant a monopoly to one of them. For the time being, both fly from Tongatapu to Ha'apai and Vava'u. The one-way fare from Tongatapu to Vava'u was about T$450 (US$225), and to Ha'apai, about T$300 (US$150).

Given this uncertainty, I get a local in-bound tour operator, such as Pacific Travel Marketing (tel. 28-304; sales@pacifictravelmarketing.afe.to) or Teta Tours (tel. 23-690; tetatour@kalianet.to), to make my arrangements.

Don't Miss Your Flight Home -- It's a good idea not to plan on flying back from Vava'u or Ha'apai to Nuku'alofa on the day your international flight is scheduled to take you home. Give yourself at least a day's cushion, just in case the local airline has an unexpected cancellation. And remember to always reconfirm your return flight as soon as possible.

By Rental Car

Avis (tel. 800/331-1212 or 21-179; www.avis.com; avis@tonfon.to) has an office on Taufa'ahau Road. Rates range from T$80 to T$130 (US$40-US$65) per day, including unlimited kilometers. E. M. Jones Travel (tel. 23-422 or 29-858; www.kalianet.to/emjones), also on Taufa'ahau Road, rents cars starting at T$50 (US$25) per day, including unlimited mileage. Both have a limited supply of cars, so reserve as soon as you can.

Gasoline (petrol) costs about double what you pay in the United States.

Before you can officially drive in Tonga you must obtain a local driver's license from the central police station (tel. 21-222), on Wellington Road just off Taufa'ahau Road in Nuku'alofa. Enter on the Railway Road side of the building. You will need your home driver's license and T$18 (US$8.75). It's a somewhat cumbersome process, so bring your sense of humor, or better yet, rent from Avis, which will get your license for you.

Driving in Tonga is on the left-hand side of the road. Speed limits are 65kmph (39 mph) on the open road and 40kmph (24 mph) in towns and villages.

Watch Out for the Crown -- When driving in Tonga, be alert for pigs, dogs, horses, and chickens, and pull over for policemen on motorcycles escorting the king in his big black sport utility vehicle bearing license plates with no numbers, only a crown.

By Taxi

Taxis are plentiful in Nuku'alofa, although most are in poor condition (sometimes I think Tonga is where old cars go to die). They usually gather near Maketi Talamahu at the corner of Salote and Railway roads in Nuku'alofa, but you can flag them down anywhere. They aren't all identified as taxis except for their license plates, which begin with the letter T. Among the many firms are Fiemalie Taxis (tel. 24-270), Wellington Taxis (tel. 24-844), or Holiday Taxis (tel. 25-655 or 25-169).

Fares are T$3 (US$1.50) in town. The taxis have no meters, so make sure you and the driver agree on just how much the fare will be. The fares are doubled on Sundays, when taxis are officially permitted only to take passengers to church and back (some of them will carry tourists from their hotels or guesthouses to the wharf in order for them to get to the offshore islands).

By Bus

Local buses operate Monday to Saturday during regular business hours (that is, they stop at 5pm). They use the Vuna Road waterfront as their terminal. Town buses stop in front of the Tonga Visitors Bureau; long-distance ones stop in front of the government buildings. They fan out from there to all parts of Tongatapu, but there are no reliable schedules. Simply ask the bus drivers at the market where they are going. About T$2 (US$1) will take you to the end of the island in either direction.

By Bicycle

Tongatapu is virtually flat, making it an ideal island for bicycling. "Pushbikes" can be rented from Niko's Bike Rental (tel. 878-4832) on the Vuna waterfront near the International Dateline Hotel. One-speed models cost T$2 (US$1) per hour, T$8 (US$4) for a full day. Open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm.

By Ferry

It's not for everyone, but the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia (tel. 21-699) operates weekly ferry service from Nuku'alofa to Ha'apai and Vava'u. It usually leaves Nuku'alofa 1 day a week at 5:30pm and takes about 16 hours to make the 262km (163 mile) trip to Vava'u, stopping at Lifuka in the Ha'apai group on the way. The ship then turns around and arrives back in Nuku'alofa late the next afternoon. The one-way fare between Nuku'alofa and Vava'u is T$60 (US$30) for deck passage.

Tofa Ramsay Shipping (tel. 21-326) operates a daily ferry to 'Eua, departing from the Faua Jetty Monday to Saturday at 1:30pm, returning from 'Eua Monday to Friday at 5:30pm. Fare is T$15 (US$7.50) each way.