Tonga....well, to put it lightly, we felt that Tonga was more of a 
transition period for us than a memorable part of the trip. We were only in the island group for 6 days (due to changes in our plans to increase our time in S. America) and, therefore, didn´t really have the opportunity to enjoy the country´s most prized tourist sites. Tonga is most known for its outer island groups of Vava´u and Ha´apai, which have beautiful, rustic beaches and opportunites for close encounters with whales during the right season. But it wasn´t whale season when we visited, and we unfortunately didn´t have the time or money to visit the outer islands. As a result, we spent most our time on the main island, which does not have as much to offer. Here´s a brief synopsis of our time in Tonga...
transition period for us than a memorable part of the trip. We were only in the island group for 6 days (due to changes in our plans to increase our time in S. America) and, therefore, didn´t really have the opportunity to enjoy the country´s most prized tourist sites. Tonga is most known for its outer island groups of Vava´u and Ha´apai, which have beautiful, rustic beaches and opportunites for close encounters with whales during the right season. But it wasn´t whale season when we visited, and we unfortunately didn´t have the time or money to visit the outer islands. As a result, we spent most our time on the main island, which does not have as much to offer. Here´s a brief synopsis of our time in Tonga...Culture
In terms of culture, we found that Tonga - like many other islands we visited - has a relatively 
lazy and sedate lifestyle. Due to hot weather and abundant sources of food (e.g., taro root, coconuts, tapioca), Tongans don´t necessarily have a strong work ethic. And since building a tourist infrastructure and culture of customer service takes work, Tongans have not exactly thrived in the tourism industry as of yet.
lazy and sedate lifestyle. Due to hot weather and abundant sources of food (e.g., taro root, coconuts, tapioca), Tongans don´t necessarily have a strong work ethic. And since building a tourist infrastructure and culture of customer service takes work, Tongans have not exactly thrived in the tourism industry as of yet. It´s not exactly that tourists are un-welcome, but you certainly don´t feel welcomed with open arms. The "resorts" on the main island are simple and rustic, and for the money you pay, are not exactly great value. The people are friendly enough, but in our experience, did not go out of their way to say hello or help you like we found in Samoa.
Tonga is also a unique country in that it is still a traditional monarchy ruled by the King of Tonga. The King - and a ruling class of nobles - have virtually absolute power and there are major issues with nepotism and greed. As a result, the lower class of Tongans are hungry for change and a more democratic society. There have been some uprisings and riots in the recent past, and when you drive around the island you can see banners posted by citizens calling for change in the new government.That being said, our experience in Tonga is only one view and of course was colored by the fact that we were not able to visit the parts of the country that are most raved about. In addition, we were a bit tired of the sedate island lifestyle and ready to head to South America. This is not to say that the country doesn´t have many amazing attributes, but from what we heard, your best experiences will be found off the main island.
Island Tour
On our second day in Tonga, we took a tour of the main island Tongatapu guided by our slightly disenchanted, incredibly sarcastic, British-expat hostel owner named Toni. In a matter of 6 
hours we took in the major tourist sights of the island, including: the small captial of Nuku´alofa, the supposed landing sites of explorers Captain Cook and Abel Tasm
an, the Trillithon (which marks the rough location of the international date line), a few cool beaches, and a coastline of impressive blow holes. We also got a lesson and commentary from Toni on the island´s agriculture, the plethora of Mormon churches popping up (which he opposses, along with the many other churches outnumbering villages 3 to 1), and his general frustrations about the Tongan government and people. However, we might add that despite his negative view on Tongans, he is married to a Tongan woman 30 yrs his junior and has chosen to live here the last 20 years. Overall, our trip around the main island was interesting and we enjoyed taking in the sights and rolling our eyes with our tour-mates at some of Toni´s pessimistic commentary.
hours we took in the major tourist sights of the island, including: the small captial of Nuku´alofa, the supposed landing sites of explorers Captain Cook and Abel Tasm
an, the Trillithon (which marks the rough location of the international date line), a few cool beaches, and a coastline of impressive blow holes. We also got a lesson and commentary from Toni on the island´s agriculture, the plethora of Mormon churches popping up (which he opposses, along with the many other churches outnumbering villages 3 to 1), and his general frustrations about the Tongan government and people. However, we might add that despite his negative view on Tongans, he is married to a Tongan woman 30 yrs his junior and has chosen to live here the last 20 years. Overall, our trip around the main island was interesting and we enjoyed taking in the sights and rolling our eyes with our tour-mates at some of Toni´s pessimistic commentary.Friends
The most enjoyable aspect of our time in Tonga was the people we met while there...
Keith (from Canada) was a faithful companion in Samoa and also 
joined us traveling around the main island of Tonga and to a small island 20 mins away called Pongamotu. After spending so much time together, it felt like he was part of the "family" - he brought a light hearted party vibe to the group and we truly enjoyed his company. He is also at the begining of a year plus trip around the world, so we found ourselves giving lots of tips and recommendations. (Sorry Keith if we badgered you too much, we are jealous of the many great adventures you have ahead!)
joined us traveling around the main island of Tonga and to a small island 20 mins away called Pongamotu. After spending so much time together, it felt like he was part of the "family" - he brought a light hearted party vibe to the group and we truly enjoyed his company. He is also at the begining of a year plus trip around the world, so we found ourselves giving lots of tips and recommendations. (Sorry Keith if we badgered you too much, we are jealous of the many great adventures you have ahead!)Our first two days in Tonga were spent at Toni´s Guesthouse (Toni being our very vocal tour guide) where we encountered fellow backpackers from all around the world. While at Toni´s, we did the island tour, went to see an "Island Night" dance show, spent some time in town checking out the local handicraft market and dining at the quaint Friend´s Cafe.
Martin & Petya (from Bulgaria) where a young married couple who joined us on our tour and town outings. They had also been traveling for quite awhile and we had fun sharing stories and exploring together.
We spent the next two of our six days in Tonga at a "resort" on the tiny island of Pongamotu just off the main island. In the couple windy/rainy days we spent at Mama´s Yaht Club, we met several other great people and spent the hours of the day sharing stories of travel and life, playing cards, a marathon poker game, darts and pool.
Keith & Kathleen (from Idaho) provided excellent conversation and were great card partners. Keith had just finished 4 months working in Antarctica at a remote outpost operating heavy machinery. He works for the National Parks Service back home, so sometimes spends his winters off duty working elsewhere. Kathleen flew out to meet him for a short tropical vacation before they return home to their children and the daily grind.
Charin & Annemieke (from New Zealand) were on short holiday from work and instegated games of pool and a cultural Kava drinking session with the Tongan owners of the resort and the relatives present (Kava is a popular local beverage that tastes like dirty socks and provides slight sedation).
Charin & Annemieke (from New Zealand) were on short holiday from work and instegated games of pool and a cultural Kava drinking session with the Tongan owners of the resort and the relatives present (Kava is a popular local beverage that tastes like dirty socks and provides slight sedation). Steve & Sandra (from England) arrived the second day of our stay, but were quite keen to jump into the fun and compete in the marathon poker game we had going. Our buddy Keith ended up taking home the pot, but we still managed to cash out with some money.
After two days in Pongamotu, we moved back to the main island for our remaining two days and splurged on a bit nicer place called Heilala Garden Inn, where breakfast and free (slow) internet were included. This little retreat provided a nice environment to relax and prepare for the next leg of our journey in South America.
Julian and Sandra (from Scotland) provided nice company during our days at Heilala Resort. They are newlyweds like us and got married Dec 31 in Fiji. They chose to keep the ceremony more private so it was just the two of them. They had some funny stories about wedding drama (e.g., Sandra´s dress was mailed and never arrived, it rained on the big day, the make-up lady almost cancelled last minute), but also had some really heartwarming moments to share. It was fun to talk with them because they had also been together many years before marrying and had lots of similar experiences we could relate to.
Finally, after six days of "killing time," we departed Tonga for South America. We are looking forward to South America and the adventrues that lay ahead...
Eric + Mariah
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