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Country 171

To get from Tuvalu to Tonga I had to spend a full day traveling. First I flew to Suva, then Nadi and finally caught a flight to Tonga. This happened to be my birthday as well, so it was somewhat fitting to spend it on three different flights and in four different airports across three different countries.

Boarding the flight a guy came up to me commenting on my Tuvalu tourist shirt. Noticing that he was alone and interested in the tiny country of Tuvalu, I guessed he was also traveling to every country. I was right. His name was Mike, a retired Canadian living in Georgia and is taking his time to reach every country. He’s currently on 178!

I didn’t get into Tonga until very early in the a.m. EU and Australians don’t need a visa so immigration was a breeze. With a lazy stamp in the middle of a page full of stamps, I had officially entered country 171!

Outside the driver from my hotel, Little Italy, was there to meet me. Mike came along into town which was about 40 minutes away but he stayed at a different hotel.

I was exhausted so I quickly passed out.

Over the next few days I would explore Tonga by car. Fortunately the accommodating hotel also rents vehicles. Driving in a clockwise direction, I saw most of the sights in just a single day.

Nuku’alofa

The capital has one main road where banks, gas stations, and office buildings dominate. There are also plenty of churches including the iconic Free Church of Tonga.

Across from the church is the Royal Tombs with some interesting tombstones, but unfortunately it is fenced off.

Along the coast is the Royal Palace, a wooden mansion was built in 1867 and is the official residence of the King of Tonga.

A block away is the main Talamahu Market which sells fresh produce, souvenirs, and plenty of tourist shirts. I bought a cool traditional spear here made of bone and wood!

Roadtrip Around Tonga

Outside of town just passed the lagoon is supposedly the point that Captain Cook, the famed explorer, landed in Tonga. Captain Cook’s Landing Place is celebrated by a plaque. On the opposite side is another plaque celebrating the royal visit of the Queen. Besides a closed gift shop there wasn’t too much to see.

The Terraced Graves are ancient burial grounds are set on a terraced format and are still used today. Colorful banners and decorations highlight the new additions to the grounds.

I drove to the small village of Nukuleka and found a family cutting up sea cucumbers and breaking shells to collect the meat inside. Pigs roamed the beaches in search of food.

Then continuing I got to possibly the most interesting historical site, Ha’amonga ‘a Maui Trilithon, an ancient Polynesian gateway also known as the “Stonehenge of Tonga”. These massive slabs each weighing 40 tonnes were placed there possibly as an entryway into a palace. How this structure was created is still a mystery.

Driving around the eastern coast of the island I passed through villages and coconut fields. Several groups were chopping down trees or doing other farming work using the main road. 

Then I discovered the Anahulu Cave which happened to be closed, but I walked down to the beach regardless. Graves lined the path to the shore where children were playing in the strong surf. The caves unfortunately were inaccessible due to the sea.

Soon after was Oholei Beach Resort with the famous Hina Cave where fire dancers perform. Thanks to the weather the show was cancelled, though the lady said I could go have a look at the cave. There were some beach bungalows, a restaurant, and a unique amphitheater created in this cave with natural light flowing in between the mangroves above. I wish I had a chance to see the show!

I passed by the Keleti International Resort and stopped to find an amazing view of waves crashing into the cylindrical volcanic rock formations below.

Then I continued and stopped at the Mapu’a ‘a Vaea Blowholes. These are similar rock formations I saw before but when waves crashed on them they made this hissing noise as squeezed the water out of these small openings. It was cool to watch it as a single wave moved down the formation and caused the rocks to sing. It was like a natural version of the Bellagio show in Vegas without the Frank Sinatra. 

While checking out a small bay, three Italians that showed up. They were the only tourists I saw that day. 

Then I was making my way back by going up the western side of the island. Near the western tip was a memorial for the Rev John Thomas Landing Place who brought Christianity to the country in 1826. Nearby is another landing memorial for Able Tasman Landing Place who touched down in 1643. This Dutch explorer was the first European to land in New Zealand and Tasmania.

All the small street-side convenient stores seem to be owned by Chinese. I chatted with one guy from Guangdong who has been here 8 years. He seemed to speak the local language better than English and was convinced that there were better places to visit in the Pacific.

Back at Little Italy, I had a delicious meal with pizza followed by a massive lobster! What a feast! 

The next day I went into town to check out the market and port area before getting a ride to the airport to catch my flight to Samoa.

After our 45 minute drive to the airport, the hotel driver and I found the airport completely deserted. I asked one of the three security guards laying on the benches about my flight.

“Didn’t you listen to the radio last night?”

Uh, no actually. No I didn’t. 

Apparently due to Cyclone Winston being positioned right in between Tonga and Fiji, all flights were cancelled for three days. Thank you Fiji Airways for the notification by radio!

I felt bad for the driver but he took me back to the hotel. We even stopped to get some fresh peanuts and fruits.

Cyclone Winston

This cyclone was reportedly one of the largest ever in recorded history to hit Fiji. I just passed the north part of Tonga with only a few lives lost. This category 5 cyclone is the equivalent of a category 5 hurricane, meaning much damage was expected especially as it was headed for the capital of Fiji, Suva.

I called Fiji airways who told me all flights were cancelled for three days in anticipation for the storm, though depending on the damage, some flights may be rescheduled on Monday. In the meantime I was rebooked on a Tuesday flight to Nadi getting me to Samoa on a Thursday. Major delay… 

I called the airline several times the next day for updates and was told to check back on Sunday. I called on Sunday and was told to check back on Monday.

The cyclone hit the north of Fiji and missed the capital, though their website didn’t update any flights. I tried again Sunday night. After hours of frustrating waits and call drops, I eventually got through to a guy who said they had rescheduled a flight on Monday that went to Suva then to Apia!

Get me on that please!

The guy explained I should check with the airline office in Tonga tomorrow morning. I asked what time the flight was.

7 a.m.

Will the office be open around 5 am when I have to check in?

No…

So how do I check with the office when they open and still get on that flight?

Hold on…

To his credit, he called someone in Tonga (this was near midnight) and got a confirmation that the flight was indeed scheduled to go. Then with a manager’s approval, he booked me on that itinerary!

I went ahead and organized a last minute transfer to the airport. It was already midnight. I then had lots of preparation work to do for my sudden departure to Samoa. In the end I managed to get two hours of sleep before checking out and catching my flight to Samoa.

Unfortunately my spear did not make it as carry on. I wonder why?

All in all, a two day delay is not too bad for a sudden disruption in a flight schedule. I had enjoyed a great stay in Tonga largely due to the amazing staff at Little Italy and was on my way to another Pacific country!

Check out the Tonga photo album here!