Tonga
Oceania · NukuÊ»alofa · TO
Tonga is the small Pacific kingdom of the South Seas that the world knows as the last monarchy of the ocean, a scattered nation of more than one hundred and seventy islands that runs in two long chains between the great tropic and the southern waters. It is a country of the flat coral islands and the raised volcanic cones, of the turquoise lagoons, the blowholes of the eastern coast and the warmest welcome of the Polynesian world, and its capital and its ancient royal traditions still carry the ceremonial culture of the house of the king. The kingdom is famous for its humpback whales, which gather in the waters of the northern islands to give birth and breed, for the kava ceremonies and the church services of its gentle people, and for the slow, safe island life of the South Pacific. Beautiful, serene and deeply traditional, Tonga is the unspoiled heart of the Polynesian world.
Overview
Tonga is a country in Oceania. Its capital is Nukuʻalofa and the international dialling code is +676. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include Tongan and English. Local currency is the Tongan Paʻanga (TOP). We also list 1 city in Tonga: Nukuʻalofa.
The Capital of the Nuku and the Palaces of the Kingdom
The capital of the Nukualofa, the crowded waterfront town of the northern coast of the main island of the Tongatapu, is the ceremonial and the political heart of the tiny kingdom, holding the royal palaces, the government buildings and the historic churches of the nation. The royal palace of the capital, the white timber castle of the gingerbread of the Victorian era that looks out over the lagoon of the town, is the most photographed landmark of the country, and the royal tombs and the sacred ground of the ancient kings rise near the centre of the settlement. The markets of the capital, the handicrafts of the islands and the kava and the church life of the town, with the enormous seafront of the harbour, give the visitor the gentle, reverent and completely distinct atmosphere of the royal capital of Tonga.
The Whales of the North and the Waters of the Vava
The waters of the northern islands of the country, the sheltered channels and the coral bays of the Vavau group, are the great nursery of the humpback whales of the South Pacific, the extraordinary gathering of the giants that migrates to the warm Tongan seas each season to breed and to give birth. The whale-swimming of the region, the guided encounters of the season when the swimmers ease into the water near the resting mothers and their calves, ranks among the most emotional wildlife experiences of the ocean world, and the whale watching of the tours of the Vavau, with the breaches and the songs of the giants echoing through the hulls, gives the unforgettable spectacle of the creatures. The limestone caves and the beaches of the islands of the group, and the deep-water diving of the passes of the region, complete the extraordinary marine world of the Tongan north.
The Blowholes of the East and the Cliffs of the Tongatapu
The eastern coast of the main island of the Tongatapu, the shoulder of the coral country of the kingdom that faces the open swells of the South Pacific, holds some of the most dramatic natural wonders of the island world. The blowholes of the region, the famous rows of the geysers of the surf that the waves of the coast force up through the collapsed coral of the flats of the shoreline, shoot the towering plumes of the spray along the rugged coast, and the sight, best on the freshest of the swell days, is one of the great free shows of the Pacific. The ancient tombs and the carved trilithons of the island, the villages of the fishermen and the bays of the coast, with their birds and their turtles of the reefs, complete the picture of the eastern edge of the main island of the kingdom.
The Island of the Haapai and the Lagoons of the Middle
The islands of the middle of the kingdom, the scattered coral groups of the Haapai that lie between the great reef of the north and the main island of the south, are the quiet heart of Tonga, a chain of the palm-fringed motus, the shallow lagoons and the historic whaling ports of the ocean. The islands of the group, famous from the descriptions of the sailing explorers and still blessedly unvisited, offer the swimming, the snorkelling and the beach camping of the classic South Sea experience, and the shipwrecks and the reefs of the region, with their turtles and their sharks of the passes, give the divers of the area extraordinary waters. The ferries and the small planes of the kingdom link the islands to the capital, and the slow, friendly, absolutely idyllic life of the lagoon of the Haapai is the purest escape of the whole of Tonga.
The Ceremonies of the Kingdom and the Kava of the Islands
The culture of the kingdom, the deep ceremonial life of the Tongan people that the royal court, the Methodist church and the great chiefs of the islands still carry, is one of the most complete surviving traditions of the Polynesian world. The kava ceremony, the ritual drink of the crushed pepper root shared in the circle of the chiefs and the guests, with its protocol, its prayers and its chants, is the sacred social heart of Tongan life, and the great festivals of the country, the church choirs, the royal celebrations and the dances of the lakalaka, display the extraordinary pageantry of the nation. The handicrafts of the kingdom, the tapa cloth and the woven mats of the women, and the Sunday services that fill the churches with the finest dress, complete the picture of this deeply Christian, traditional and orderly kingdom of the Pacific.
Compare hotels, cover your trip and stay connected.
- Capital
- Nukuʻalofa
- Currency
- Tongan Paʻanga (TOP)
- Languages
- Tongan, English
- Calling code
- +676
- Internet TLD
- to
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter Tonga.
Cities (1)
All cities →Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Tonga?
Nukuʻalofa is the capital of Tonga, and the country sits in Oceania.
What currency is used in Tonga?
You pay with Tongan Paʻanga (TOP) in Tonga. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in Tonga?
The languages we list for Tonga are Tongan and English. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for Tonga?
The dialling code for Tonga is +676 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which cities in Tonga do you cover?
Our guide lists 1 city for Tonga: Nukuʻalofa (capital).