23 October The Kingdom of Tonga

23 October: The Kingdom of Tonga – Swim, Dance, Eat

I had a honeymoon here once! The marriage didn’t last but the memories of a beautiful, relaxed place have stayed. The Kingdom of Tonga is a Polynesian sovereign state and archipelago comprising 176 islands, of which 52 are inhabited. The population is around 103,000.  

Did you know:

The monarchy is over 1,000 years old.

The Kingdom of Tonga was first settled around 1500 BC by great seafarers associated with the Lapita diaspora 'Lapita people', who settled the archipelagos between New Guinea and Samoa, beginning 3,500 years ago.These migrants were skilled navigators and are considered to be the ancestors of today's Pacific islanders. This extraordinary migration was over a very short period-only 300 to 500 years - but spanned 4,500 km  It is the fastest known migration in prehistory.

Ancient Tongan mythologies recorded by early European "visitors" report the islands of 'Ata and Tongatapu as the first islands being hauled to the surface from the deep ocean by Maui, or Tangaloa. New Zealand was a later “fished up” country by Maui. He must have been some fisherman!

 Not much is known about Tonga before European contact because of the lack of a writing system during prehistoric times other than the oral history told to the early European explorers. The first time the Tongan people encountered Europeans was in 1616 when the Dutch vessel Eendracht made a short visit to the islands to trade.

Centuries before Westerners arrived, Tongans created large monumental stone trillithon, most notably, the gateway Haʻamoga ʻa Maui and the Langi (terraced tombs).

The Haʻamoga is 5 meters high and made of three coral-lime stones that weigh more than 40 tons each. The Langi are low, very flat, two or three tier pyramids that mark the graves of former kings.

Distinctive pottery and Tapa cloth designs also show that the Tongans have travelled from the far reaches of Micronesia, all the way to Fiji and even Hawaii.

Many Tongans still live in village communities following traditional customs, especially on the outer islands. The distinctive traditional dress ‘ta’ovala’ – woven waist mats – are commonly worn. Meat and vegetables are still cooked in an underground oven called the ‘Umu’. The ceremonial tradition of kava drinking, the traditional Polynesian drink, is very much a part of the Tongan lifestyle.

What to do:

Watery things -

 Sea kayaking – explore deserted islands and sand spits, drop anchor along the way and explore some amazing coral reefs.

Swim with Whales Swim with whales – July to November,

 you can swim with these magnificent creatures, visit the Humpback breeding grounds and watch them play in the wild.

Sail

Fish,

Kiteboard and surf

Scuba dive

Snorkel

Learn how to weave, make tapa cloth, paint.

Attend a Sunday service at a church. No matter if you are no religion, the sounds of glorious acapella singing by hundreds of Tongan voices will take you out of this world.

Feast

Dance

Where to stay -

The Tongan Beach Resort  is located in the beautiful Vava’u island group, north of Tongatapu and has some great specials at the moment - Pay for 4 nights / Stay for 8! This special is valid for stays commencing 10th October 2014 to 31st March 2015.


or,

Getting there -

Virgin Australia, Air New Zealand and Fiji Air provide service to and from airports across Tonga, offering direct and indirect flights to a variety of fantastic destinations and airports -
email: holidays@thetongan.com for availability and reservations

To learn more about Tonga, go to Tonga Tourism Authority  or The Kingdom of Tonga 

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