Things To Do

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Historical & Cultural Sites
Arts & Crafts
Cultural Shows
Religious Services
Adventures
What’s On In Tonga (Event Calendar)

Historical & Cultural Sites

The Kingdom of Tonga is the only Pacific nation never to have been controlled by foreign powers, and is the last remaining Polynesian monarchy.

Polynesians are thought to have arrived in the Kingdom of Tonga more than 3000 years ago and the first of the hereditary rulers, known as the Tu’i Tonga, governed from about 960AD. The ruling royal family of the Kingdom of Tonga can be traced back more than 1000 years.

The 170+ islands group were first visited by Dutch travellers in the early 1600s, although it was the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman who became the first European to set foot on Tongatapu and Ha’apai in 1643. The British seafarer Captain Cook dubbed the archipelago the ‘Friendly Islands’ in 1773 and visited again in 1774 and 1777.

The adoption of Christianity by the ruling family (which followed the arrival of Methodist missionaries in the 1820s) and an overall policy of accommodation with the British meant that the islands were never formally colonised.

King George Tupou I, the great-great-great grandfather of the present ruler and the first chief to rule over all of the Kingdom of Tonga, was the founder of the present dynasty. Tupou I took power in 1831. He introduced representative government to the islands during his reign.

A Treaty of Friendship was signed with the British in 1879 which afforded Tonga the unique status of a ‘Protected State’ (as distinct from a Protectorate, which allowed for less autonomy in government). However, the islands were subsequently made a protectorate in 1900.

Click the links below to learn more about the Kingdom of Tonga’s cultural and historical sites.

Tongatapu

Ha’amonga a’Maui Trilithon

The name Ha’amonga ‘a Maui means ‘Maui’s burden’, referring to the Polynesian God Maui, who according to legend formed the Kingdom of Tonga by fishing the islands from the depths of the sea. The ha’amonga is a form of yoke or carrying pole worn across the shoulders, in a similar shape to that of the trilithon. It is thought that only a great god like Maui would have the strength to carry a yoke such as this. More >>

Captain Cook and the Kingdom of Tonga

Captain Cook visited Tonga in 1773, 1774 and 1777. When offered ‘Ota Ika (raw fish), he asked his assistant to taste the dish first to ensure the food wasn’t poisoned. (Today, some cheeky accommodation providers follow this method when serving traditional food to their guests!) More >>

The Langi Tombs

Langi is the name given to the tombs of the Tu’I Tonga dynasty (Scared Kings of Tonga) and are normally platsforms of earth constituting of a stepped pyramid effect supported by carefully placed retaining walls. More >>

Ha’apai

	European Cemetery and Shirley Baker Monument Whether dry goods merchants, copra traders, or beachcombers, a majority of the European community of late 19th and early 20th century in Lifuka, and their Tongan families, were buried in the small cemetery plot on the northern outskirts of Pangai. More >>
	Olovehi Tomb The tomb at Olovehi was constructed in the late 1700s for Nanasipau’u, a woman who held the position of Tu’i (King) Tonga fefine (eldest sister of the Tu’i Tonga). As part of her funeral rite, it is claimed that many individuals were killed and buried around the outside to serve as her attendants in the afterlife. More >>
	Huluipaongo Tomb As Captain Cook sailed passed the southern end of Lifuka on the 23rd of May 1777, he wrote in his journal of an impressive “mount” that had been built for a former “king”. Having the name Huluipaongo, it is the burial site of the Mata’uvave line of chiefs and it is the highest burial site of the Lifuka. More >>
	Tofua Island It was just after 8am on April 28, 1789, when the famous Mutiny on the Bounty occurred between Lifuka and the volcanic island of Tofua. As Fletcher Christian and the mutineers set sail for Tahiti, Captain William Bligh and 18 companions rowed their way to Tofua. The reception they received there was no better than on the Bounty and the landing party was attacked and one person was killed. More >>
	History of Lifuka Archaeological excavations in the village of Hihifo indicate that the first settlement of Lifuka took place approximately 3000 years ago. Other archaeological excavations on Lifuka, and throughout Tonga as a whole, document an unbroken continuum from these settlers to the present. More >>

Fortress of Velata
Bathing Well at ‘Ahau

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Arts & Crafts

Tongan handicrafts are renowned for their quality, range and inexpensiveness.
Below is a list of where you can find good quality handicrafts.

Tongatapu

Langafonua Gallery & Handicrafts Centre

The Langafonua Gallery & Handicrafts Centre is ideally located in the heart of Nuku’alofa, next door to Friends Café on Taufa’Ahua Road Tongatapu and stocks the best range of traditional Tongan handicrafts and fine arts. More >>

Vava’u

Langafonua Women’s Handicraft Association Vava’u

Located on the main road of Neiafu in Vava’u in the same complex as the Tonga Visitors Bureau, Langafonua Women’s Handicraft Association Vava’u is a leading destination for the purchase of locally produced traditional handicraft items. More >>

Vava’u Handicraft Association

The Vava’u Handicraft Association include producers and wholesalers of handicrafts. While earning a living is first and foremost, their objective is to promote the tourism industry by refining and producing the best quality handicrafts. The Association conducts training and promotes new handicraft ideas and innovation. The aim is to produce more crafts using local materials and preserve traditional arts and crafts that have been slowly disappearing. More >>

About Tongan Handicrafts

Click here below to learn more about tapa making and mat weaving.

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Religious Services

Mass Location and Time

The Kingdom of Tonga is a devoutly Christian nation and Tongans across every island group honours Sundays. In fact, the Sabbath is declared sacred in the Tongan Constitution. Virtually every denomination is represented in the Kingdom of Tonga, with each church taking an interest in the development of the country. We welcome you to attend our church services so you can hear our heavenly choirs. See the time and location of religious services for all islands here.

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Traditional Dinner and Cultural Shows

Buffet Shows in Tongatapu

Traditional Tongan food regularly consists largely of root vegetables and fruit, usually boiled with coconut cream. A feast is incomplete without Tonga’s delicacies such as roasted pork and seafood. A seafood speciality is ‘ota ika’ (raw fish marinated in lemon and coconut cream). Another favourite is ‘lu pulu’ – corned beef and coconut milk wrapped in taro leaves and cooked in a traditional underground oven (‘umu). More >>

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Adventures

	Whale Swimming and Watching Slip into the water with the magnificent humpback whales, known for their beautiful singing and powerful aerial displays. There are also plenty of opportunities to watch the whales’ spectacular displays from the comfort of a boat. The whales migrate to the Kingdom of Tonga every year in June to give birth and mate and stay until November. More >>
	Diving/Snorkelling You can dive and snorkel all year round in the Kingdom of Tonga’s clear tropical waters. Observe radiant blues, reds, yellows and oranges of the sea life that inhabit the pristine coral gardens. Find sea stars, tropical fish, sharks, rays, turtles and more in the reefs, thriving encrusted wrecks, vast sea caves, dark tunnels, voclanic black walls, massive sea pinnacles, winding swim-throughs and reaching overhangs. More >>
	Kayaking and Outrigger Canoeing Escape on your own or with a friend. Access the outer islands on the kayaks, cruise the coast or use the kayak as a surface support vessel for snorkeling outer reefs and fishing. More >>
	Fishing The Kingdom of Tonga is widely regarded as a ‘fisherman’s Kingdom’ and it has the largest game fishing fleet in the South Pacific. Your chances of catching the mighty Blue Marlin are better in the Kingdom of Tonga than almost anywhere in the world. More >>
	Sailing Before you are even 50 metres off the dock you’re in navy blue waters more than 30 metres deep and with visibility of 15 metres up to 30 metres. More >>
	Surfing Tonga enjoys world class surfing year round with 2 very distinct seasons: the Summer North Swell (November to March) and the Winter South Swell Season (April to October). More >>
	Tramping/Trekking & Camping Visit ‘Eua Island and head past dramatic cliffs, through pine plantations, along ridges, into caves, along the coast, over grassy plains that wild horses call their home, around rocky gardens and under limestone archways. Then camp on deserted golden beaches for the best seat in the house for the stunning sunset and sunrise. More >>
	Kart Safaris Imagine hopping behind the wheel and driving yourself, while following your guide, for 40kms of bush trails on a small jeep-like kart, through villages, plantations, out to lookout points and along ridgelines of Vava’u. More >>