The Vava’u Island Group in the Kingdom of Tonga is a Polynesian paradise. Many experienced world travellers call Vava’u one of the most extraordinary tropical paradises in the world. Located in the Central South Pacific, you can enjoy warm seas and a year round summer and the island has something for every type of traveller.
Vava’u has everything from relaxing and private luxury island retreats, hotels, back packer accommodation, homestays and glamping and live aboard sailing vessels. We cater for those wanting to rejuvenate in a tropical hideaway as well as those looking for an adventurous holiday offering easy access with flights through Fiji or Tongatapu from New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and North America.
Our friendly experienced local operators are excited to share our island paradise with you. We have an array of land and water based activities to offer that are suitable for any fitness level. Our restaurants and cafés serve dishes from the Pacific and around the world with pricing suitable for all budgets with unique dining experiences that are franchise-free.
The scenery and landscapes are magnificent. For the nature lover, we offer botanical gardens, sea bird colonies, plantations, crystal clear water, cliff top lookouts and bird watching that will take your breath away. If you are feeling active then you can climb to a clifftop for a 360 degree view, take a bush walk or climb Mount Talau.
There are many options available to take a boat trip while you are here. People come from around the world to go on one of our world class fishing trips. At various times of the year, there are international fishing tournaments hosted in our idyllic fishing-hole. Join one of our licensed operators for a dive or snorkel trip, hire a sailboat for a day or longer, go whale watching whilst keeping your eye out for the acrobatic spinner dolphins. Our operators are able to cater to all abilities and preferences with diving options for both novice and experienced divers to snorkel in Swallow’s Cave and Mariner’s cave, check out the wreck of the Clan McWilliam, swim throughs, walls, caves and much more. Vava’u is also visited by yachts from around the world with some of the visiting yachts having circumnavigated the globe – so why not hire a yacht and take a week to sail around our many islands and fully explore Vava’u by sea?
You can also take a guided tour across the island in an ATV buggy, pass through the villages and see Tongan lifestyle up close, see the women weaving the mats that are so important to the Tongan culture, stop at a plantation and see subsistence farming up close before visiting the cliff top, bat colonies and a swim at the beach. Or do all of this in the comfort of your own time and space by hiring a car and see for yourself.
Take the opportunity to enjoy a traditional Tongan feast prepared in the umu (feast cooked in traditional underground oven), witness the beauty of our cultural dances including the graceful Tau‘olunga (a traditional Tongan dance), pop into a local Kava club and experience some Kava (a Tongan root drink that is very calming and helps you relax and have a relaxing night’s sleep), or attend a Sunday church service and be moved by the powerful choral sounds of Tongan hymns – all bucket list type items to do in Vava’u to get the full Polynesian experience.
Tonga is one of the oldest kingdoms in the world. For those interested in history, you can visit the site where the Constitution for the Kingdom of Tonga was signed, right here in Vava’u. Visit the census wall where a stone was added at the birth of every child, see where the first Christians landed, visit the cave where the princess used to have her private baths or visit the tomb where a princess and her lover were buried (a legend you can find out more about when you visit).
So come, grab a coconut straight off a tree, and discover for yourself the pacific beauty and cultural richness that is Vava’u…. Toki Sio (See ya!)
