Tonga was the buzzword after last night’s Olympics Opening Ceremony. Social media especially Twitter was on fire after the country’s beautiful shirtless and very greasy flag bearer walked the national stage at Rio 2016. The country made it to the top ten trending topics on Twitter with almost everyone longing to visit. Shockingly, a lot of people have never heard of Tonga until last night. But thanks to the sexy greasy flag bearer, Pita Nicolas Taufatofua who will be representing his country in taekwondo, everyone can now find it on the map.
Tonga is a Polynesian kingdom that consists of four island groups with a total of more than 170 islands. But only 45 of these islands are inhabited. It is the only country in South Pacific that was never colonized by a foreign power. If the chiseled body and smiling face of Taufatofua did not convince you to visit his country, here are 5 reasons you should start planning your next vacation to Tonga.
Whale watching
The Vava’u Island group is one of the world’s hotspots for whale watching. The area attracts hundreds of humpback whales every year, between late June and early November. These whales swim from Antarctica to have their babies in the warm waters surrounding Vava’u. The best spot to watch the whales is at Mounu Island Resort where you can sit on the deck and watch the whales play with dolphins.
The “Tongan time”
This great kingdom has an unspoilt and easygoing ambiance that will force you to instantly de-stress. The country is uncrowded and very peaceful so there will be nothing to worry about except having a good time.
The culture
The Kingdom of Tonga is rich in traditions and culture, which are centered around their monarchy and family. You will enjoy the beautiful culture through dance, music, art and food. And you will probably get a culture shock especially when you see men that take up the role of mothers, wives, sisters and daughters in families where there are no women left.
The hospitality
The people are very nice and friendly towards visitors. No wonder Captain James Cook, the British explorer, named it the “Friendly Islands”.
Affordable
We all want affordable vacation packages, which sometimes are hard to find. But you don’t have to worry about being short of cash while visiting Tonga because the favorable exchange rate with the Tongan dollar (Pa’Anga) makes accommodation, transportation and food very affordable.
Have you ever been to Tonga? What are some of the experiences you loved and what other reasons can you give to convince potential visitors?
