"Malo e lelei - Welcome
to the Friendly Islands."
The Kingdom of
Tonga is located in Western Polynesia. Its nearest neighbor
country is Fiji to the west and the Samoas to the north.
Western Polynesia includes the islands of Tonga, Samoa,
Niue, Tuvala and Tokelau.
Tonga is one of the most scenic and unspoiled of the Pacific
Island nations.
There are 176 islands in the Kingdom of Tonga and to see
them all you need plenty of time.
Tonga's domestic airlines connect the island groups of Tongatapu,
Eua, Vava'u and Ha'apai and the two Niuas Islands.
In Tonga you can enjoy not only the warm hospitality of
its people, but Culture & History, beaches and water
sports, adventure, festivals and events.
Nuku’alofa,
the capital, is located on the main island of Tongatapu
Government: Constitutional monarchy. Gained full independence within
the Commonwealth in 1970.
Head of State:
His Majesty King George TupouI V since 2006
Head
of Government: Prime Minister Dr. Feleti Vakauta
SEVELE (since 11 February 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Dr.
Viliami TANGI (since 16 May 2006)
Getting
There from the USA
The main airlines
serving Tonga are Air New Zealand, Air Pacific. There
are direct flights to Tonga from Los Angeles, New Zealand,
Australia, Fiji and Samoa.
Schedules
from USA (LAX)
- Air New Zealand fly once weekly on Tue.
- Air Pacific fly to Fiji six times weekly and connects
to Tongatapu twice weekly (Sat, Tue)
When to Go
May to October
is the best time to visit. November to April
is Summer, and is the hurricane season. It can be
hot, humid and wet. The peak travel season is December and
January (Tongans living abroad are returning home), so make
reservations well in advance.