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 Tonga: Vacation
Planning & Tourist Information
Please click on the links below for information on the Kingdom of Tonga:
Tonga - Facts at a Glance
| Full country name |
Kingdom of Tonga |
| Area |
688 sq km (268 sq miles) |
| Population |
98,000 |
| Capital city |
Nuku'alofa |
| People |
Polynesian |
| Language |
Tongan but English is widely spoken |
| Religion |
Protestant, Catholic, Morman |
| Government |
Hereditary Constitutional Monarchy |
| Currency |
Tongan Dollars TOP$ |
| Tourism |
Tourism approximately 32,000 visitors per year |
| Exports |
vanilla beans, coconut and coconut oil, bananas, fish,
leather goods, fibreglass boats. |
| Imports |
food (including fresh and preserved meats, flour, dairy
products, sugar), cigarettes and tobacco, textiles, fuel oils, machinery
and transport equipment, building supplies and materials. |
| Main Industries |
processing of agricultural produce, manufacture of foodstuffs,
clothing and sports equipment |
| Main Crops |
coconut, yams, taro, sweet potatoes, cassava, citrus
fruits, bananas, vanilla, pumpkins, groundnuts, tomatoes, watermelons,
and vegetables. |
 Laundry
Facilities
- There are laundry facilities at the base.
- Clients should advise the base in advance
- There are two laundry services in Vava'u The cost is minimal.
- There are no coin-operated laundromats in Vava'u
Time
- GMT+1400
- No known DST-adjustments for year 2005
- Sun: Sunrise at 6:09 AM / Sunset at 7:28 PM
Tipping
- Tipping is not usual in Tonga; however if you appreciate the service
feel free to leave something.
- At the base, if you would like to leave something for the staff please
remit to the manager.
- A goods & services tax is 5%. Room tax is 2.5%.
Bank & Money Exchange
Business Hours - Shopping & Banking
- Shopping hours 0800 - 1600 Monday to Friday 0800 -1200 Saturday
- Banking hours 0900 -1530 Monday to Friday 0900 -1130 Saturday
Don't be surprised to find that everything (taxis, sightseeing trips,
etc) shuts down on Sundays
 Local
Currency
- The Tongan Dollar is called the Paíanga.
- Paíanga (TOP$) = 100 seniti. Notes are in denominations of
TOP$50, 20, 10, 5, 2, 1.
Coins are in denominations of 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 & 1 seniti.
- The currencies most commonly accepted for exchange are the US, Australian
& New Zealand dollars & British sterling, although the Fijian
dollar, Euro and yen are also fairly standard currencies of exchange.
- Several of the mid-range and more expensive hotels will also exchange
currency, but at a lower rate than the banks.
Credit cards
- Take cash as very few shops and restaurants have credit card machines
in Vava'u.
- There is 2 ATM machine in Neiafu village one at the ANZ bank and the
other one at Westpac bank available 24/7.
- A credit card fee is often passed on to the customer.
 Why
you should cruise in Vava'u
- Easy line of sight sailing all in sheltered waters; distances between
islands are only two to three hours sailing
- Beautiful clear waters you can see the bottom at 40 meters
- Two caves to explore mariners cave (under water entrance) and Swallows
cave (take the dingy inside)
- Safe waters for diving and snorkeling - no dangerous sea life
- No traffic problems no high rises just small villages and a small
town called Neiafu only three minutes walk from the base
- All our boats are less than four years old and 90% are less than three
years
- The bank in Tonga now has 24hr money machines for exchange of moneys
into Tongan dollars
- We have a provisioning store at the base also a boutique selling souvenirs
and clothes etc
- We have 40 different anchorages in the Vava'u group (protection
from all winds) with a clear and helpful chart
- We have a large local market in the town selling fresh produce and
only 3 minutes walk from the base
- We also have Email and Internet facilities at the base
- We have doctors and a dentist and a hospital (certain medication is
difficult to obtain here so bring a good supply of personal medication)
- A Taxi from the airport to the base takes 15 minutes and aprox 8 tongan
dollars
Vava' u Weather & Tides
The weather in Vava'u is controlled by trade winds blowing from the south
east at an average of 12 knots. Temperatures range from 21C (70F) in July
to 33C (103F) in February. From January to March the wind becomes more
variable and humidity and rainfall increases, however, the sailing conditions
remain favourable. There are occasional strong Northwest winds with rain,
normally clearing within 12 hours, with a wind shift to the south.
Hurricanes are not a worry since Vava'u offers adequate forecasting and
excellent protection.
The main tide rise and fall is 1 metre.
Average Weather, Temperature in Tonga - by Month
|
Month
|
F° Ave |
C° Ave |
Ave Precip (in ) |
Ave Precip (mm) |
Ave Wind Speed Kts |
| January |
80.1F° |
26.7 C° |
5.0 |
127 |
SE/E 10-25 kts |
| February |
80.6F° |
27 C° |
8.0 |
203 |
SE/E 10-25 kts |
| March |
79.9F° |
26.6 C° |
9.0 |
129 |
SE/E 10-25 kts |
| April |
79.2F° |
25.1 C° |
5.0 |
127 |
SE/E 10-25 kts |
| May |
77.2F° |
25.1 C° |
4.5 |
152 |
SE/E 10-25 kts |
| June |
75.9F° |
24.4 C° |
4.5 |
114 |
SE/E 10-25 kts |
| July |
74.1F° |
23.4 C° |
4.0 |
102 |
SE/E 10-25 kts |
| August |
73.9F° |
23.3 C° |
5.0 |
127 |
SE/E 10-25 kts |
| September |
74.8F° |
23.8 C° |
4.0 |
102 |
SE/E 10-25 kts |
| October |
76.1F° |
24.5 C° |
3.8 |
97 |
SE/E 10-25 kts |
| November |
77.5F° |
25.3 C° |
5.0 |
102 |
SE/E 10-25 kts |
| December |
78.2F° |
26.2 C° |
5.0 |
127 |
SE/E 10-25 kts |
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