The people are carefree, fun loving and renowned for their sincere goodwill. They love their Royal family; they are fanatical about rugby and are devout Christians.
Although ease of travel and the ubiquitous eye of the camera make our world small, accessible and familiar, Tonga still remains far away from it all, still different, still alone, and to the joy of those who find their way to the Kingdom – essentially un-spoilt.

The pace of life in Vava'u is leisurely and without television, or clocks. Tongan people are very friendly and enthusiastically share their strong community spirit with visitors. However, keep in mind - that Tonga is a ‘developing’ country and most of its inhabitants live from day to day in a very simple way – very different to a ‘developed’ country.

Minor things like delays or noise tend not to cause any stress. Tongan's enjoy the beach, collecting from the sea, singing, and dancing. Any occasion, big or small, can become a good reason for getting together to celebrate with friends and family.

In Tongan life, the family is of utmost importance. Each family member plays a role, with older persons commanding the most respect. Women benefit from a higher social status than in other parts of Polynesia as tradition gives them certain authority over male family members. Public life, however, is still dominated by men. The eldest sister acts as the family matriarch and oversees her siblings, nieces, and nephews. Children may reside with grandparents, aunts, or uncles as often as with their parents—with multiple authority figures in their lives, most children refer to their elders by first names. Every family member helps out in the care and discipline of younger children. Tongan's hold first and twenty-first birthdays, marriages, and funerals in the highest regard.

Religion closely follows the family in importance, and almost all Tongan's are churchgoers. This staunchly Christian nation honours Sundays across every island group—the Sabbath is declared forever sacred in the Tongan Constitution. Almost everything (except bakeries, a few restaurants, and resorts) are closed. No sporting events take place, it is unlawful to work or trade, and most tours do not operate. Contracts signed on a Sunday are void. It is inadvisable to create any disturbance, operate noisy equipment, or be loud on Sundays.

The scenery in Vava'u is everything you would expect a tropical paradise to be - rich, green vegetation, stunning blue seas surrounding turquoise lagoons, and white sandy beaches lined with coconut palms. Practically untouched by tourism.

You will be touched by the beauty of the islands and its people and will leave with memories of floating in warm azure sea with magnificent the gentle giants, brilliant sunsets reflected in calm lagoons, the sound of beautiful singing in village churches drifting across the water each morning as the sun pops over the horizon.

Dress Code:
The Tongan people are strict Christians so brief tight shorts, bikinis and bathing suits are fine for the beaches at the resort but frowned upon if worn in public. This means around the town of Neiafu, villages, Pangai, Nuku'alofa, airports etc.
Tonga law prohibits any person appearing in a public place without a shirt. A light sweater or shawl in the evenings is recommended during the months of July - September. If you attend a church service, woman are expected to wear long skirt or long loose trousers and long sleeved loose top and men – long trousers and a shirt.

Please note:
If you have not been to an under-developed country before, you may be a little shocked when you see their very basic housing and many skinny dogs scavenging for food.
The people look poor to our standards BUT material things mean little to them, the most important thing to them is 'family'. They have their traditional foods which they grow in their family plantation, chickens & pigs and they catch fish most days.

We ask our guests not to tip. They simple don’t understand why they are being given money for nothing. So this money is usually used for buying sweets, cakes, soda etc that help contribute to the high diabetes rate in Tonga.
PLUS they are obliged to give most of it to the Priest/Minister at their church. Tipping has lead to them thinking all ‘palangis’ (foreigners) are rich are starting to expect money for nothing, so we ask our guests not to tip.
There are many other ways you can contribute to making a difference in their lives. Bring coloured crayons, pens, pencils, writing books, scissors, dictionaries and reading books in English. Anything that will contribute to the children's' education will be appreciated. More information on how your can help - go to our About Us page