I didn’t think I’d ever see this mystical country in the South Seas. Yet here we are, moored right in front of the Royal Palace of the King of Tonga. I guess that, when the King chose this prime location on the azure water front, he had no idea that eventually cruise ships would dock right in front of his place.
The land is flat. The palace with its red roofs and white dormers looks nice. It is surrounded by green lawns. I keep looking to see if the King is home but no one stirs.
Traditional Tongan clothing.
We walk off the long pier into town. This is the capital city called Nuka’alofa. It has a nice stone church, tree lined streets and some shops. But it’s also a bit run down. Hawkers try to sell us flags and fridge magnets. School children in pristine uniforms walk to school. And we fall in love with some adorable puppies whining behind a fence in one of the back streets.
We admire the beautifully crafted inside of the church with high wooden ceilings. The beams are lashed together with palm ropes in an intrigued pattern. I love the traditional clothing: the men wear a dress shirt and a long wrapped, black ‘skirt’. Over this, around their waist, they wear a woven wicker mat called a ta’ovala. One man wears a black shirt and tells us his mother died so he is in mourning and will wear black for a year. There is a strong sense of tradition here. And also of pride.
The church’s ceiling.
Tonga is the only kingdom in the South Pacific. And it has been a kingdom for over 1,000 years! With a strong navy Tonga dominated many islands in its vicinity and formed a kingdom in which the Tui’Tonga, the king of Tonga, ruled with an iron fist. Unlike most of the other South Pacific nations, this tiny country has never been ruled by a foreign power. The islands have a strong Polynesian culture.
Tongan puppy.
Tonga is a matriarchal society. The country is made up of about 170 islands. Nuka’alofa is situated on the island of Tongatapu. The government is an odd blend of Polynesian culture and British influence: the king is a hereditary chief and has a Parliament.
Missionaries found fertile ground here. Reportedly, the country has more churches per capita than any other country in the world.
It turned out that this was the first time our ship, Holland America’s Zaandam, docked in Nuka’alofa. And so country’s officials met with the captain and other officers to exchange plagues to commemorate the event before we puttered off, across calm seas, to the next Tongan island: Vava’u.
A beautiful bay fringes a lush, green island. This one is much more hilly than Tongatapu. We’re tendered to shore where we are welcomed by enthousiastic dances. Men, women and children dance their hearts out, wearing grass skirts, in the heat.
We stroll uphill and find a lovely tourist office with wifi. In a quiet side street we spot a man sitting in his taxi. He’s friendly and helpful and we arrange a ride to a beach on the other side of the island. We had read that there is a nice sand beach for swimming and it’s quiet. He offers to show us a few things along the way, drop us off and then return a few hours later to take us back to the ship.
OK…
We stop at a cave - a hole in a rock wall, filled with water. He tells us this is a popular swimming hole. But somehow we are not tempted to climb into the darkness and take a plunge.
We do, however, find a nice snorkeling beach. Funny enough, it turned out that this was a destination for one of the ship’s shore excursions. There are still chairs and a tent from where other passengers gazed at the sea. They have left by the time we get there but what remains is a table full of fruit platters. The local guides beckon us over and tell us to help ourselves to pineapple and mangoes!
When we get back to the ship that afternoon, after snorkelling for a long time in the beautiful, calm waters, there turns out to be a passenger with a medical emergency. We need to wait for an airplane to arrive to take this person to a hospital in New Zealand. We float in Tongan waters for almost 24 hours. Nothing to complain about! We are grateful that HAL takes good care of its passengers.
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