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FireFlyz | 23
a Tongan feast with tropical fruit, roast
pigs, succulent seafood and countless
other leaf-wrapped goodies, washed
down with several glasses of ‘Kava’ - an
intoxicating local drink derived from a
root mixed with water - then fall asleep
under a sky filled to the brim with
sparkling stars. You will really feel the
difference in life in the South Pacific. If
you choose to stay in one of the many
reasonable Bed and Breakfasts, you
may find yourself awoken early in pitch
darkness by the sound of singing from
the local church nearby.
The middle island of Ha’apai conceals
a notorious history as it is close to the
site of the ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’, a
fabled historical tale when disgruntled
mutineers took charge of the HMS
Bounty before fleeing across the Pacific.
Ha’apai offers accommodation in a ‘Fale’,
a wooden hut on stilts at the beach front
where you can enjoy a meal of grilled
Mahi Mahi (Mahi-Mahi or common dol-
phinfish is a surface-dwelling ray-finned
fish found in off-shore temperate, tropical
and subtropical waters) while you watch
little wild piglets running around on the
grass nearby.
Flying around the Pacific could open
up a new take on the life you could live
if you choose to adventure out of your
comfort zone. Why not go tussel with a
whale if you visit the Kingdom of Tonga
between July and September.
bow of your boat, which may be captained
by anyone from a casual boat owner to an
avid cetologist, is another amazing sight.
Breaching is where half to three quarters of
the whale’s body length comes up out of the
water and falls on its side or back causing a
huge splash as it hits the water.
Notorious History
You are allowed to snorkel with the whales
but not to dive. You will need to be light of
foot to hop in to the water most times when
you sight a whale, as they rarely spend more
than a minute or two at the surface before
high-tailing off in to the deep blue. If you
are a scuba diver there are some good dive
sites to try out on each island and you may
even find yourself drifting down a valley of
‘cauliflower’ coral while you listen to the
sounds of whales talking to each other, in
the distance, under water.
Internal flights between the islands do not
take long, it’s an easy hop up to Vava’uwhere
you can take a day trip to chase whales, enjoy
Making a big splash while breaching
You have to be quick if you want
to snorkel with the whales