To say this island has a different feel is an understatement. Very quickly you realize that it’s not just an island called Tonga, but it is the “Kingdom of Tonga” - the only sovereign indigenous monarchy in the South Pacific. In Tonga it is all about the king, the one who rules over his 107,00 subjects. He and the queen are pretty well set up here. The King has a palace, several residences around the island for himself and family members, his own army of about 700 and seems to have control of the Treasury too. The current King - George Tupou VI, is a direct decendent of George Tupou I who ruled Tonga from 1797 to 1893. You will find the new King’s smiling face on posters throughout Tonga, just so you don’t forget who is in charge.

The Tongan People

Tonga became known as the Friendly Islands because of the congenial reception accorded to Captain James Cook on his first visit in 1773. Little did he know there was a plot to kill him that failed. Tonga still remains know as the Friendly Islands and from my time spent there, a good description of the people I met. Smiling friendly faces are everywhere. Whenever I asked to take someones photo, they quickly said yes.

When I travel to different islands I usually book a hotel/motel in the heart of town. That way I can access restaurants and get a sense of how the people live. By staying at a resort, you won’t get the same experience, for sure. If I want to travel around the island there is never a shortage of taxi drivers willing to give you their own special tour of the island. Another reason is to be close to the local market. This is where you get a real sense of the rural lifestyle as most of the vendors have come in from villages to sell their goods to people living in the city. It is almost always women working as vendors and many with children clinging to their sides. The way they dress, their facial expressions, the products they sell - this is what tells me more about an island then any tour I could book.

Who needs a department store when pretty much everything can be bought from road side vendors. The main road along the waterfront was packed with vendors selling just about anything & everything.