So, Tonga. Our destination lecture mentioned it is the only island chain not colonized by a European power, and they only established a democratic parliament nine years ago. The capitol and main tourist place is in the south, but we visited Neiafu on the island of Vava’u to the north. Seems it’s mainly known for whale watching, which occurs during the summer/fall. So, we were visiting in the low season.

And it showed. You know what’s coming when the daily news letter includes text like “We face interesting challenges in Neiafu in that we demand the best, yet the standards here may vary in terms of operation and customer service.” I think there is a reason the south island gets most of the cruises…

We were met at the pier with the local cultural music masterpiece: “Hokey Pokey“, and it went down from there. The transportation to the beach “resort” was a junker minivan, and the beach was two feet wide. The resort was totally opened just for us. The local dance involved a few grade school children. It was good to get off the ship, and the fruit served was lovely, but *whoof*.

The local dress was interesting. Tonga is very religious and conservative. The “grass skirt” is worn over full western clothing. And there was a long inlet for the ship to navigate, which allowed for some enjoyable tropical views at both sides. But: “meh”.

Now, to be fair to Tonga – we have come from visiting Bora Bora and Tahiti. It’s hard to compete. I’m sure the whales watching is amazing. But most other things, not so much.