Offloading passengers in the Ha’apai Islands
Captain Cook is a name planted on every corner of major Pacific Islands. From New Zealand to Hawaii. For Tonga, Captain Cook classified the Tongan islands as “The Friendly Islands”, a title that has stuck to Tonga as a motto. I didn’t take note of this until I arrived in Tongatapu airport and saw signs all over the small airport terminal. I didn’t come to any conclusions about a place I hadn’t been yet, but the responses I got from a number of Kiwis about coming here were extremely negative and harsh. “Tonga? Why you wanna go there mate”. “Why don’t you go to Cook Islands or Fiji?”. Because I f***ing want to bro! “Bro they still eat people there.” Mind you these are people that do like to enjoy pricey resorts and relaxation so I can’t get too defensive.
Hitching rides on Tongatapu
Tonga realistically isn’t a place for those top notch relaxation resorts. I mean, resorts exist here, but they don’t match up to the standards of your stereotypical resorts. In fact, I find them more of a backpackers luxury fix, with accommodation set up to best of a locals ability to me at least some standards for comfort. The walls may be thin with visiting rats and the showers aren’t the cleanest but everything is there to meet a backpackers needs. Simplicity!
Helping water kava plants in Vava’u
Gift from my friends in Vava’u before sailing to Fiji
But apart from the low expectation to have when finding a place to stay, I was surprised to find out how incredibly kind the people were. I mean I didn’t expect them to be assholes nor did I expect them to be really friendly. But really friendly is what they are! I mean nearly everyone took time out to smile at me or smile back at me responding to my “Malo e lelei”. Whether I was on a bus, passing in the street in Nuku’alofa or Pangai in Ha’apai, the owner at Tisa’s resort, or the owner of a roadside shop.
Hitchhiking works so well, people sometimes have gone out of their way to help me get to my final destination. Being taken into the home of a family in Pangaimotu, Vava’u was the highlight of it all. Being dressed to join them on Sunday church, eating Umu, showing me around the island and ways of life (Fertilizing kava, catering to taro plants, feeding pig and cow). But, just about everyone greeted me and treated me with lots of kindness and was a major highlight to my time in Tonga and even the Pacific thus far.
Friendly locals picking me up on Tongatapu.
I don’t have expectations anymore before I go anywhere but I did know that there was a higher level of kindness across the Pacific islands. I usually have a natural awareness that people try to seek something in return from kindness. I say this because in Cuba, people were friendly but because of low wages people always wanted something in return, which is fine. But Bosnia & Herzegovina and Tonga remain as the two countries so far of the kindest people that went a long way to show kindness without asking for anything in return.
Tonga for me and my travels, will always be remembered as one of the friendliest countries I’ve ever been to.
Show around Vava’u island
Lookout in northern Vava’u
