A South Pacific kingdom like no other
It's a connected world we live in where globalization blurs the lines between cultures and economies. But what is it like in a country so remote its differences stand in stark contrast to the rest of the world? I went to Tonga -- the only South Pacific country never colonized - to find out.
As early explorers discovered one doesn't simply drop into Tonga. A group of 171 islands scattered across 259,000 square kilometers of eastern Polynesia, only 697 square kilometers of Tonga is solid land and they are surrounded by large expanses of Pacific Ocean. Captain Cook dropped by in 1773, Captain Bligh got booted off the Bounty near Tonga in 1789, and discovering the fierce fighting powers of Tongans, paddled 6,500 kilometers in an open row boat to Timor for a friendlier welcome. Today you can fly to New Zealand or Fiji and catch a flight to Tongatapu, the capital of Tonga, or like me, you can arrive by boat. Every two years, Paul Gauguin Cruises sails to Tonga, a day and a half voyage from Fiji or over two days from the Cook Islands.
Winding past the green, hilly islands of the Va'va'oo group in northern Tonga, birds called from Mt. Talau National Park as we approached the Port of Refuge -- a favorite destination of yachters from May to October and one of the most protected anchorages in the South Pacific. With palm-fringed beaches and brightly colored storefronts, the scene evoked images of a place where time if not standing still, moved at a different pace.
Tongans converted to Christianity in 1831 - a strategic move by King George Tupou that helped preserve the kingdom's independence - and evidence of their religious devotion could be seen as soon as we motored into the harbor. The white tower of St. Joseph's Cathedral stands above the village of Neiafu, a town with a few more cell phone towers than when ancient mariners arrived but where century-old traditions remain. "Tongans are still doing the same dances today as they were doing for James Cook except the women have their breasts covered because they are Methodists now!" explained anthropologist Mark Eddowes during a shipboard orientation.
After coming ashore I rode a bus along the only road that left town to a small resort offering beach-time and refreshments. I spent as much time watching the action above the water as below. The snorkeling yielded brightly colored fish and two barracudas hunting herring, but the gathering of local Tongans on the beach was more fun to watch. Family connections are important in Tonga - remittances from family living abroad are a major source of income for the economy - and a communal meal was underway. A small mountain of cooked hotdogs built on the barbeque while women set out salads in bright red bowls, their laughter and song punctuated the warm tropical air. Children swam fully clothed - walking downtown without a shirt will get you a ticket in Tonga - while their parents watched our group of foreigners swim with shoulders and knees exposed.
Swimming in Tonga has gained international attention not because locals wear more clothes doing it but because from May to October people can swim with humpback whales. The sheltered waters attract thousands of whales for birthing and mating. Almost everyone with a boat will take you out to swim with a whale, a behavior that has raised conservation concerns about the disturbance it may cause.
I wasn't in Tonga during whale season but saw evidence of the creature’s importance to local culture while admiring a whale design on a local handicraft. Souvenirs grow on trees here, literally. With few foreign imports Tongans still make traditional bark cloth. Bark is cut from a tree, soaked, then dyed and stenciled. I asked the artist - Mrs. Moa - where she got inspiration for her design. "I get inspired by the whales I see here," she said, pulling out a Samsung phone and showing me underwater video shot only a few meters from a mother humpback and calf. "I'm a good swimmer. We spent about an hour with her before leaving so another boat could spend time with the whale," she explained.
As images of the whales played in my head, I headed back to the ship, realizing that while Tonga wasn't easy to reach, for the people (and the whales) who made the journey, there was something special here. For me it was the chance to see a country that was doing things their way.
If you decide to go:
Paul Gauguin Cruises offers voyages that stop in Tonga and include all meals, drinks, gratuities and airfare from Los Angeles. www.pgcruises.com
August is the best time to whale watch or swim with whales. Mrs. Moa offers accommodation and tours at wwwflyinganniemoavavau.com.
Carol Patterson inspires everyday explorers with words and video. When she isn’t travelling for work, Carol is travelling for fun. More of her adventures can be found at www.carolpatterson.ca