Fiji, Samoa or Tonga, there’s a Tanoa hotel waiting.
Easy to find, hard to leave.
Get to know Nuku’alofa
Step out of the hotel and you’re in Nuku’alofa. Swim with whales, dive, hike, birdwatch, shop or lie on a beach. Beyond the city, Tonga has plenty more. We’re on the waterfront, so it’s easy to fit a bit of everything in. Ask at the tour desk in the lobby and we’ll plan it with you.
Swim with the whales!
Tanoa Expeditions takes you out to swim with humpback whales, or to watch from the boat. Island day trips, private charters and fishing trips are also on offer.
Swim with the whales
Travellers return to Tonga year after year. So do the whales. Every year, southern humpback whales travel from the krill-rich waters of Antarctica to Tonga. From July to October they gather in the calm, reef-protected lagoons to give birth and raise their calves, born in the same waters where they were conceived about 11 months earlier.
Tonga is one of the few places in the world where you can swim with them. Tanoa Expeditions takes you out from Nuku’alofa with a skipper and whale guides with 20 years of shared experience on the water, and keeps swim groups to two per charter for less waiting and more time in the water.
Prefer to stay dry? Choose whale watching, an offshore island day trip, a private charter or a fishing trip. The 5-day whale package includes wetsuit, snorkel gear, lunch and transfers.
Head to Tanoa Expeditions and book in your experience.
Explore Nuku’alofa
Nuku’alofa is best taken slowly, and the waterfront is the place to start. Friends Cafe and Tourist Center is where everyone meets. Beyond it, the capital has small cafes and parks made for sitting back and watching the world go by.
Tongatapu has plenty of local tour operators, and our tour desk works with them. Stop by the desk and we’ll plan your days with you.
Sailing
Sail through the lagoons and past coral atolls with the breeze behind you.
Ashore, swim in Anahulu Cave, watch the blowholes at work and find a sandy beach to stop at. Ask at the tour desk and we’ll help arrange it.
Snorkeling
An easy activity for all age groups. No complicated gear on your back, just a snorkel, some flippers and away you go.
The water is warm enough that you don’t need a wetsuit, and there are guides around to help first-timers. Expect clear water, plenty of fish and coral.
Kayaking
Get inches above the water in a sea kayak and paddle out to more remote islands.
Guided tours run from one to 13 days. Along the way you may see spinner dolphins, humpback whales and sea turtles, with seabirds diving on schools of fish. Few of the islands are inhabited, so you camp on empty beaches or stay in simple island villages.
Diving
Dive reefs, caves, arches and volcanic tunnels around the Tongan islands.
Look for sea turtles, manta rays, tuna, marlin, wahoo and whale sharks. The archipelago has 176 islands. From June to November you may hear courting humpbacks singing while you dive.
