What to Know Before Visiting Tonga?

Country Facts:
 Tonga is an archipelago of more than 170 islands in the South Pacific Ocean.
 Tonga consists mostly of flat islands with limestone bedrock, whilst some of the
islands have limestone overlying volcanic rock!
 Tonga is just inside the International Dateline, so if People head out in Peopler
boat People can travel back in time to yesterday
 Tongan men who are good at telling stories and understand the many proverbs
of the Tongan language are often designated as ‘Talking Chiefs’!
 Fonuafo’ou means “New Island” in Tongan and is the apt name for a submarine
volcano that has come and gone across history.
 One of the main reasons many visitors come to Tonga is to swim with Humpback
Whales.
 A lot of the fascinating facts about Tonga surround its monarchy, but let’s start
with the most important: King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV was the world’s heaviest
monarch.
 The pride of the Tongan nation, Tonga is the only Pacific country not to be
colonized.
Source:
1. https://facts.uk/24-tremendous-facts-about-tonga/
2. https://tongapocketguide.com/10-fun-facts-about-tonga/

Country Flag:
Capital: Nuku'alofa is the capital of Tonga.
Government: Politics of Tonga takes place in a framework of a constitutional
monarchy, whereby the King is the Head of State and the Commander-in-Chief of the
Armed Forces. Tonga's Prime Minister is currently appointed by the King from among
the members of Parliament after having won the support of a majority of its members.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Tonga
Prime Minister: Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa is Prime Minister of Tonga since 08 October 2019.
Economy: Tonga has a small, open island economy and is the last constitutional
monarchy among the Pacific Island countries. It has a narrow export base in agricultural
goods. Squash, vanilla beans, and yams are the main crops. Agricultural exports,
including fish, make up two-thirds of total exports. For the 2018 estimate, GDP per
capita in Tonga will be $6148 in PPP per capita and $4858 in nominal per capita.
Population: The population of Tonga was estimated to be 103197 in 2018.
Religion by Percentage:  Based on 2006 estimates, the religious breakdown of the
population was Protestant 64.9% (includes Free Wesleyan Church 37.3%, Free Church
of Tonga 11.4%, Church of Tonga 7.2%, Tokaikolo Christian Church 2.6%, Assembly of
God 2.3%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.2%, Constitutional Church of Tonga 0.9%, Anglican
0.8% and Full Gospel Church 0.2%), Latter-day Saints 16.8%, Roman Catholic 15.6%,
other 1.1%, none 0.03%, unspecified 1.7%.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Tonga

Top Tonga Foods: An island rich with culture, Tonga is memorable for its Tongan
cuisine, a fine combination of land and seafood, freshly harvested, cooked, and
consumed with diverse ingredients. Tonga’s diverse weather makes it perfect for
cultivating a sundry of food! Some of the unique components of Tongan plates include
taro, sweet potatoes, yucca, and yams. These often accompany larger dishes like
lobster, steamed pork, and octopus. Below are top “must try” dishes for visitors to
Tonga:

 Kapisi Pulu: Kapisi pulu is a popular Tongan food that is commonly consumed
on special occasions and festivities. The dish consists of canned corned beef,
tomatoes, onions, and coconut cream. All of the ingredients are combined, then
placed in banana leaves and baked. When kapisi pulu is done, the banana
leaves are unwrapped, and the contents on the inside are consumed while still
hot.

 Lu Pulu: Lu pulu is a traditional Tongan dish utilizing taro leaves, coconut milk,
onions, tomatoes, and canned corned beef, which is usually imported from New
Zealand. The ingredients are wrapped in taro leaves, and the whole concoction is
then wrapped in aluminum foil or banana leaves and baked in an oven for about
2 hours. The dish should be served hot and paired with anything from rice to
yams.

 Ota Ika: This is a traditional Tongan take on the popular ceviche. It consists of
fresh, raw fish that is marinated in coconut milk and citrus juice until the fish flesh
develops an opaque visual appearance. Later on, the fish is typically combined
with vegetables such as tomatoes, green onions, cucumbers, and hot peppers.
The dish should be served and consumed immediately.

 Umu Cooked Fish: Umu-cooked fish is another popular Tongan food worth
trying. Umu itself is a traditional method of cooking that is essentially an
underground oven; People’ll need to hand-dig a pit for enough servings to feed
plenty and fill it with wood to fuel the fire. Just pick Peopler favorite fish and get
 cooking. Because the cooking itself can take a few hours using the umu, many
Tongans will serve umu-cooked meals for special occasions or on Sundays after
church.

 Lu Sipi: Lu Sipi is dish favored across the Pacific Islands. It’s lamb and onions
usually served on taro leaves, but can be replaced with banana or spinach
leaves depending on the season. The lamb and onions are cut into thin pieces
and placed on the leaves where they are herbed and salted. Pour coconut cream
over the prepared food and wrap the leaves into a ball.

 Faikakai Topai: Faikakai Topai is a flavorsome dish for that unique sweet island
taste. It’s made by tossing diced dumplings into a sweet coconut caramel syrup.
What’s great about this dish is that it is versatile and customizable. Tongans
often replace topai with other options such as taro (Faikakai Ngou’a), breadfruit
(Faikakai Mei), and bananas (Faikakai Malimali). This island favorite will
complement any main dish well.

 Pele Sipi: Pele Sipi is a lamb dish made up of lamb chops marinated in butter.
This tasty delicacy is served on a bunch pele leaves or medium bok choy!

 Kapisi Pulu: Kapisi Pulu is a popular meal consumed for special occasions. It is
made up of corned beef, banana leaves, onions, cabbage, and tomato in coconut
cream. The corned beef, onions, and tomatoes are placed in the cup-shaped
cabbage peel, wrapped in foil, and baked in an oven, often an umu.

 Kale Moa: Kale Moa is chicken curry offering spicy, savory, and even sweet
flavors. This dish is flavored with the taste of garlic, curry powder, and ginger, all
having rather strong and distinct flavors. Kale Moa also utilizes chicken and
coconut milk, of course, as well as onions and vegetables.

 Lo’I Feke: Lo’i Feke is a wonderful seafood dish with that signature creamy
coconut taste; it’s boiled and diced octopus or squid dipped in thick coconut
cream and onions.

 Panikeke: Panikeke is mouthwatering deep-fried breakfast food. The word

“panikeke” sounds like the English word “pancake” and the dish is even referred
to as “round pancakes.” Essentially, this dish is a combination of flour, sugar,
baking powder, and salt, ultimately topped off with powdered sugar.

Language: Tongan is one of the multiple languages in the Polynesian branch of the
Austronesian languages, along with Hawaiian, Māori, Samoan and Tahitian, for
example. Together with Niuean, it forms the Tongic subgroup of Polynesian. Tongan is
unusual among Polynesian languages in that it has a so-called definitive accent. As with
all Polynesian languages, Tongan has adapted the phonological system of proto-
Polynesian.
Dress for Men and Women: Tonga has evolved its own version of Western-style
clothing, consisting of a long tupenu, or sarong, for women, and a short tupenu for men.
Women cover the tupenu with a kofu, or Western-style dress; men top the tupenu either
with a T-shirt, a Western casual shirt, or on formal occasions, a dress shirt and a suit
coat.
Holidays: There are several national holidays in Tonga such as:
 New Year's Day
 Good Friday
 Easter Monday
 Anzac Day
 Emancipation Day (of Tonga)
 King Tupou VI's Birthday
 Birthday of Crown Prince Tupouto'a 'Ulukalala
 Crown Prince's Birthday
 Tonga National Day
 King Tupou I Day
 Christmas Day
 Boxing Day
Travel Tips:

 Citizens from more than 70 countries can enter Tonga with ease, needing no
more than a valid passport to enter the Kingdom of Tonga.
 Most travellers arrive in Tongatapu and head straight for the capital, Nuku’alofa.
While Nuku’alofa is pretty awesome and provides pretty much all of the activities
most visitors want to do, it’s far from the “real” Tonga.
 Island groups like Vava’u are renowned for their array of whale swimming
operators, but this is not the only place people can swim with whales in Tonga.
 Tonga is an ever-evolving country, which also reflects in the services provided by
the accommodations.
 Tonga is certainly not a “busy” tourist destination, so people needn’t worry about
tourist hoards ruining peopler holiday. Even in the more popular whale season,
it’s truly a place to escape from the modern world and embrace island time.
 Tonga is a nation with a fragile eco-system that needs to be protected from
external pests and diseases.
 Tonga’s glorious tropical islands might look like a destination for the super-rich,
but it’s actually extremely affordable to visit. That includes many
accommodations, tourism activities, shops, markets and more.
 The supermarkets in Tonga are about the size of convenience stores in more
developed countries, so don’t expect a wide variety when it comes to grocery
shopping. Supermarkets are available in Tonga’s towns, while villages have “fale
koloa” which are Tonga’s version of convenience stores.
 Tonga experiences a warm climate all year round, with temperatures around
31°C/88°F in summer and only as low as 18°C/65°F at night in winter.
Top 10 Attractions and places to visit:

1. Ha'amonga 'a Maui Trilithon

2. Anahulu Cave
3. Ha'atafu Beach
4. Tofua
5. Fafa Island
6. Pangaimotu Island
7. Hunga Tonga
8. Uoleva
9. Ene'io Botanical Garden
10. Tongatapu
Tonga Boys Name:
 Isileli
 Kaelo
 Tokoni
 Aasal
 Kailao
 Kaivai
Top 10 Universities in Tonga:
1. King international University
2. University of Nations
3. ABAB University
4. University of South Pacific
Top 10 Websites:
1. Tonic.to
2. Matangitonga.to
3. Tongaholiday.com
4. Tcc.to
5. Planet-tonga.com
6. Tonga.embassy.gov.au
7. Esvc000048.wic048u.server-web.com
8. Atenisi.edu.to
9. Belugadivingvavau.com
10. Tongabluelagoon.com
Top 3 Search engines used:
1. Google
2. Bing
3. Yahoo
Top exports:
 Fish
 Squash
 Vanilla beans
 Roots crops
Top 5 Cars:
Top cars in Tonga includes:
1. Honda CRV
2. MPV Toyota
3. Toyota Voxy
4. Mitsubishi Pajero
5. Toyota Hiace
Natural Disasters:
Many types of natural disasters occur in Tonga such as:
 Earthquake
 Floods
 Tsunami
 Volcanoes
 Cyclone
Home Designs / Architecture:
Traditional structures are called fale; they are rectangular in shape and have thatched
or corrugated tin roofs and sides made of woven coconut leaves, reeds, or timber.
Some Tongans reside in South Seas colonial-style wooden homes with gingerbread
trim and exterior walls in pastel shades.
Deaths and Mortality:
Tonga death rate was at level of 7.1 per 1,000 people in 2019, down from 7.2 per 1,000
people previous year, this is a change of 0.70%.
Source: https://knoema.com/atlas/Tonga/Death-rate