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Tongatapu Vacation and Tongatapu Luxury Travel Package |
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Tongatapu: The "Holy Island of Tonga"
The most important sights on Tongatapu lie east of Nuku'alofa. Yet there is another absolute "must" for visitors in an outlying district to the south of the city: the Tongan National Center, which is reached via Taufa'ahau Road. Its culture center, built on the Fanga'uta Lagoon (across from the Vaiola hospital) in 1988, offers an informative exhibition about Tonga cultural history, as well as demonstrations of traditional handicrafts, such as wood carving, tapa production, weaving, etc.
The Tongan women possess considerable abilities in the area of handicrafts. Among the most beautiful of their skillfully-made woven articles are the baskets which they make from hibiscus bast and the ribs of coconut palm leaves, and often adorn with decorative patterns.
A selection of these high-quality objects is for sale in the little souvenir shop; it also has a good selection of typically Tongan carving work using wood, coral and bone. It's a good place, too, to enjoy some Tongan cuisine. Chicken in coconut milk and freshly caught fish are to be had, cooked in an earth oven and served on a banana leaf. To top it all off, the islands' natives perform their traditional dances in the adjacent amphitheater.
Yet another attraction are the exotic plants, such as vanilla (vanilla planifoLia), kava (piper methysticum), the annatto tree (bixa orellana) and paper mulberry (broussonetia papyrifera), which are to be found in the well-tended gardens here.
The street continues circling the lagoon; almost 2 miles (3 km) to the south and inaccessible to the public, the residence of Crown Prince Tupouto'a is enthroned on a hillock. Across from it, two white tiger sculptures guard the home of Princess Pilolevu.
In Vaini, a street branches off to the left onto a peninsula, and continues on to the Fanga Kakau Lagoon. After 2.5 to 3 miles (4-5 km) comes the royal residence in Kauvai at the peninsula's eastern tip. Or head eastward on the main road (Hahake Road) from Vaini, the street to the airport and to Oholei Beach on the southeast coast forks off to the right near Malapo.
Three miles (5 km) further along Hahake Road, in the direction of Mu'a and Ha'amonga, the Captain Cook Monument reminds us of the famous seaman who landed here in 1777. The back of the monument bears an inscription commemorating the visit of the British Queen Elizabeth "11" (this number was unfortunately inscribed instead of "II"). The mighty banyan tree under which Cook supposedly took repose has unfortunately been felled. A pleasant view of the mangrove-trimmed bay is to be had from Cook's landing place.
Shortly after this, comes Mu'a, which was the island kingdom's capital city until 1799 (there are regular bus connections from Nuku'alofa to Mu'a). A large fortress, which was probably built before 1650, formerly stretched over a considerable area here; today only some remnants can still be discerned. The fortress was built in the shape of a horseshoe so that the kingdom's war canoes could be more easily brought into the boathouses. The dozens of `Otu Langi - graves of the kings and their families - are much more impressive; these take the form of gradated platforms and are found all around Mu'a. The Catholic graveyard, containing one large coral-enclosed terraced tomb and two smaller tombs, is on the right at the town entrance. Many of the modern tombs are colorfully decorated, and they are often bordered with empty bottles, which provides protection from erosion of the coral sand, from the wind and from the free-ranging pigs that lounge about here.
The Langi Paepae'o Tele'a, a wellkept monumental grave dating back to the 15th century, lies somewhat hidden a bit further along the Hahake Road; a turnoff leaves the main road opposite the Free Wesleyan Church (as marked by a traffic sign). Blocks of coral rock were carefully joined together to border this tomb. Beside it towers the three-stepped, pyramid-shaped Langi Namoala. No particulars are known about the contents of the graves; archeological excavations are forbidden herein order to ensure the peaceful rest of the departed.
Just outside the village of Afa on the northeastern tip of the island, an imposing trilithon meets the eye: the nearly 17foot (Sm) tall Ha'amonga `a Maui ("the burden of the god Maui"). Two standing stone blocks and a perpendicular block mounted on top of them together form a gate. The heaviest of the stones is estimated at 55 tons. The origin of this ancient Tongan masterpiece is the subject of numerous legends. One of these reports that the gate was built by the 11th Tu'i Tonga, King Tu'itatui, between AD 1100 and 1200. Another maintains that the king erected the gate as an admonition for his two sons, in order to prevent them from quarreling; the monument was designed to bring home the idea that the two sons were tied together by familial bonds - as symbolized by the perpendicular stone. Yet another theory claims that the trilithon served as a gate to the formerly prominent city of Heketia. Perhaps this peculiar archway also aided astronomical calculations. As King Tupou IV argued in 1967, the chiseled lines on the upper stone block, as well as two later markings, point in the direction of the sun's rising and setting at the exact moment of the equinoxes (to get to the trilithon, you can board the public bus toward Niutoua.
Strolling onward toward the ocean, you soon reach an upright ashlar; this large cut stone functioned as King Tu'itatui's throne Maka Fakinanga. According to legend, the king supervised the building of the stone gate, and perhaps also of the city of Heketa, from here. As several hill dwellings and a royal tomb attest, Heketa served as the seat of the Tu'i Tonga before this was moved to Lapaha. The lack of a safe anchoring place for canoes was certainly one of the reasons for the change of royal residence.
There are streets leading from Mu'a to the island's east coast (2 miles/3 km) to the village of Haveluliku, with the `Anahulu Cave on the coast (one possible route passes Captain Cook's landing place). The exploration of `Anahulu Cave's multi-sectioned network of stalactite caverns should be left to experienced spelunkers. Diving schools offer scuba diving tours. The first cave is easily accessible and contains a fresh-water pool suitable for swimming; one must first ask permission from the family in Haveluliku, which is in charge of admission to the cave. Laulea Beach starts somewhat further south; a long, marvelous sand beach bordered with coral rocks extends from there to `Oholei. Bathing is a difficult proposition in the shallow water here, but a walk along the beach is always worthwhile.
The road proceeding southward from here is bad, but certainly still passable. Picturesque hamlets are to be seen along the way to the village of Fua'amotu near the international airport. From here, one can continue along the coast in a westerly direction to "the doves' haven," Hufangalupe - which is also reachable from the northern part of the island, where a turnoff from the Hahake Road near Vaini heads southward. A street sign points out a path several hundred yards in length, leading to a spectacular point of interest: the blowholes. Over a stretch of several miles, frothy fountains shoot skyward through hundreds of holes in the coral rock coastline - quite a singular natural occurance. A former cave in the cliffs here, whose roof has collapsed, looms up as an imposing rock tower - only the entrance has remained as a rock bridge. Two paths lead to the left away from the coral rock bridge. The first path is sometimes difficult to discern; from the end, one has a splendid view of the surf. The second and better-trodden path leads to a rather dangerous rock ledge.
The inviting Tongan Wildlife Center (Tel: 23561) is located a few miles from here. Founded in 1990 by workers from the German bird sanctuary in Walsrode, the Wildlife Center doesn't just exhibit rare and endangered bird species of the Pacific; the birds are also bred and then released in order to increase non-captive populations. Among these species are the nearly extinct malau and the colorful pompadoured parakeet.
Shortly after this, a sign pointing left indicates the way to the Keleti Beach Resort. This rather run-down facility is nevertheless quite suitable for taking a little break and enjoying a lovely view of the coast. A change of ownership has taken place and renovation is planned; yet the hotel has unfortunately lost its pleasant bathing inlet as a consequence of the last large hurricane.
The village of Houma lies about 4 miles (7 km) further along the southwest coast. A sign points to the impressive blowholes (also called "arrows of the chief") a few hundred yards from the road. Starting from the parking area, the most photogenic of these "arrows" are to be found about 100 yards to the right. Well-preserved fossils of coral colonies are also discernible on the pointy and impassable coral stone here. The coast features several miles of these natural fountains; the surf presses water into caverns and small caves which are located at sea level, and the water pressure empties these cavities out again through outlets in the porous stone.
Six miles (10 km) further to the northwest, the island tapers off into a cape. The village of Kolovai, located near the beginning of the cape, is famous for its colonies of flying foxes. During the day, hundreds of these rusty-brown animals hang in the beachside casuarina trees; at night they fly over the island in search of food. Being vegetarians, these flying mammals mainly eat mangos, papayas and bananas. The flying foxes are under the official protection of the royal family, and it is forbidden to hunt them. If the island's natives find them in the fields or plantations, however, the hapless animals tend to be caught and prepared for food, including such dishes as bat curry.
In back of the flying fox colony, a street heads left to the Good Samaritan Inn on the other side of the cape. This hotel offers simple fates for lodging, and the little restaurant is ideal for a midday break. One can't swim in the ocean, however, due to the shallow water.
Near the furthest northern point of the island, the splendid colors of the undersea world enchant visitors to the Ha'atafu Beach Reserve, a maritime wildlife sanctuary. At the island's northern extremity, the Missionary Landing Monument honors the Methodist pastors John Thomas and John Hutchinson. |
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