Tonga received the name "the Friendly Islands" when in 1773 Captain James Cook first arrived in Tonga and was greeted by welcoming people. We believe this name stands true to this day and there is truly no other place where you will find such a legitimately friendly welcome.

Tonga is a constitutional monarchy ruled by King Tupou VI, since 2010 the people of Tonga have been able to vote for their representatives and prime minister moving towards a democratic future the people have desired for decades.

Education is excellent in Tonga and considered very important. Primary education is free and compulsory for all children between 6 and 14 and looks set to change to 8 years free education within the next 3 years. Secondary education gets taught for the most part by non-governmental schools with only 10 out of 41 secondary schools being run by the government. Tonga has a high percentage of adult literacy for its population within the pacific.

Most Tongans dress conservatively and even tend to swim fully clothed. In Tonga it is illegal for men and women to be shirtless in public, while this doesn’t apply to tourists visiting the islands it is appreciated if this law and tradition is followed by our visitors. In general casualwear is widely accepted and beachwear when confined to the beaches.

A lot of the native people make their living in food either in agriculture or fishing however more recently the tourism market has helped to provide additional jobs to many in a nation which faces worrying unemployment in rural areas and uneven distribution of wealth.

At Tonga Travels we value both sustainability in everything we do and this doesn’t exclude our staff and local communities. We commit to employing locals first and foremost to provide expert knowledge and a natural experience while providing jobs and training for the local people.

Most people you’ll come across in The Kingdom of Tonga will speak English as it is taught in all the schools here, however Tongan is spoken by all and if you should wish to learn a few phrases your extra effort to embrace the culture will be greatly appreciated.