Beaches in Tonga

The only Pacific nation never colonised, and still a kingdom — a hundred and seventy islands, around forty of them inhabited, spread over eight hundred kilometres of ocean in three main groups. The beaches are white coral sand on low limestone islands, and Vavaʻu and Haʻapai hold almost all of them; Tongatapu, the main island, is flatter, more populated and better known for its blowholes and its trilithon than for its sand. This is one of very few countries where swimming with humpback whales is licensed, between roughly July and October, when the whales come in from the Southern Ocean to calve in the sheltered water inside the island groups. Sunday observance is constitutional rather than customary: almost everything closes, including transport and most commerce, and the expectation extends to visitors. The Hunga Tonga eruption and tsunami of January 2022 was among the largest volcanic events recorded, severed the country's single submarine cable, and caused severe damage in Haʻapai in particular, where recovery is ongoing. Practically: modest dress is expected away from resort beaches, with shoulders and knees covered, and the expectation is genuine rather than nominal. Domestic flights between the three groups are limited and cancellations are routine, so an itinerary with a tight connection to an international flight is a poor idea. The dry season runs May to October, which coincides with the whales.