Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga - 21 July - 14 October 2011

NOTES FOR CRUISERS
(and anyone else who plans to visit or move to The Kingdom of Tonga or who is simply interested in learning more about this tiny nation)

NOTE: The following notes and observations stem directly from our personal experience or those of our close friends or from official informational material acquired during our stay on the island of Vava'u in the Vava'u Group of islands in Tonga during the three months from 21 July -14 October 2011. Others may have different experiences, and needless to say, THINGS CHANGE. The following information is meant merely as a starting point to give you some things to think about or to check into further as need be, spiced with a few anecdotal observations just for fun.

Currency: Tongan pa'anga (TOP)

Date: Same side of the International Dateline as Australia and New Zealand; one day LATER than in the U.S. and Europe.
Time: 6 hours EARLIER than EASTERN Time; 3 hours EARLIER than PACIFIC Time.

Languages: Tongan and English

Useful Phrases:
GREETING: malo e lelei
PLEASE: fakamolemole
THANK YOU (VERY MUCH): malo ('aupito)
YES / NO: io / ikai
HOW ARE YOU?: fefe hake
GOOD, THANKS: sai pe, malo
BYE: nofo a (if YOU are leaving / alu a (if SOMEONE ELSE is leaving)
NUMBERS:
ONE: Taha
TWO: Ua
THREE: Tolu
FOUR: Fa
FIVE: Nima (also means "hand")
SIX: Ono
SEVEN: Fitu
EIGHT: Valu
NINE: Hiva (also means "sing")
TEN: Hungo Fulu

Tips on Communicating in Tongan: Sound out each syllable ending in a vowel individually. The name Vava'u, for example, is correctly pronounced with three syllables. Remember that vowels are pronounced (as in Spanish) as ah-eh-ee-oh-oo.

The phonetic intricacies get a little complex, but simply stated: replace your B;s with P's, your D's with T's, and your J's with S's. Typically the only difficult phonetic aspect of the Tongan language for beginners is the sound for the alphabet letter ng. A good way to practice the sound is with the Tongan word for work, ngaue (neeOW-WAY).

An interesting custom in Tonga's communal society is to thank people you notice working hard by saying malo e ngaue! as you pass by. It's a nice exchange as the recipient replies with an enthusiastic Io!

NOTE: The word io, which means yes; okay; it is as you say, is used in the negative response as well as in the affirmative. For example, if you were to ask: "You won't be coming with us?" in English, one might respond: "No, I won't be coming." In Tongan, however, the negative response would be given as "Yes (that is correct), I won't be coming."

Clearing In for Yachts: Neiafu Port Authority monitors VHF Ch. 26 (which has a stronger signal than 16 there). You can try to contact them on the radio for specific instructions, but basically the procedure is this when clearing in to Neiafu Harbor:

Put up your Q flag and dock at the customs dock (the big dock in front of the ship containers.). If there is no room there, dock at the fishermen's wharf just to your left of the customs dock.

Customs is open 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Mon. - Fri. (except for holidays) with an hour off for lunch (12:30 - 1:30 p.m. if I remember correctly.) They supposedly will see your vessel sitting there at the dock with the Q flag raised and come to your boat for their inspections. However, in our case, we did not know about this since we had not been able to raise anyone on the radio, and so we went ashore and went to the customs "office" at a warehouse-type building there by the customs dock. There we showed our boat document, clearance papers from our last port, our passports and crew list. We were not bringing in excessive supplies or anything to sell, and customs charged us no fee. However, we were charged the standard fee of 100 TOP (about $58 U.S.) by the Health official and 23 TOP (about $13 U.S.) by the Quarantine official. Since we had no Tongan money with us we were allowed to walk the block or two into town to use the ATM and then return with our cash payment (they do not accept credit cards).
Once we were done with Health, Quarantine and Customs we walked uptown a few blocks to the Immigration Department where we filled out more forms (with much of the same information) and got our passports stamped with a one-month visa. There is no charge for the first month's visa, and visitors such as ourselves are permitted to renew their visas for up to a total of six months - or get a six-month visa to start with, which saves you a little money if you know in advance that you are going to stay that long. However, after the first month visa permits cost 69 pa'anga (about $36 U.S.) per person per month if you renew one month at a time. You can save a small amount if you renew for several months at a time.
Altogether, what with waiting in line and considering the hour lunch break, it took us most of the day to complete the clearing in process, so I would advise getting started as early in the day as you can.

Courtesy Flags: Tongan courtesy flags are sold at Café Tropicana in downtown Neiafu for 20 pa'anga (maybe $12 U.S.) . No other courtesy flags were available there, but you can ask Lafi to have his daughter make one for you if you like. He quoted us 30 pa'anga for his flags.

Theft: We left our boat unlocked at anchor and on a mooring in the harbor and never experienced any theft, nor did we hear of any such problems from other cruisers (although we did hear of such things as trash bins being stolen from local businesses when left outside overnight). We also left our dinghy unattended at the dock in front of the Aquarium Café and at the public dock in town with our outboard motor, gas tank, and oars and again, never had a problem. Sometimes we left bags or laundry or groceries in the dinghy while we were in town as well. However, we never left the dinghy at a dock overnight, and seldom much after dark.

Medical Care: There is a hospital in Neiafu. We never went there, but our friend Emily (Sunset Grill) reported that when she took her son John to the hospital with a possible broken arm, she was told they would have to wait until the prayer service was over, which would be almost an hour, before any medical personnel would be available to see John. When they finally got to see a nurse, Emily asked for an x-ray of John's arm, but the nurse said they couldn't take any x-rays because they had no x-ray film.
On a more tragic note, a young woman tourist in her twenties died at the hospital after having developed blood poisoning from a mosquito bite.
I would recommend trying to see Dr. Mel, the Australian doctor who practices at the pharmacy, if possible. She was very helpful to us when we had bronchitis/pneumonia.

Mail Curriers: I don't really know about the mail carriers in Tonga, but there is a post office downtown. If you do get packages there, you should pick them up right away or you will be charged a storage fee.
One day while we were at Sunset Grill a Tongan woman walked in with a big box and told Derek (one of the restaurant's owners) that she had brought this box to him from the post office and he owed her $30 for the storage fee. The box was one his mother had sent for Christmas almost a year ago. It was full of stale cookies and melted chocolate and other such goodies. Derek said, "I don't think so." They never knew the box was at the post office.

Driving in Tonga: When in Tonga, you should drive on the left side of the road. Be aware, though, that Tongans mainly drive in the middle.

Dress Code: Tourists wear shorts and T-shirts and flip-flops. Island women mostly wear long skirts or dresses, and men wear either pants or the South Pacific "skirts" like lavalavas.

Beaches: There are many islands, coves, and beaches in the Vava'u group of islands where Neiafu is located. Except for Port Meaurelle (sp?), where we anchored overnight before departing Tonga for Fiji, we never visited any. There is a small beach at Port Meaurelle.

Restaurant Notes:
There is a Chinese restaurant downtown by China Trading Co. grocery. One of our friends raved about how good the food is there, another said he got food poisoning there; we never ate there. Another friend informed us that the cheapest chicken dinner in town can be had at a restaurant connected to a bakery on the hillside near Westpac Bank, then added that he is the only person he knows of who has eaten there and not gotten food poisoning. Another recommendation (sans food poisoning) was for the "inexpensive but good" fish and chips at the Blue Lagoon in town, and yes, they serve beer but close early in the day. Mango, located down on the water by The Aquarium, is the home of the yacht club and reputed to have good but expensive food. Jim had a beer there once, didn't like the price, and we never returned, but Kiwi visitors told us they had lobster there and it was excellent. A new Italian restaurant called Ciao! opened near The Aquarium right before we left Neiafu, but we never went there. All that being said, here are our favorites:

Sunset Grill & Bar: Downtown across from the ANZ Bank. Be sure to say "Hi" from us to Americans Derek, Emily, and Foster, enjoy the kids (John and Josie), and do try the kumala (local sweet potato) chips and barbecued chicken. When fresh mahi mahi is available, the fish and chips are really good. Beer Bingo Monday evenings. No TV. Internet available via by-the-hour vouchers. Outdoor covered bar and restaurant. Fully licensed, but wine is not always available. Closed Sundays.

The Aquarium: On the water past town. This is "home away from home" for many cruisers as it offers a free dinghy dock,free internet (although an electricity usage fee may apply if you plug in), free disposal for certain recyclables and trash disposal for a fee. Americans Mike and Lori are the owners/managers, and they are very helpful. They also cook up a good cheeseburger. Thursday night is theme night, with menus featuring a specific cuisine, such as Cajun, Island, Mexican or Italian. Live music and a free kava bowl enliven the festivities. Rugby, NFL American football, and other sports can be seen on a large screen TV in the restaurant when broadcast. No actual bar; covered outdoor dining area. Fully licensed. Open 7 days.

Coconet: Down by the water across from the public docks in town where you can leave your dinghy. A great place to sip a glass of wine or beer at the end of the day before returning to your boat, especially now that Isi (Tongan) has built nice bars with stools outside under a new patio roof. You'll love Shyla's (American) gorgeous smile and funky humor. And for the right price - okay, it's not cheap, but what a convenience! - she'll wash and dry your clothes. Fish and chips as well as sandwiches are available during the day. And for live entertainment in the late afternoon you can watch the local school kids cavort on the pier just across from the restaurant. Outdoor covered bar; limited indoor seating. Fully licensed. Closed Sundays.

The Balcony: On the next corner beyond the Catholic church, across the street from the entrance to The Aquarium. Trish, from Australia, is a charming hostess at this small inn with a big balcony on the hillside looking out over the harbor. Curries are sometimes available as are "Aussie burgers," which include beetroot that we Americans simply call "beets." A barbecue is the special event on Sundays. Rugby games can be viewed on large screen TV. Indoor bar; covered outdoor deck seating. Fully licensed. Open 7 days.

Ovava: Down the road from The Aquarium and across the bridge, on the same side of the road as The Balcony. This charming restaurant/bar offers wood-fired pizzas and gourmet fare. British host Lawrence is quite the raconteur and makes some mean rum punch. Indoor bar and dining room. Rugby games can be seen on TV in bar. Fully licensed.

Poolside Café: In town, down the steps from the street or up from the water, located in a hotel courtyard by the pool (which was dry the whole time we were there). Hungarian Nora, co-owner with her Aussie husband, is your lovely hostess and will take good care of you. Pizza and pasta comprise the main fare, but other specialties - including Hungarian goulash made according to Nora's grandmother's recipe - are also offered. Rugby games can be seen at the bar during the season. Open-air bar and dining tables. Fully licensed.

Café Tropicana: Downtown on the main street. European staff. Freshly baked bread and patisserie goodies may be purchased. Tongan-grown Kingdom Koffee beans are also sold. Breakfast and lunch place with book exchange and library of books related to Tonga and other South Pacific islands. Internet café and internet use for a fee. Indoor and outdoor seating. No TV. Fully licensed.

Rooster Bistro & Marina Wine Bar: On the beach by the public dinghy dock. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Freshly baked bread and meats and some provisioning items available for purchase. Movies once a week. Rugby shown. We never ate there except Jim had breakfast there once. It was so-so, but they charged 4 pa'anga extra (about $2US) for a small bowl of jam for his toast. Outdoor seating only. Fully licensed.

Tonga Bob's: Downtown above Coconet. Aussie manager-owner Matt is full of personality and enthusiasm. Popular place for watching rugby. Busy on Friday nights. Mainly a bar with a small dance floor. Meat Raffle Tuesdays (?) and Pub Trivia Thursdays. We played Trivia a couple of times and won once. Great fun. Everyone wins in the end as the case of beer won is shared all around, and there are other prizes throughout. Outdoor patio and covered deck. Fully licensed.

American Fast Food Restaurants: NONE!

Library & Bookstores: There is a public library near downtown, but regretfully, I never visited it. There is a small store downtown that sells office supplies and some books, mainly non-fiction, but the selection is quite limited. However, a number of the local businesses - especially restaurants - host free book exchanges. And Café Tropicana has its own library, including books on the history and language of Tonga, that can be used while there.

Yachting Facilities: No serious marinas in Neiafu, but there are moorings near town. The Moorings, Beluga Divers, and The Aquarium all have moorings for rent. You can tie up your dinghy at the Moorings/Aquarium dock or at the public docks downtown. The Aquarium offers recyclable disposal (glass and aluminum) for free and trash disposal for a fee (usually 2 to 5 pa'anga per bag), Right before we left, the government opened up public showers for visitors in town near the public docks. Security is provided, and hot water is sometimes available. Jim used the public shower once and seemed to think it was okay. I never used them.

Laundry: Coconet offers laundry services for a fee. They will do either was only or wash, dry and fold. We used them and were quite satisfied with the results, but it is not cheap at 23 pa'anga (about $15US) per load. There is another laundry up the hill past Sunset Grill, but we never used it. And of course, Lafe says his daughter will wash your clothes for you - for a fee.

Shopping: We did most of our grocery shopping (including beer and rum) at China Fortune Trading downtown. The open air market downtown has fresh produce, most of which is local, as well as arts and crafts for sale. Usual items at the market include tomatoes, peppers, limes, coconuts, taro, kamalas (sweet potatoes), and bananas. I bought excellent apples from New Zealand there on occasion, and there are pineapples when in season. This is the best place to get produce as there isn't much available in the other stores. The JM Store moved to a new location right in the center of town on the main street while we were there. It is the other "large" store besides China Fortune, so you have your choice of Chinese or Indian. (I prefer Chinese in this case because the young lady Mei - sp? - who often waited on us has a smile that lights up the entire world. Also, I found there to be more selection and usually better prices at China Fortune.) Coffee we purchased at Café Tropicana where they sell Kingdom Koffee, both ground and whole bean, for a whole lot of money, but I didn't see coffee beans for sale anywhere else. If you have a hankering for American items (one can take only so many shelves of canned corned beef when one doesn't even like corned beef), there are a couple of stores to visit. The one downtown on the next street over from Sunset Grill is called something like Seven Heavens. The other, which American locals simply called "The American Store," is out from town and requires a vehicle for transportation unless you want to take all day and are a serious walker. Both are very expensive for the most part but do have brands and products that you may desire. There are many other stores in town and within walking distance of town, so have fun poking around and see what you might find. I lost my Caliente ball cap I got in Mexico overboard and happily replaced it with a plain, light blue ball cap for about $2US at China Fortune. You never know what you might find!

Beer, Wine, Liquor and Mixers: We bought beer at China Fortune Trading as well as South Seas Rum, which we found to be the most palatable of reasonably priced gold rums in Tonga. Other liquors and wine were terribly expensive. But there is a Duty Free Store downtown where you can save a fair amount of money once you have your clearance papers to leave Tonga. However, the selection is very limited, so be prepared for disappointment. Better yet, check it out ahead of time so you will know whether you need to get something somewhere else - IF you can find it.

Ice: Coconet, near the public dinghy docks, sells bags of ice for 4 pa'anga per bag (about $3US). Another store near The Aquarium on the road to town sells it for the same price.

Fuel: You must make an appointment with Pacific Fuel to have the fuel truck come down to the dock (Customs dock or fihsermen's dock) to give you fuel. They will not send a truck unless a minimal amount of fuel will be purchased. This amount is somewhere around 50 gallons, but remember, they sell fuel by the liter. If you don't need that much fuel, you can combine with another boat to meet the fuel truck at the same time. It took us about 45 minutes to fuel up. And of course, the fuel truck was an hour late. And remember: you need to go to Customs and get a form from them first in order to get the duty-free price for fuel. Once you have the fuel, you will need to return to Customs for final clearance.

Banks: ANZ (pronounced A-N-Zed) and Westpac both have banks with outdoor ATMs in downtown Neiafu. We prefer Westpac because they don't charge an ATM fee. The day we left we had to use ANZ because the Westpac ATM was down. The ANZ ATM fee was 10 pa'anga, or about $6.50US. (That was 50% of our withdrawal! OUCH!)

Communications: There are a couple of cell phone companies operating in Neiafu. The one we used is Digicel, which operates throughout much of the South Pacific. It cost us about $6US to purchase a SIM card and a few minutes. You can top up your minutes at various places around the island.

We could not get internet on our boat, so we had to take the computer ashore in order to use the internet. The best bet for cruisers seems to be The Aquarium, which offers free internet for those who order food and/or drink. However, just after we arrived, they instituted a "use of electricity" fee of 5 pa'anga for those who plug their computers into The Aquarium's electrical system. NOTE: If you have U.S. electrical cords with your computer power supply you will need an adapter (the type that would accommodate Australian plugs) in order to plug in to the electricity there. The Aquarium does have at least one adapter that they will lend you, but it might be in use, so the best bet is to have your own. This may also come in handy in other South Pacific areas.

Transportation To/From Neiafu: The island of Vava'u has a small airport, but almost all flights arriving there come from the Tongan capital city of Nuku'alofa.
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Clearing Out: To clear out, we had to go to Immigration, then Customs, then the Port Authority (which charged us about $2US) and then back to Customs to get our final clearance papers so that we could get duty free liquor and fuel. (You have 48 hours to leave once you have cleared out.) You need special form from Customs in order to get your fuel at duty-free prices, but then once you have your fuel you get a receipt from them and take that back to Customs to get your final clearance papers.