Neiafu
09 July 2008 | Vava'u, Tonga
Surprise - Steve
Neiafu is the big town in Vava'u, one of four groups of islands that make up the Kingdom of Tonga. It is a blend of the locals, cruisers and ex-pats from everywhere who have made it their home. It is easy to see why they chose to stay, it is a lovely place. Tonga does not appear to have a very vibrant economy; some say it is the overhead of the monarchy. There are marked contrasts however, as our photo shows. Diesel is $8 per gallon but everything else seems pretty reasonable after French Polynesia. The prime cruising/tourist season is from mid-July until November, and the whales are just beginning to show up from the south. We'll spend another week here before we head south to the capitol, Nukalofa for the new King's coronation.