Tonga / Kingdom of Tonga / Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga – Let’s explore here

Tonga consists of 171 islands, 45 of which are inhabited. It is about the 1½ times the size of the Isle of Man, and the population is around 105,000 people. The capital and largest city is Nukuʻalofa, which is located on the north coast of the island of Tongatapu, in the country’s southernmost island group.

The highest point is on Kao at 3,389 ft (1,033 m).

What currency do they use in Tonga?

In Tonga they use the Tongan Pa’anga. The use of credit / debit cards is not widespread, you should take cash in more remote areas. Traveller’s cheques are only accepted in very touristy areas. There are only ATMs available in the main towns of Tongatapu, Vava’u, ‘Eua and Ha’apai.

You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.

What language do they speak in Tonga?

They speak English and Tongan in Tonga.

What time zone is Tonga in?

Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in. 

Do I need a visa to visit Tonga?

We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!

What’s it like to drive in Tonga?

We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂

Current travels

We haven’t finished our planning for driving though Tonga yet. When we do though, we’ll post it here, and in the blog. 

Hopefully our journey will improve our knowledge of this intriguing and beautiful country, and enable us to meet some interesting people. We’ll be updating this page at that time – don’t forget to check back 🙂

Is wild camping legal in Tonga?

Yes, wild camping is fine in Tonga, but steer clear of national parks and seek permission from the landowner.

If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know! 

And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!