The independent Kingdom of Tonga consists of 171 islands, less than 1/4 of them occupied.  The people of these islands are Polynesians, larger than most other Polynesians. They are ruled by an aristocracy and a king.

From the remote and visually dramatic Northern island of Nuiatoputapu with a looming volcano on the horizon, through the island wonderland of Vava'u, amongst the reef shoals and lagoons of the Ha'apai to the beauty of Tongatapu, Tonga is truly one of the most interesting and rewarding cruising grounds in the Pacific.

Tonga may be forever changed by its exposure to Western society, tourists and cruisers, but parts of Tonga remain as remote and primitive as it was when the missionaries swept through the nation in the 1800's.

Our first stop was a visit to Niuatoputapu, 172 nautical miles from Samoa.