Well it is evening on Christmas Day here now in The Kingdom Of Tonga.
Christmas Eve we spent with a member of the Royal Family who went to military school in Duntroon Australia. As well as the manager of the International Dateline Hotel. Just started chatting to them by accident at the bar not having a clue who they were at that point. Darn good idea to hook up with them, as the local Tongans starting showering this guy with drinks.
Amazing. Waiter would bring over literally TEN beers, (for our table of 6) and/or a few bottles of white etc, and a smiling local would kind of wave and bow out of respect from a table somewhere. Needless to say it was well after midnight when we returned to Hotel and all of use were totally blotto at that point. WHAT a way to see in Christmas.
Waking up with verty fuzzy heads, we spent Christmas Day today at a classic little Robinson Crusoe type island called Fa Fa Island. You reach it via a boat journey from Nuka'alofa. 1000s of coconut palm trees and all the other tropical stuff. Azure blue warm water, enclosed in a reef, and white sands.
Tiny little bar there and a few bure type huts and that is it. You can walk around it in 20 minutes. We went snorkelling and I got very sunburnt from lazing in the hot sun. It really is the epitomy of a tropical island retreat paradise! No phones, faxes, newspapers, TV or email there.
The entire country is basically closed today as the "Sunday" rule applies, but even more so. No idea where we will eat dinner this evening as the few places that serve westerners look closed.
Hotel standards are VERY basic as tourism is really very minimal here. "Good" rooms are like a 1.5 star 'Motel 6' type deals in the USA. Largest Hotel, the International Date Line has about 80 rooms, but are building about 40 more now, allegedly '4 star'. Rooms here at the 'top' places run about $US30 a night as tourism is dead in December and all discount like crazy.
Yes I saw a travel agent offering Star RTW fares for about $T2000 in their window, which is less than $US1000. You would of course start off with Air NZ to Auckland.
Tomorrow we take the
world's cheapest air ticket on Royal Tongan Airlines. We fly to the island of E'ua, and ticket price is $T30 or about $US14. That is a high season rip-off of course as usual price is $T19 or $US9! I might have found a place to do another "Baht Run" from if they ever join the Star Alliance.
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[This message has been edited by ozstamps (edited 12-24-2002).]