Pacific Tonga Islands Photo Gallery

Tonga Islands Photo Gallery

By Islands Staff

July 16, 2012

The Tonga islands are one of the ISLANDS’ editors favorite destinations. It was on the cover of the May 2012 issue. And it ranks at No. 15 on our new Best Islands to Live On 2012 list. See our Tonga islands coverage here.

Tonga islands beach best islands to live on

The Tonga islands are on our annual Best Islands to Live On list. Why? Ideal beach living in the South Pacific. An expat community here live in the Vava’u group where island real estate can be cheap. How much? Think $100,000 and below if you can find the right deal. The beer is cheap too, only about $3 for a bottle of Mata Maka beer. See the Best Islands to Live On special issue on your iPad. Tonga Visitors Bureau

The Tonga islands were featured on the May 2012 cover of ISLANDS magazine. This great photo of the perfect island vacation getaway is from Atata in the Tonga islands. You can read the issue in the ISLANDS iPad app.

This surprising photo from the May 2012 issue of ISLANDS magazine features this scene from the Tonga islands. ISLANDS contributing editor Andy Isaacson was welcomed to a Tonga islands village where two women started to spar — for fun. They were excited to put on a show for a rarely seen tourist. You can read the issue in the ISLANDS iPad app.

Tonga Islands best beauty pageant contestant

The Tonga islands are also home to possibly the world’s biggest beauty pageant. When an ISLANDS contributing editor visited Tonga’s Miss Heilala competition, he was amazed at what he found. He even got to judge. Read the Tonga islands beauty pageant article. Tonga Visitors Bureau

Why is size such a big deal in the Tonga islands? When Queen Salote of Tonga attended Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953, the London press marveled at the Tongan monarch’s size. Noel Coward described Queen Salote’s smaller carriage companion as “her lunch.” To Tongan royalty it was a compliment. Here, feasting is a sport. Whole roasted suckling pig is a staple of social gatherings, for example. And size, perhaps due to a warrior past, is revered on the Tonga islands. Tonga Visitors Bureau

Tonga islands perfect South Pacific beach Tonga Visitors Bureau

Tonga islands sunset and sailboats Tonga Visitors Bureau