Tonga Humpback Tours 2024

Itinerary:

Arrival Day: We meet you at airport | transfer to the your beachside resort |free day| 6.30pm Welcome Dinner and Tour Briefing.

Your Whale Watching Days:
Day 1: Breakfast | board whaleswim boat | boat briefing | how to swim with whales training (how to have great encounters!) | out with the whales & lunch | lots of fun | return to resort around 3.00pm.
Day 2 – 7: Breakfast | board whaleswim boat at the resort jetty | out with the whales & lunch | lots of fun | return to resort jetty around 3.00pm | dinner or free evening to go into town for dinner. (Farewell dinner last night).
Sundays are a day of rest in Tonga. A day to go kayaking, snorkelling, enjoy the beautiful beach or just relax and read a book.

Departing Day: Breakfast | End of tour | transfer to the airport.

Click Here to Book this Tour

Itinerary:

Arrival Day: We meet you at the airport on the island| transfer to the resort |free day| 6.30pm Welcome Dinner.

Your Whale Watching Days
Day 1: Breakfast | Board the whaleswim boat | boat briefing | ‘how to swim with whales’ training (how to have great encounters!) | out with the whales & lunch | lots of fun | return jetty around 3:00pm | dinner .
Day 2 – 8: Breakfast | board whaleswim boat | out with the whales & lunch | return to resort around 3:00pm | dinner 
Sundays are a day of rest in Tonga. A day to go kayaking, snorkelling, enjoy the beautiful beach or just relax and read a book.
Departing Day: Breakfast | End of tour | transfer to the airport

Click Here to Book this Tour

• Our aim is to take you to the best whale-swimming experience possible and to give you so much more than just a fleeting glimpse of the whales and quick encounters.
• We love the whales and are passionate about what we do.
• We know that the best encounters are respectful ones.
• We know that day trips operators cannot take the time to show you the best way to be with the whales and they often have not got the time to work gently with them.
• We know that immersing yourself in many different whale encounters over a minimum of 5 days is the very best way to experience the very intimate and profound privilege of swimming with these magnificent beings.
• We like to take care of the detail! We make sure that your tour flows smoothly so that you can relax and enjoy your whale-watching and island time.
• AND  . .  we know that once you have swum with them, once you have looked into the eye of a whale, you will want to do it again and again.

Tour prices do not include: airfares to Tonga and/or Vava’u, activity, travel insurance, snorkelling equipment and wetsuit/vest, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, transfers to other accommodation or Tongatapu transfers.

Terms & Conditions of Booking with WhaleSwim Adventures:

Getting to Tonga and the island of Vava’u

We swim with the whales in Vava’u, the northern island group in The Kingdom of Tonga.

To join your WhaleSwim Adventure, you need to fly Internationally to the main island of Tonga – Tongatapu (the capital is Nuku’alofa and the airport code TBU) OR fly via Nadi Fiji directly to Vava’u (twice weekly flights).

There are only 3 international airlines servicing the main island of Tonga – Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia and Fiji Airways. If flying into Tongatapu you will also need to book a 1 hour domestic flight to Vava’u.

You can also book flights with Fiji Airways, directly from Nadi, Fiji to  the international airport in Vava’u, where we swim with the whales. See flight details further below.

See below for an overview on getting to Tonga.

When booking airfares please note: There are no international or domestic flights in Tonga on  Sundays.

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Domestic Flights from Tongatapu to Vava’u

Please note that the domestic airline in Tonga is Lulutai Airlines. www.lulutaiairlines.to

ADULT FULL FLEXI FARE:  approx TOP$800  (approx. USD$340 or AUD$520) return to Vava’u (TBC for 2024).

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International Flights into Tonga & Vava’u

The international flights into Tongatapu (Nuku’alofa) the main island of Tonga, may often have you staying “overnight” (for a few hours between 1.20am and 6am) in Tongatapu. You will be able to book a morning flight with Lulutai Airlines to Vava’u.

We suggest, if in transit, that you stay at the Tanoa Dateline Hotel: https://www.tanoadateline.com/

The Dateline is in the main town of Tongatapu. It is one of the nicest hotels on the main island and they can arrange airport transfers for you. It is around a 30 minute drive from the airport and should cost you around TOP$60 (USD$26 / AUD$38) each way if you get a local taxi. There are other smaller locally owned guest-houses nearer the airport. Please note that staying at the airport is not permitted and would not be very comfortable if it was.

From New Zealand and Australia: www.expedia.com.au 

Only 3 international airlines fly into Tonga.

OUR PICK! Fiji Airways –www.fijiairways.com Book directly from Nadi, Fiji to  the international airport in Vava’u, where we swim with the whales, or Nadi to Tongatapu.

Virgin Australia www.virginaustralia.com Direct Flights from Sydney Australia to Tongatapu – the main island of Tonga. 

Air New Zealand –www.airnewzealand.com.au Flies from all major cities in Australia via Auckland to Tonga  – more flights on Air New Zealand and you may find easier and more suitable flight departures/arrivals.

You could consider returning on Air New Zealand or via Fiji with www.fijiairways.com direct from Nadi to Australia. 

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Flights from USA to Tonga

Important to note: you have to depart LAX 2 days before you want to arrive in Tonga as you will be crossing the International Dateline and will lose a day. You will gain a day on the way back though!

There are 3 international airlines servicing Tonga from LAX International Airport.

OUR PICK! Fiji Airways from LAX via Nadi, Fiji direct to Vava’u: www.fijiairways.com Remember you fly over the International dateline – so you miss a day, but gain it on the way back! Crazy I know! For example, you would need to book from LAX on Monday or Thursday to get to Vava’u on Wednesday or Saturday.

Air New Zealand Los Angeles via Auckland to Tongatapu (TBU) – daily flights to Auckland – go to www.airnewzealand.com

LAX via Sydney Australia to Tonga. Virgin Australia or their ‘partner’ airlines do not fly LAX to Sydney. You will need to book a return flight LAX to Sydney with any airline then book with Virgin Australia: www.virginaustralia.com 

Cheap flight sites to try are:
From Canada & USA  www.expedia.com

When booking airfares please note: There are no international or domestic flights in Tonga on  Sundays.
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From UK & Europe to Tonga

There are a many choices of airlines to either Los Angeles or Auckland, New Zealand.

You then have a choice of either:
From Los Angeles with Fiji Airways via Nadi Fiji then direct to Vava’u or from Auckland to Tongatapu (the main island of Tonga) with Air New Zealand then a domestic flight to Vava’u – where we swim with the whales.

The quickest flights are with Air New Zealand from Heathrow via Hong Kong and Auckland to Tongatapu – the main island of Tonga THEN a domestic flight to Vava’u.  Go to www.airnewzealand.co.uk – enter Heathrow to Tonga – all flights connect with the Auckland to Tonga schedule – see above in ‘From Auckland New Zealand to Tonga’.

The Fiji Airways flights from Los Angeles to Nadi, Fiji then direct to Vava’u may be a faster way to Vava’u, if the connections line-up. Check it out at www.fijiairways.com 

From UK and Europe: www.expedia.com or www.iwantthatflight.com

When booking airfares please note: There are no international or domestic flights in Tonga on  Sundays.

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From Asia to Tonga

Your flights have to be via Fiji, Sydney Australia or Auckland New Zealand.

See connecting schedules above.

From Asia: www.expedia.com.au or www.iwantthatflight.com

When booking airfares please note: There are no international or domestic flights in Tonga on  Sundays.

You may like to add an extra day or two to your Tongan holiday and stay on in Tongatapu.

If you are travelling to Tongatapu from Australia or on the late afternoon/evening flights from Auckland you will need to book accommodation overnight.

We are happy to help with recommendations, as its sometimes daunting to know what accommodation to choose. The Tanoa International Dateline is now the only large hotel style accommodation available in Tongatapu.

You will need to contact them directly.

Tanoa International Dateline Hotel

Tanoa International Dateline Hotel offers a selection of superior accommodation. Located on the waterfront in the capital, Nuku’alofa, Tanoa International Dateline Hotel can be used as your hub to get around Tonga. With a range of dining options, and high-speed internet in every room, this is the place to be.
Ideal if you are saying on the main island for several days – it is 35 minutes drive from the airport.

Rates: (1, 2 or 3 people per room) includes
Superior Room: AUD$240.00 (tbc)
Courtyard Superior Room: AUD$240.00 (tbc)
Executive Room: AUD$275.00 (tbc)
OceanView Room: AUD$295.00 (tbc)
Airport Transfers: You can add transfers to your booking.
Price: One-way AUD$17, Return AUD$29 (tbc)

To book, go to their website: www.tanoadateline.com  or look for deals at www.trivago.co.nz

We will provide you with a comprehensive Trip Preparation guide when you book. This will give you all the packing and supplies information you will need (with good advice re your snorkelling gear) but as a general rule, remember that Tonga is a laid back, tropical place and light, casual clothing is the most suitable.

The most important items on your packing list will be your snorkelling equipment – your snorkel, mask and fins. We do not provide snorkelling gear. Hire gear cannot be guaranteed to fit you as well as your own equipment and, having come all this way to swim with the whales, we want you to have the best experience that you can. You are going to be snorkelling every day for 5 – 7 days and good quality, well fitting gear is going to make your WhaleSwim Adventure so much better.

Please note that wearing of buoyancy gear (wetsuits or neoprene snorkel vests) is compulsory when we are swimming with whales.

You may want to bring a light wetsuit for warmth and buoyancy while swimming with whales. Water temperatures are between 23 degrees C (in the earlier part of the season) and 26 degrees C, so for most people a 3mm shortie wetsuit is fine but if you really feel the cold you may want to bring a full 3mm wetsuit. If travelling light you can purchase or hire one of our excellent WhaleSwim neoprene snorkelling vests. These can be ordered when booking your tour.

Towels will be supplied by your resorts.

This is an ocean adventure holiday and you will need to be reasonably fit, confident in the water and be able to snorkel well. We are often getting in and out of the boat into the ocean, sometimes snorkelling quickly (occasionally really quickly) for up to 50-80m and we may occasionally be in choppy seas.

Although humpback whales are 12 -18 metres long and can weigh approximately 40 ton, they are gentle animals and are very aware of us in the water. They will even drop their 5m long pectoral fin or turn their tail fluke to avoid us as they swim by. The calves are sometimes very curious and they often seem to love to be around us.  The thought of being so close to them may be frightening ­but after your first encounter you will understand why they are known as the gentle giants of the sea.

It is very important for you to know that some of the in-the-water encounters with the whales may be in very deep water and well away from land. Your level of skill and confidence will determine whether our Guide will allow you in the water with the whales. If you feel that your swimming and snorkelling skills could be improved, or that you are a little unfit, we suggest that you enrol in snorkelling lessons and improve your swimming skills and fitness levels prior to joining your tour to insure the best encounters possible.

Our tours cater for a maximum of 8 guests only.

Tongan Whale-watching Regulations allow no more than 4 people plus a guide in the water with the whales at any one time. With only 8 guests onboard our whaleswim boat this means that you are in the water with the whales every 2nd time. You will have the opportunity for many in-the-water encounters during our 5-7 days of whale-watching, plus you will have time to enjoy the incredible up-close surface action from the boat.

We know that the best whale-swims are respectful ones. If we take care around them and understand the incredible privilege that it is to be with them in their world we are often able to experience extended encounters. The whales decide and when they trust us they stay often stay longer.

We offer package tours with a minimum of 5 days on the water because we know that being out for multiple days with the same group of people allows you to learn how to best be with the whales and it allows us to maximise your chances of amazing encounters.

We also make sure that we only use the best boats and have the best skippers. A good whale-watching skipper knows that the best way to get great encounters is to take the time to let the whales get used to the boat and for the swimmers to be an un-intrusive as possible.

We can create the best whaleswim opportunities because we have the time to teach our guests the best way to be with the whales and we have multiple days to swim with them. It is harder for the day trip boats because they have such limited time and are under pressure to deliver the swims. Their swims can be fleeting.

If you are coming all the way to Vava’u you need to give yourself as many days as you can to experience being with the whales. Just a little warning though… swimming with them is really addictive.

Whale season in Vava’u is mid-July through to mid-October. Some days are sunny; some days are cloudy, some days are rainy and windy. The weather is warm, but you’ll want to bring a wind jacket to keep you comfortable on the boat. Water temperature is around 24C  (75 F) to 26C (79F) later in the season.
Vava’u is the best place in Tonga for  the most in-water encounters with humpback whales as the majority of the Tongan humpback population, mate and give birth on this latitude.
Only snorkelling is allowed with the whales as they don’t like divers’ bubbles, and it’s hard to keep up with whales on SCUBA. The topography of the islands allows us to work in most conditions, excluding intense weather days of course.

Weather, temperatures and whale behaviours will affect our day to day on-the-water plans but we aim to explore the various caves, coral gardens and abundant marine life that inhabit the waters around the Vava’u Islands as a part of our tour. We head back to your accommodation in time for a hot shower and to relax and watch the sun set before dinner.