Tonga is an arcipelago in the South Pacific ocean, comprising of 176 islands coral and volcanic (52 are inhabited), stretched over a north-south line over 700 square kilometers. The Kingdom lays directly south of Western Samoa about two-third of the way from Hawaii and New Zealand ... and more exactly:

746 km from Suva (Fiji)
889 km from Apia (Samoa)
1996 km from Auckland (New Zealand)
3587 km from Sydney (Australia)
5060 km from Honolulu (Hawaii)
7879 km from Tokyo (Japan)
8564 km from Los Angeles (USA)
8872 km from Soul (South Korea)
9790 km from Beijing (China)
12441 km from New York (USA)
15302 km from Moscow (Russia)
16606 km from London (UK)
16919 km from Paris (France)
17591 km from Rome (Italy)

Tonga is one of the most scenic and unspoiled of the Pacific island nations with dramatic and active volcanic landscapes, spectacular tropical rainforests, low-lying coral atolls, pristine coral reefs, magnificent sandy beaches and a unique and beautiful array of flora and fauna.

The Kingdom of Tonga is located on the Eastern edge of the Indo-Australian Plate, forced up by the Pacific Plate pushing beneath at the Tonga Trench. This long oceanic valley extends north-south and reaches depths of over 5.5 nautical miles. The Kingdom of Tonga also lies on a volcanic ridge known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, which extends from New Zealand to Samoa, then back toward Vanuatu and the Solomons.

Tonga’s archipelago can be divided into four distinct parts: Tongatapu, Ha’apai, Vava’u and the Niuas. Each island group is scenically diverse with specialised attractions.

Tonga can be reached by plane and by sea as follow:

By Plane

Virgin Blue: From Sydney (Australia) and Auckland (New Zealand) to Nuku'alofa
Air New Zealand: From Auckland (New Zealand), Sydney (Australia), Melbourne (Australia), Brisbane (Australia) to Nuku'alofa
Air Pacific: From Suva or Nadi (Fiji) to Nuku'alofa

By Sea

P&O Crusies: From New Zealand to Vava'u or Nuku'alofa From Australia to Vava'u or Nuku'alofa
Other Cruises: Paul Gauguin Cruises, Princess Cruises, Cruise West
Private Sailing: There are five ports of entry into Tonga: Tongatapu, Lifuka (Ha’apai), Vava’u, Niuatoputapu, Niuafo’ou. In all ports, yachts must fly the yellow flag and be available for inspection. For clearance purposes yachts may anchor in the restricted anchorage area near the wharf and along the waterfront as directed by the Harbour Master. At Nuku’alofa, contact the Ports Authority on VHR Channel 16/14 or A3A Nuku’alofa radio Ch 16/12/HF radio 2182. For more info read here.

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