The island of stone megaliths and fishing pigs that's escaped colonisation for 3,000 years

Telegraph

27-02-2025

History has seen the rise and fall of numerous empires that drew into their governance many far-flung lands and, over the years, few countries have escaped colonisation. Indeed, by some measures, there is just one – Japan. Other historians stretch the definition with a resulting list of some 13 that might have been occupied – such as Afghanistan – but were never under foreign governance.
And then there are a few countries that became not colonies but Protectorates, self-governing but with trade and foreign policy agreements. One such was Tonga, the only kingdom in the vast ocean of the South Pacific and a Protectorate of Britain between 1900-1970 under a mutually beneficial 'Treaty of Friendship' designed to discourage further German expansionism after they had taken over parts of neighbouring Samoa.
Friendship is a word that crops up regularly here. It was Captain Cook who first dubbed Tonga 'The Friendly Islands' and they live up to that reputation to this day. It wasn't always so. It may be hard to believe now, but in the 12 th century, the laid-back Tongans were considered the Vikings of the Pacific – with their own maritime empire that extended across the ocean from Niue to Samoa to the Solomon Islands. Never invaded or taken over, perhaps it's no surprise that Tongan culture is as authentically Polynesian as you will find anywhere in the Pacific.
It is a culture that is centred around the family and the monarchy. The latter is as strong as ever and the current king, Tupou VI, traces his line back six generations to King George (Siaosi in Tongan) Tupou I who converted to Christianity, united Tonga into a kingdom, abolished serfdom and enshrined in the constitution that land could only be owned by Tongans and never sold to outsiders. It is still the case today, and Tonga remains firmly Tongan.
The 1867 royal palace sits on the waterfront of the main island of Tongatapu (literally, 'Sacred South'), a red-roofed, white-painted wooden colonial house on the grandest imaginable scale. The capital Nuku'alofa (it means 'Safe Haven of Love') extends behind the palace with more colonial-style government offices, one of the best markets in the Pacific and great places to eat. At The Top, the owner sits down with you for a chat. At Billfish, hearing the word 'taxi', the resident DJ told me it was no problem, he'd take us back to the hotel. See? Friendly.
Food is, incidentally, a very important part of Tongan culture and portions are, to say the least, impressive (as the locals are happy to point out, there's nothing small in Tonga). Specialities include Ota Ika (tuna marinated in lime and coconut cream), Lu Sidi (taro leaves cooked in coconut cream), drinking coconuts and some rather unusual pork (also cooked in coconut cream) – you will have spotted something of a theme here.
Every meal, including breakfast, starts with a prayer. If you're around on a Sunday, everything is shut except the churches and these deserve a visit if it's only for the singing. A traditional feast always follows, cooked in an umu – or underground oven – and everyone is dressed in their Sunday best. Men wear a wrap skirt, often with a shirt, tie and jacket.
Everyone wears a soft mat and belt made from the leaves of the pandanus plant or coconut palm. Tongans love to share and, if you're in church, you're likely to be invited to the feast. There's even the possibility of joining a kava ceremony (say yes, it's a great honour). Made from a pepper plant pounded to a powder, kava is served in a communal wooden bowl (the effect is to numb the mouth and tongue and make you relaxed and, ultimately, sleepy).
Beyond town, there are ancient stone monuments – a megalith that, like Stonehenge, predicts astronomical events; and numerous low stone pyramids built as royal burial grounds. There are blowholes spurting surf 30 metres into the air; rainforest walks; mysterious caves with stalactites, stalagmites and a deep, cold freshwater pool for swimming. Given the year-round hot climate, this is a delight for Tongans who do, in any case, have an unusual relationship with water. After school, the children line up on the quayside to fling themselves into the harbour. Swimwear is optional – most people just walk into the water fully dressed to cool off, knowing they'll be dry pretty soon in the sun.
And there is a lot of water here to enjoy – the kingdom is scattered over 700,000 square miles of ocean. Tonga is not, in fact, an island – it's 176 islands, only 40 of them inhabited. From Nuku'alofa you can spend a day on everyone's image of a perfect desert island. I went with Tahi Tonga's Captain Tom to Tau (tahitonga.com) for a picnic, swimming, snorkelling and idly hanging out.
The calm, turquoise waters around the Ha-apai islands are perfect for diving, kayaking and paddle boarding. Tonga's northern group of islands, Vava'u, are famous for their whales. They arrive in June to calve and stay for around six months and, from June to October, you can swim with the humpbacks or take a small boat tour to visit them. Island hopping in Tonga's beautiful waters is almost mandatory – you'll find reefs teeming with marine life, coral atolls, volcanic islands. And it's not just people who get into the water here: Tonga's small black 'fishing pigs' go swimming in the sea too, catching fish for their dinner (apparently, this makes for particularly tasty pork).
Like all Polynesians, Tongans love singing and dancing. This is evidenced both in the full-throated church choirs on Sunday mornings and in traditional culture shows – accompanied, of course, by a feast – that you'll find around the islands on Wednesdays and Fridays. While the girls here are more modest than elsewhere in the Pacific – less hip shaking, more graceful hand movements – the boys are spectacularly athletic and perform a fearsome fire dance.
It all goes to reinforce the anga fakatonga, or Tongan way of life, based on core values such as respect, family unity and sharing – ancient traditions that haven't been watered down by too much outside contact. Peaceful, with little crime and plenty of natural beauty, it's enough to give monoculture a good name.
Of course, nowhere is perfect – and there is a dark side to Tonga. On the morning I left the island I watched from my window at the Tanoa Dateline Hotel (it was just the Dateline when I first visited 25 years ago – things don't change fast here) as the municipal gardeners climbed the palm trees, clearing the coconuts. If one falls as you pass by, you would certainly know about it. Dangerous place, Paradise.
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