The official name of Tonga is Kingdom of Tonga. It is an archipelago and a Polynesian sovereign state. Tonga consists of 176 islands which are spread over 700,000 sq. km. in the southern region of the Pacific Ocean. An interesting fact about Tonga is that it is also known as Friendly Islands. This name was an acknowledgement of the warm reception that Captain James Cook got when he first arrived there in 1773.
The un-spoilt aura of Tonga serves as the main attraction for tourists coming to Tonga. The beauty of Pacific region can be fully experienced at this amazing place. The Kingdom of Tonga is also the place “where time begins”. This is because it lies at the immediate east of the international time line. The people of Tonga have been able to keep the pristine ambience of Tonga intact. An interesting and proud reason behind this is that Tonga has never lost the Polynesian sovereignty to the European colonizing forces.
Waterways of Vava'u Islands, Island Hopping, Trilithon, Blowholes, the active volcano Haapai Group, Coastal Cliffs of Eua Island and Kings-graves at Nukualofa are some of the major tourists’ attractions of the Kingdom of Tonga.