pixi-dust

We're just back from 10 days in Tonga, and it was brilliant.
Not holiday resort, but amazing friendly people. We loved it

http://ourweefarm.blogspot.com/2009/08/tonga.html


for piccys and rabbiting on!

BEVS

Thanks for sharing Pixi.

I am actually very, very interested in this indeedy. We have been to Tonga before back in '97 when we also visited Samoa and Fiji etc., but watching Whales wasn't around then.

I was very keen to go this year specifically to see Whales. This month in fact, but as it was, events for me at the beginning of this year overtook us & now husband is to also return to the UK shortly, although he may see Wales for a few days.

Would you recommend the Hideway to see Whales both onshore and offshore, or having done that ,would you choose somewhere else do you think. I haven't given up on Tonga Whale watching at all, and have it firmly in my sights for next August , all being well.

Did you see parrots?

pixi-dust

we did see parrots, not still enough to get any photographs though
Bevs from the whale watching platform at the hideaway you can see the spouts of the whales at this time of year pretty much all the time. We only once saw one close enough that you could see the whale well.
The Whale watching boat thingy was excellent though - tiny boat. We got very, very close and it was so cool.

I would recommend the Hideaway on Eua ( Norah has also stayed there) so long as you go prepared for very basic rooms - all you really need is the bed as you're really busy! The staff are brilliant, really friendly. They will organise stuff for you for just the following day - we wanted to go on the 4 wheel drive but their truck was broken ( it was totally ancient!) so they borrowed one so we could all go - nothing was a bother for them.
I know a lot of people go to Haapai (sp) to whale watch too.

We loved it so much we're going to go back again next year.

BEVS

I thought I remembered Batty saying she had been in Tonga for the Whales.
Basic would be fine with us. It is what we prefer really. Us being scruffy sort of people for the most part.

Ooo. I'm wanting to go NOW. It sounds so good.

Batty

We just missed them Bevs - we left on the Wednesday and they started arriving on the Sunday evening but not in any great numbers and too far out to see - it was my only disappointment of the trip.

It's definitely not for pretentious people

I'm so glad (and relieved ) you liked it Laura - I knew you would tho

BEVS

Eerrghh. Doing me head in now.

Pictures purlease. and lots of.

What part of august do you think is good then.

Can you tell I am dead keen.

pixi-dust

where we stayed on Tongatapu


Hideaway on Eua


Bevs, we got there on the 4th ( I think) and the day before was the first day they'd taken the boat out. Once they're there they stay for ages, so maybe to be on the safe side mid August?
do you want more whales?
they were quite hard to get!!

pixi-dust

these were all taken from the boat

dorrick

Hi Pixi-dust, just tried opening your blogspot and kaspersky tells me there is a virus trying to upload - don't know if you have had previous probs

pixi-dust

oh that's not good - I use a mac so don't seem to have virus problems, I'm trying to open it now and it's taking forever. I'll go and check with blogspot to see if they're having issues, thanks for telling me.

yes just checked with blogspot - it would seem that today "as a result of what appears to be an ongoing distributed denial of service attack aimed at multiple services across the web." whatever that means! they're fixing it!

Batty

This is some really weird crap! It seems to be something to do with a Georgian blogger who's anti-Russian and they're trying to shut him up! Honestly! I read a really interesting story about it last week - experts said that the hackers definitely had the backing of the Russian Government

Here's a couple of links

Bit slow to load but more informative

http://www.keralanext.com/news/2009/...article163.asp

http://www.sophos.com/blogs/gc/g/200...ssian-blogger/

pixi-dust

wow!
Well I asked a few friends who have pcs to try today and they all said it was fine, so fingers crossed no one got a virus.