Nuku'alofa hotels & places to stay

Mamta Villa is a solid 3 star hotel with the Little India Restaurant as part of the hotel. The Management & Staff were very hospitable and made sure to ask every day at least once if all was good. There is a small store around the corner and a taxi stand nearby, so all I needed in Nuku'alofa was close by. The Little India Restaurant is a fantastic place to unwind after a day of meetings. Two minor issues to mention, the WiFi didn't work well through the 6 days I was there and the towels were still too new, lots of lint, I maybe being too picky.

On a working holiday. Nice and clean facilities. Value for money is ok - though it is more the staff who make this place 5-star, really! Staff are so friendly & caring that they become like family. Thank you Mele the cleaner for such a fantastic attitude & for the beauty that radiates from within & especially on the exterior! Angaetau the bar man - thank you for being so hospitable when we had guests! To the front desk team - always welcoming, professional & friendly!!! The best customer service I have ever experienced in Tonga...it's great to see a place where customer service actually exists in Tonga- seriously!!! Loved the fact they clean daily as opposed to other places I've stayed in Tonga. Will be back to stay very soon! Thank you for such a beautiful home away from home experience. Cheers =)

Convivial people and atmosphere at this guesthouse but everything is rather slow and sleepy. My TV never worked and my neighbours' air-con and hot water only worked intermittently. You really need your own transport as it's at least 30 minute' walk into town and in Tonga's intense heat you're wringing wet by the time you get there. Food was reasonable but the chances of them getting your order right are 50-50. I'd have no problem recommending it for people who are not in a hurry, and perhaps the same goes for the rest of Tonga.

My adult daughter and I really enjoyed our 4 day stay at Liku'alofa. Although the Resort is beachfront, it's not a really great swimming beach although we did attempt some snorkelling but it is mostly white or bleached coral and very few fish. The sea water pool that fills and empties with the tide is popular with the local youths and children staying. The open-air restaurant is definitely unique and has a great menu but the service was slow, we waited at least 1.5 hours for our order every night we dined there. However, the buffet and show night was great, plenty of selection on the table and the floor show was very entertaining. We hired the bikes to go to the Blow-Holes; unless these have been replaced, do take a spanner (and seat padding!) with you as we had a 'breakdown'. The staff were all friendly and helpful, going out of their way to help/ rescue us in different ways when needed, which was really appreciated. The room was lovely and quite modern and nice bathroom with hot water which is not that common. Although there's a jug and tea/coffee provided and a fridge in the room there are no plates/cutlery/cook top to self cater so it pays to be prepared or eat at the restaurant. There's a little shop in the village (about 20 mins walk away) where you can get basic packaged/ tin food. The trip by bus to Nuku'alofa is about 50mins away for more shopping and is TOP2 per person. Hitch-hiking gets you there faster and for free and you get to chat to the lovely locals!

Overall, we loved our stay. This is hugely down to the natural surrounds and the abundance of sea life given there is a marine reserve that surrounds the island. Breaking our stay down a bit more: Food and drink - this does add up ($1000 for two over 4 days). Was prices we would pay back home. The food was good - wouldn't say amazing. Service - this was hit and miss. The managers were overly friendly, the general staff not really at all. Overall we didn't feel particularly welcome, however this didn't bother us as we were happy doing our own thing anyway. Fale - these are unique and lovely to stay in. Outdoor bathroom a real novelty. The only real thing they could improve is to have curtains on all windows. Whilst you do have a fair amount of privacy, there are still people who walk past your Fale and can easily see in. Vibe/ambience - I don't know if I could say what the vibe of the place is. The place could greatly benefit from a communal area which was comfortable to hang out in and which naturally encouraged people to be a bit more social. Again didn't greatly bother us, but it would have been nice to have somewhere to sit whilst having a drink (they only have the restaurant tables which aren't overly comfortable). Services - the only gripe we had was the exorbitant price they charge for the 'airport transfer' - which unless you happen to make one of the two free ferries, you are also charged additional over their advertised rate for the boat ride. A piece of advice - don't use their airport transfer service. Pay the $40 Tongan to get to the wharf yourself, and if you miss the free ferry, call the island or arrange before hand and pay the ferry fee. We were charged $165 on the way there. Return got the free ferry and a taxi at the other end - $40. The Internet is also hard to access (it's made way more difficult then needs be). Overall though, would highly recommend.

From the moment we cleared customs, at the Fua'amotu International Airport, they looked after us. After a friendly greeting, by name, we were driving in to Nukuʻalofa to the habour and then taken, without delay, by small boat to the island. (New looking life jackets on-board.) The 20-minute ride was smooth, on both trips. On the island we experience near-paradise. Because they could, and wanted to, we got a free upgraded fale (just 25 steps from the water’s edge). As well as relaxing we enjoyed a lot of free activities such as a village tour, snorkelling and kayaking. Swimming in the sea is best at high tide; the pool is great at any time. The food was basic but fine. My favourite meal proved to be the traditional dinner cooked especially for us one evening. We slept well in the comfortable beds (one with a surround of mosquito netting.) Add in the friendly, but not in-your-face staff, with their very helpful local knowledge and visual treats like seeing flying-foxes and tropical fish.

We were 5 friends travelling together and was looking for basic layover accommodation whilst waiting to transfer to our flights the next day. We had excellent communication with the owners of the lodge prior to arriving. Nina came to pick us up at the airport and organised everything we needed without a hitch, including transfers, a local drive-around tour and lunch. All very friendly and helpful. One of our friends accidentally left her Kindle behind and we organised to get it back with no problems at all on our return to the island. The accommodation itself is a bunch of houses in a typical Tongan suburb - which was pretty cool! No busy roads or shops anywhere near us, so just like being at a family home. There are roosters and dogs barking through the night for those who are light sleepers. The rooms were well kept and clean. A couple of cobwebs in the wardrobe (suspect no one really uses it!) but otherwise clean and tidy. Bedding and towels were provided and clean. The bathroom was functional and as clean as possible, and had hot water that was lukewarm with okay pressure, so fine for a shower. The grout was mouldy but otherwise everything else was as clean as it possibly could be. Nina came in the morning and cooked for us in our kitchen a huge breakfast of eggs, toast and fruit! We also were given a snack basket and complimentary bottles of water. Overall, it was a comfortable stay, excellent service, and definitely value for money. Excellent for big group of travellers staying together. Will need to organise transport for getting around as nothing will be within walking distance.

Our group of 8 pax booked the whole villa during our stay at Tonga. We chose the place, because of its location close to the wharfs (3 mins drive, easy for pick ups for whale swimming). Tonga holiday villa is well-furnish, have 2 bath rooms and a kitchen (with fridge and microwave). The rooms are cosy and the whole villa is spacious. During our non-whale swim day, our kind host organised a day trip around Tonga and traditional buffet dinner. We have so much fun during the day trip. During our arrival and departure, we also arranged with the host for pick ups to and fro the airport. Recommended if you have a group (friends), would like to have privacy (a villa to yourself and family) please consider Tonga Holiday Villa. I'm sure, you will enjoy and have a relaxing stay in Tonga. If you need any help, just reach out to the hosts who stays beside the villa. They are really nice and friendly people whom are always ready to seek to your friendly request.