Article: Landmarks in Tonga

 Landmarks in Tonga

Information sourced from Geographic Media, Wikipedia and Tongan Pocket Guide.

There are some amazing landmarks, both natural and man-made in Tonga.

Ha'amonga'a Maui Trilithon - Tongatapu

Haʻamonga ʻa Maui (The Burden of Maui) is a stone trilithon on the eastern part of the island of Tongatapu, in the village of Niutōua, in Heketā. It was built in the 13th century by King Tuʻitātui in honor of his two sons, who are represented by the two upright stones, and their bond represented by the stone sitting on top. The monument is sometimes called the "Stonehenge of the Pacific". It is three coral limestone slabs formed together. It is 5.2m high, 1.4m wide, and 5.8m long. The weight of the visible part of each upright stone is approximately 30–40 tons.

‘Ana ‘Ahu (Smoking Cave) - Eua

‘Ana ‘Ahu (Smoking Cave) is an almost bottomless sinkhole located at the ‘Eua National Park, on Eua Island. A waterfall flows into the sinkhole and causes a steam cloud to hang around making it look like smoke - hence the name “Smoking Cave.” Throwing a stone into the hole shows how deep it is as you cannot hear it hit the bottom. 

Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Tonga - Tongatapu

The Royal Palace is located in the northwest of Nukuʻalofa. The wooden Palace, which was built in 1867, is  where the King of Tonga lives. The palace is not open to the public, but it can be easily seen from the waterfront. This is not the only palace in Tonga, the royal family have other residencies

Mapu ‘a Vaea - Tongatapu

A famous natural attraction in Tonga is the Mapu ‘a Vaea Blowholes. This natural water display stretches some 5km along the southern coastline of Tongatapu, shooting the ocean’s waves up to 30m in the air through narrow blowholes. When the water falls back to earth, it cascades down the tiered reef. 

Tofua Volcano - Ha’apai

Ha’apai is made up of around 60 islands, most of which are uninhabited and make for an interesting excursion for boat tours. Admittedly, there has been a recorded population of “two” on the volcanic island of Tofua, but it still makes for an interesting visit to this caldera of a steep-sided active volcano that is also a bird sanctuary.