Things to do in Tonga

Slip into the warm open ocean to share eye contact with gentle humpback mothers and their curious calves as they migrate through the island channels.

Stand on the coral-lined coast as powerful surf compresses air through natural lava tubes, launching plumes of sea spray up to 30 metres high.

Examine the 11th-century coral-stone archway known as the 'Stonehenge of the Pacific', whose uprights align with the solstice sun.

Enter a cathedral-like sea cave on the water's surface to see swirling schools of fish beneath a ceiling dotted with nesting swallows.

Tramp through velvet rainforest to a dramatic cliff-top lookout where you can hear the ocean battering rock 100 metres below.

Walk among massive stepped burial pyramids of ancient Tongan kings, set in a peaceful village garden rich with history.

Slip into the overflowing Centenary Church in Nuku'alofa to hear a congregation raise a roof with spine-tingling a cappella hymns.

Sit at candlelit tables deep in Hina Cave as waves echo around you, followed by a fiery Tongan dance performance on the sand.

Navigate stalls heaped with taro, vanilla, breadfruit and hand-stitched pandanus fans, tasting fresh 'ota ika straight from the ice box.

Paddle across the reef-protected lagoon from Nuku'alofa to a castaway islet, where a palm-fringed beach and hammock wait.

Float in shallow turquoise water just a short boat ride from the capital, drifting over staghorn coral thickets buzzing with reef fish.

Ascend a steep forest trail to a flat-topped summit, where the entire azure maze of Vava'u islands unfolds below.

Stand beneath towering ironwood trees as thousands of Pacific flying foxes take wing in a black cloud against the sunset.

Taste chicken, pork and taro slow-cooked in an earth oven, then sit cross-legged to share a calming kava circle with local hosts.

Swim through an underwater passage into a dark cavern where air pressure fog forms and chanting voices create magical acoustics.

Descend limestone steps into a cool, inky-blue underground lake lit by shafts of sunlight, an unexpected tropical freshwater cavern.

Walk the seafront promenade past the white Victorian palace with its iron gates, then watch the harbour bustle by the wharf.

Stand next to a bedroom-sized coral boulder lobbed inland by a 15th-century mega-tsunami, now sitting in a quiet field near the coast.

Join the island-wide festivities in July with colorful parades, traditional dance competitions and the crowning of Miss Heilala.

Spoon up luscious raw fish marinated in coconut cream and lime at a timber deck restaurant while fishing boats bob in the lagoon.

Visit the banyan-shaded commemorative plaque on Ha'apai where the famed navigator first came ashore in 1777, still a quiet village spot.

Step off a small boat onto powdery white sand backed by nothing but palms, an undisturbed stretch on the remote Ha'apai chain.

Descend through a vertical chimney into a massive submerged cavern where beams of light illuminate walls of swaying soft corals.

Grab a deck chair by the water as a local band plays island reggae and the sun sinks into the Pacific, fiery and slow.

Sit with artisans as they pound mulberry bark into fine ngatu and stamp geometric patterns using natural dyes on long communal boards.