These should offer pleasant shallow water snorkeling opportunities. In all cases, for your safety and enjoyment, we encourage you to acknowledge and stay within your own personal limitations. Our tour staff will gladly provide any needed snorkeling instruction, from floating over reef environments and deeper water to freediving. The islands themselves, mostly small and uninhabited, are among the most beautiful in the South Pacific. Long stretches of white sand beaches overhung with palm trees and other lush foliage are punctuated with dark rocky points and luminous shallow reefs.
Postcards come alive in Vava'u.
On land, Tongan culture is basically unaffected by tourism. The Tongans are friendly, hospitable, and devoutly religious. When Joel was there last year, early mornings were frequently filled with the music of church bells and choir voices, along with those of roosters and the occasional grunts of untethered pigs. It's important to enunciate the skill level appropriate to this trip and review potential water conditions. In contrast to many other Sea for Yourself programs, this one is best enjoyed by snorkelers who are already comfortable and competent in the water.