HI Does Anyone have any info on Swimming with humpback whales in Tonga?

I'm planning a trip for next year and wondering what my chances are of doing it independantley on the cheap?

Regards,

Tim

I think you would not be looked upon to kindly if you tried to do the whale dive by yourself. They are quite conscious of conservation and treasure their whales.
I think visitng whales in their habitat is just something you need to do by going with a professional outfit that keeps the whales interests as a priority - this limits the number of boats that go near them each day etc

I suspect the OP means independently as in travelling to Tonga on their own and organising the dives/ snorkelling directly, rather than doing a package deal.

I could be wrong.

I believe you can safe quite some money if you book independently. Most package deals include mid- to high-range accommodation, but there are plenty of cheap guesthouses around. If you are okay with a basic, but clean place to spend the night (since most likely you´re out and about in the daytime anyway), then they are a really good option. Some of them even offer beachfront fales and mostly they have a kitchen for guest use as well.
Regarding prices for the whale watching/swimming itself: currently (meaning in the past 2009 season) the operators in Vava'u charge approximately US$150 per day, in Ha'apai you pay between US$90 and US$120.
To get to the outer islands you will either have to take a flight (T$150 to Ha'apai or T$240 to Vava'u, one way) or if you like roughing it, you can take the cheaper, but much slower inter-island ferry. Be advised though that the ferry´s departure times can be veeeeeery flexible, so if you only have a week or so to spend you might get stuck in one place or the other. Planning in a few buffer days would be a good idea in that case.
Which month are you planning to travel?

Thanks so far for the responses. With reference to the first response I just meant doing it independantley as opposed to booking an expensive trip.
I intend to go in the month of August and am now looking for flights.
Any Ideas on flight prices from the UK, so far I have been quoted £2,500 so I'm thinking of a round the world ticket with a two or three week stopover in Tonga.
What is the daily budget for a backpacker / adventure traveller who does not really want to spend silly money in expensive hotels and fancy resteraunts?
Thanks in advance to those who can help.

August is one of the best months and there´s going to be plenty of whales around.

I can only give advice about Ha'apai regarding budget. There are basic, but very clean and friendly guesthouses around. The cheapest ones are the lovely Fanongo Vainga Guesthouse in Pangai town,starting at US$7, and the beachbum paradise Diana´s Resort on a gorgeous white sandy beach on Uoleva at US$14 (both prices for single rooms/fales). They both have cooking facilities and charge only a small amount for kitchen use. Provisions can be bought in the little shops around Pangai and drinking water is for free at the guesthouses. I´d say, all in all you could get around with US$20-25 per day. That includes accommodation and food from the shops. Of course it´s going to be a bit more if you fancy a few beers at night or a pizza once in a while...

Cool,
So where is the best place to Watch the Whales then? are they guaranteed (virtually ), in all locations mentioned?
Where is the main transport hub in the region?
Where do most international flights come in from and how much do they cost?

Thanks in advance.

The best place to watch whales is in the sea, joke but you can see them from the beach here. Ha'apai is a great option for the budget traveller, the service cost is comparatively cheaper here and there are lots of whales here each year, since being protected the population is showing annual growth. However, nothing is ever guaranteed and a responsible attitude with any wildlife experience is to have a positive outlook, reasonable expectations and just enjoy the experience - even if that turns out to be nothing more than a day on the ocean. If you want guarantees think Sea World and a captive Orca, I know, sad to imagine. During Jul to Nov Whales are definitely residing in all the Island groups of Tonga. Our best advice is to do a couple of whale watch trips, that way it is more than likely you will get to see a lot of Whales and maybe even be lucky enough to snorkel with one. Of course more trips will cost you extra but if you really want to experience these animals you should play safe rather than sorry and at least have available budget to make a second trip in case the first does not fufil your personal expectations. The main transport hub is TBU (Tongatapu). Flights come mainly from LA and Auckland, you should check with Air Pacific, Pacific Blue or Air New Zealand for pricing and availabilty. A cheap way to get here is to crew on a yacht coming this way, it may be worth investigating. Thanks.

Thanks for your great response.

You're welcome Tim, if you need any further info just send us an email.