Where to Find Cheap Accommodation on Tongatapu
Save money on accommodation in Tonga, so you can afford the more important stuff like swimming with whales, scuba diving at the outer reefs or hopping on exciting island tours! Tonga’s main island, Tongatapu, provides an array of cheap accommodations, from guesthouses in the city of Nuku’alofa to the odd stay in out of the outer villages. Check out some of our top recommendations in this list of the best budget accommodations on Tongatapu!
Note that Tonga is an ever-evolving country. With that, accommodation offerings also change with little notice. While we try to keep the services up-to-date on each listing, note that some services may have been added, as well as discontinued. Feel free to reach out if you have any updates.
1. NOA Guesthouse
One of the largest guesthouses in Nuku’alofa, NOA Guesthouse has something for every type of traveller on a budget. Choose from single/double rooms with shared bathroom facilities and “Family Rooms” which have one double and a single bed with an ensuite. Guests have access to a large communal kitchen and dining room, which makes self-catering a breeze. Paid services include breakfast, laundry, WiFi and airport transfers. You can also rent vehicles with the guesthouse, which works with Me Rentals, as featured in The Best Car Rentals in Tongatapu.
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© TongaPocketGuide.com2. Winnie’s B&B
Stay a little out of town near the hospital in Nuku’alofa at Winnie’s B&B, accessible via rental car or taxi. The long-established yet modernly renovated guesthouse features six units with sliding doors spilling onto a shared wraparound deck and out to an attractive garden. Choose from king or twin configurations with an ensuite. Some rooms have breakfast-making facilities, while others have full kitchenettes with continental breakfast included. What’s more, they are very well priced; offering better standards than your average guesthouse but more affordable than your average hotel. The common areas include a garden and barbecue area, while paid services include WiFi, TV and laundry. Check out more accommodation like this in the 10 Best Bed & Breakfasts in Tonga.
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© Winnie's B&B3. Backpackers Townhouse (Kapeta Backpackers)
A homely guesthouse for backpackers and travellers on a budget, Backpackers Townhouse (signposted at “Kapeta Backpackers” on the corner of Mateialona and Vahaakolo Roads, Nuku’alofa) offers a couple of two-bed dorm rooms and four private single, twin/double rooms with shared bathroom facilities between two rooms. The guesthouse is an interesting place to stay with papaya and banana trees that you can help yourself to, while it’s also the site of True Vava’u where you can learn more about how your host makes tuitui (candlenut) oil. What’s more, the guesthouse is conveniently a short walk from the city centre. Full kitchen facilities, hot showers, electric fans and laundry services are all available. See more stays for backpackers in the 5 Best Backpacker Hostels in Nuku’alofa & Tongatapu.
© TongaPocketGuide.com4. ‘Utu’one Bed & Breakfast
Wedged between Tui Mata Moana Market, the waterfront restaurants and St Mary’s Cathedral, ‘Utu’one Bed & Breakfast offers an alternative yet convenient location in Nuku’alofa on Vuna Road. What’s more, the rates here are very reasonable, especially if you don’t want to go “too budget”. Rooms are reminiscent of a hotel with king beds, an ensuite bathroom with a hair dryer, hot drink-making facilities, a fridge, air-conditioning and a ceiling fan, plus all toiletries and towels are included. In short, they have everything you need and then some with free WiFi and breakfast served in the dining room by friendly local staff. There’s a communal kitchen if needed, as well as a restaurant on-site, Mi-Chefs, while there are a couple of “Standard Rooms” with shared bathroom facilities should you be on a tighter budget. For more hotel-style stays, check out the 20 Best Hotels on Tongatapu.
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© TongaPocketGuide.com5. Starlight Guesthouse
Live the village life at the Starlight Guesthouse in Nukunuku. The guesthouse has two holiday homes available, a two-bedroom house and a studio unit – both standalone but sharing a fenced-off garden with fruit trees to help yourself to. Enjoy the simplicity of living off the bare necessities with rainwater to drink, no hot water and a limited kitchenette. Nevertheless, the place is very affordable with most guests choosing to stay here for a couple of weeks or so with very reasonable weekly and monthly rates available. Nukunuku is 15 minutes’ drive from Nuku’alofa. For more authentic Tongan stays like this, check out the 10 Best Village Stays in Tonga.
© TongaPocketGuide.com6. The Village Backpackers
You can hardly get more central than The Village Backpackers in Nuku’alofa, nestled in a laneway off Taufa’ahau Road near a wide array of eateries, bars and shops (we recommend Ini’s Cakes)! The backpacker hostel offers a range of ultra-affordable rooms, including 4-6-bed mixed dorms, 4-bed female dorms and 4-bed male dorms upstairs with shared facilities, while downstairs is a selection of private double and triple ensuite rooms with entrances straight onto the street. Airport transfers are available for a fee, while your hosts can also help with ferry booking and transfers. Note that there isn’t a kitchen or fridge, so this accommodation is not suitable for self-catering.
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© TongaPocketGuide.com7. Toni’s Guesthouses & Apartments
Toni has a few guesthouses across Nuku’alofa, which can be very confusing to find/make sure you’re going to correct one – so we’ll make this listing a long one to make it as clear as possible. What’s more, the guesthouses are not the most central (rent a car). Nevertheless, travellers looking for an ultra-affordable stay will certainly find a place to call home at one of Toni’s Guesthouses or Apartments, starting with welcome refreshments.
The “Green House” has 2-3-bed backpacker dorm rooms with shared bathrooms and the “Yellow House” has double and twin rooms with some ensuite options. What’s known as the “Family House” is actually two self-contained units within. All of the above are located on the same estate in Tofoa. Meanwhile, “Toni’s Apartments” on Hihifo Road, Puke are two more guesthouses with four guest rooms each.
Unless otherwise stated, all houses are on a shared basis and are well equipped with a kitchen, a cool lounge and a seating area under a verandah – all kept to a clean and presentable standard. Although a little out of town, Toni and Leni offer island day tours. See more like this in the 10 Best Guesthouses in Nuku’alofa & Tongatapu.
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© TongaPocketGuide.com8. Fiefia Fale
If you’re looking for an independent stay on Tongatapu, and can be self-sustaining with self-catering/driving into Nuku’alofa or the airport, Fiefia Fale might be your perfect suburban retreat. Tucked away in an attractive courtyard behind the soap shop, Koko Designs, the studio unit boasts tasteful contemporary decor complete with a kitchenette and a spacious ensuite bathroom. Your kitchen has a fridge, frypan, microwave, hot drink-making facilities (including a plunger) and utensils/crockery. Enjoy meals inside or out on the shaded courtyard deck with cute seating areas. See more stays ideal for couples in the 10 Most Romantic Accommodations on Tongatapu.
© TongaPocketGuide.com9. Lose Lodge
Enjoy a stay with true Tongan hospitality at Lose Lodge “lose” being the Tongan pronunciation of “rose”. Most guests have their own space of either single/twin or double rooms with an ensuite, although two rooms have shared bathrooms. Alternatively, “Family” rooms are available which are fully self-contained studios with one double and single bed, plus a kitchen and bathroom. Rooms surround a shared patio and a picturesque city-centre garden to enjoy. Facilities at the lodge include modems should you want to sort out your own internet, activity bookings, free lifts into town (although you are surrounded by some good Nuku’alofa eateries, which your hosts are happy to recommend) and a liquor store on-site. Find Lose Lodge on Fatafehi Road, just a short stroll from the city centre. For more stays with kitchen facilities, check out the 10 Best Self-Catering Accommodations in Nuku’alofa & Tongatapu.
© TongaPocketGuide.com10. Dayspring Lodge
With free breakfast, free WiFi and super affordable guest rooms, you can hardly do wrong with Dayspring Lodge if you’re on a budget. Dayspring is located in Tofoa village on the southern outskirts of Nuku’alofa, which makes for a good central base for exploring Tongatapu. The basic but comfortable guesthouse offers double and single rooms (six in total), sharing three bathrooms between guests. The lodge has a beautiful garden with fruit trees galore, many of which are used to produce your breakfast each morning. Check out more lodges in the 10 Best Lodges in Tonga.
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© Dayspring LodgeMore About Budget Accommodations on Tongatapu
That’s it for the best budget accommodations on Tongatapu. For more about planning a budget-friendly trip to Tonga’s main island, take a look at the following:
- 10 Ways to Save Money When Travelling in Tonga
- The Guide to Tongatapu on a Budget
- 10 Free & Cheap Things to Do in Tongatapu
Finally, get more budgeting advice from The Travel Guide to Tonga on a Budget and Tonga Travel Budget: How Much Does a Trip to Tonga Cost?
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