The Top Sightseeing Tours of ‘Eua
The forgotten island of ‘Eua is full of natural beauty. The landscape is rough and rugged. Beyond its compact centre of villages, the island’s must-see sights and natural attractions can only be accessed on foot or by a 4WD vehicle. If you’re short on time and prefer the sound of the latter, then continue reading as we’ll take you through the best guided island land tours on ‘Eua!
6 Tips for Taking a Land Tour in ‘Eua
Other than knowing how to book tours, which we go through in our guide How to Book Tours in Tonga, there are some other tips about the guided island tours of ‘Eua worth knowing about:
- ‘Eua’s land tours are pretty active, with a number of short and sometimes steep hikes involved
- Each of the below tour operators has accommodations on the island, so be sure to check those out too in The Best ‘Eua Accommodations
- Allow for a good two, four or six hours for these tours, which don’t often run on a set agenda – just on Tonga time!
- Speaking of set agendas, some island tours organised by locals or guesthouses might just ask you where you want to go. Show them some sights from the 20 Best Things to Do in ‘Eua or a map from the Visitor Information Centre
- You will need good walking shoes, a bottle of water, sunscreen, insect repellent and a camera for these tours
- If you’re not told the price of the tour, a customary amount to give would be around TOP$100 per person.
For more tips on visiting ‘Eua, check out The Complete Guide to ‘Eua.
© TongaPocketGuide.comBlue Water Retreat Island Tour
Making their guests’ stay all too easy, Blue Water Retreat offers island tours of ‘Eua in their beasty and very capable 4WD vehicles, which are necessary to get to the island’s hard-to-reach sights.
Their signature tour is a half-day escapade to Lakafa’anga Cliffs, Rock Gardens and the Li’anga Huo a Maui natural archway all the way at the bottom of the island. Keep your eyes peeled for wild horses among the rock formations.
For a full-day excursion, you’ll venture into the ‘Eua National Park to see the likes of the Big ‘Ovava Tree which is an 800-year-old banyan tree, a sinkhole called the “Smoking Cave”, and the Lokupo Lookout and Rats Cave – see Sightseeing on ‘Eua: Top 10 Sights & Natural Attractions for more information on these attractions.
© TongaPocketGuide.comKiko’s Land Tours (‘Alakoka Tahi Moana Guest House)
Kiko’s, also known as ‘Alakoka Tahi Moana Guest House offer their own land tours of ‘Eua.
This is yet another fantastic 4WD tour of ‘Eua with the son of the local guesthouse owners. There are two main tours available:
- Tour #1: Approximately a two-hour tour to Matamahino Hopo Lookout and Fangatave Beach and Caves. This is quite an adventurous tour with a steep guided hike through caves and cliffs.
- Tour #2: A full-day tour to see the sights of the ‘Eua National Park and south coast, including Lakufa’anga Cliffs, Rock Gardens and Wild Horses, Li’anga Huo ‘a Maui Natural Archway, The Smoking Cave, Big ‘Ovava Tree #2, Rat’s Cave and Lokupo Beach Lookout.
Note that although these tours are some of the most expensive on the island, they also include breakfast and dinner which other tours do not.
Kiko’s also offers whale swimming tours, as listed in The Best Whale Tours in ‘Eua.
© TongaPocketGuide.comOther Accommodations With Island Tours
Offering informal island tours, several accommodations either have their own tour or can organise one with an eager local. Many of these are much more informal than the previous tours mentioned, providing a quintessential Tonga tourism experience. With that, they are also usually a bit cheaper at around TOP$80-$100 per person.
Bring your own refreshments and cash to pay your driver/guide, even if they haven’t stated a price; you’ll at least want to pay your way for fuel.
Accommodation Island Tours of ‘Eua
- Highlight Guesthouse – Affordable island tour lasting 4-6 hours
- Falakiko Guesthouse – Affordable island tours open to non-guests stopping at four sights on the east and/or south coasts
- Seta’s Guesthouse – Can organise island tours on your behalf
- Toafa Lodge – One of the cheapest island tours on ‘Eua.
© TongaPocketGuide.com‘Eua Visitor Information Centre
The staff at the ‘Eua Visitor Information Centre, located just up the road from the ferry terminal in ‘Ohonua, may also be able to organise an island tour on your behalf. They sometimes put visitors in touch with locals who they know are excellent tour guides, however, these guides are not always available. Otherwise, the staff can organise tours with the operators listed above.
More About Guided Island Tours of ‘Eua
That’s it for our list of the best guided island land tours of ‘Eua. For more details about hitting ‘Eua’s amazing sights, take a look at the following:
Finally, if there’s anything we’ve missed, you’re likely to find it in The Complete Travel Guide to ‘Eua.
