| In actuality,
the Tongan cuisine is much the same as found in any tropical island locale.
As you would expect, seafood tops the list with a wide variety of fresh
fish and even lobster available at markets, in restaurants; or you can
catch your own.
Pigs are given
free reign to roam nearly anywhere they’d like in Tonga and, being held
in such high regard; you wouldn’t expect pork to be on the menu.
But it is. And it’s quite tasty; most often cooked in an underground
oven called an ‘umu.
Beef is available,
too, though not as popular and not of the quality you might find at a fine
steakhouse stateside. Then there’s chicken; always plentiful, always
good.
For the vegetarian
or well-balanced table fruits and vegetables abound. You’ll find
bananas, coconuts, papaya and bread fruit growing wild on most islands.
Squash, as well as potatoes and other root vegetables are easily grown
in the rich inland soil.
The bottom
line? You can eat very well in Tonga. Just don’t expect any
chain restaurants or drive-through fast food outlets.
7. Transportation
- One thing that has kept Tonga such a hidden gem is the fact that
it isn’t easy to get there. Until recently, flights—mostly from New
Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Samoa—flew only into the capital of Nuku’alofa
on Tongatapu in the southernmost island group. Visitors wishing to
reach Vava’u would then have the choice of swimming, or boarding a 60-year
old DC3 for the one-hour flight north.
Very recently,
the skies over Tonga have opened up. A second carrier will soon be
shuttling passengers between Tongatapu and Vava’u and direct flights into
Vava’u from Fiji and American Samoa have begun or will soon, making the
trip much more convenient; especially for visitors from the states.
Be aware, however, that these new international flights are infrequent;
often just once a week.
So now let’s
say you’re in Tonga and you have your own piece of paradise. How
do you get around? If you’re on a main island such as Tongatapu or
Vava’u, you’ll want or need a vehicle with wheels. Don’t plan to
ship your own in as the freight and customs duty you’ll have to pay will
make it cost prohibitive. Your best bet is to purchase something
used—most likely brought in from Japan and reasonably priced (especially
when compared to used vehicle prices in the states).
For getting
from one island to another you will, of course need a boat. Your
best bet to find something reasonable and seaworthy might be in Nuku’alofa,
but getting a small craft from there up to Vava’u will be problematic.
Expect to settle on a very used 14-16 ft. v-hull with a 15-horse outboard.
They’re most common and, therefore, most likely to be available.
6. Building
Materials - If you’re facing a construction or renovation job on your
new home in Tonga, you’re going to need building materials. Don’t
expect to find a Home Depot or a Lowe’s to make life easy, though.
They don’t exist in that part of the world. Unless you ship a container
of materials in from New Zealand or the states—and pay the hefty customs
duty—your choices are going to be limited.
Remember the
story of the three little pigs? Like them, you will choose from straw
(thatch), sticks (coconut trees and other indigenous hardwoods) and brick
(cement block) for exterior construction. Using traditional Tongan
building materials and methods, however, can result in a beautiful and
durable structure. You’ll also find the most skilled labor going
this route. And, if you’re building in Vava’u, you’ll be interested
to know that there is an operational sawmill that can serve a as source
for lumber. Note: check with Robert as, at the time of this
writing, the sawmill was for sale!
Interior fixtures
and appliances are available in the port towns of Nuku’alofa on Tongatapu,
Pangai on Ha’apai and Neiafu on Vava’u, but expect selection to be very
limited.
5. Skilled
Contractors - Unless you are a building contractor or architect by
trade, you will probably require some assistance with managing any construction
projects undertaken in Tonga. As with most things, resources and
choices are again limited. The best advice is to make inquiries and
seek introductions to qualified contractors in person. Plan to spend
some time in the main city nearest your property to do this. In Nuku’alofa
on Tongatapu, you will likely find multiple individuals and/or business
that can help you. In Vava’u, however, it will be much more difficult
to find help in arranging and managing construction, electrical, plumbing
and finishing projects. This is where cultivating personal relationships
and developing contacts such as Robert Bryce can be invaluable.
4. Water,
Power and Telephone - Is your piece of Tongan paradise on a main island,
or remote location? If you are on one of the few main islands—such
as Tongatapu or Vava’u—you will benefit from the local power company for
electricity and telephone company for land line phone service. Electrical
power is 220 volts, not 110 as in the states. On remote islands,
solar power or wind power with battery storage is the norm for electricity;
with gasoline-powered generators for back-up. Normal telephone service
is available on most islands via a signal relay system and cell phones
are becoming quite popular.
As for potable
water, rainwater collection by use of metal roofs and a cistern system
for storage is most common on all islands. Septic is used in all
of Vava’u, but the larger cities of Tongatapu have a sewage system.
Any way you look at it, remote island living will come at a price for all
of the equipment needed for self sufficiency. The good news is, in
the long run, solar and/or wind power equipment can pay for itself.
3. Cyclones
- The hot, wet summer months of December through April, when temperatures
range from 24º-29º C, bring with them the possibility of tropical
cyclones.
Every few years
(on average every 20 years over the past six decades), the magnitude of
a storm may be adequate to cause severe damage to structures and trees,
as well as to cause flooding in low-lying areas.
Wise homeowners
will budget for the replacement of a thatched roof, or the reconstruction
of a fale every few years, accordingly. Really smart homeowners will
purchase storm damage insurance which is reasonably priced.
2. Land
Ownership - Nothing seems to provide a truer sense of security than
“owning” a piece of land; whether it’s as grand as a ranch in the Rockies,
or a three acre island in the South Pacific. Problem is—and this
is certainly true of Tonga—outright land ownership in many foreign countries
is an anomaly. Land in Tonga is owned by either the government or
Nobles who were granted rights to the land. Native Tongan people
were, in turn given plots of land in the form of tax allotments; rights
to pieces of land with defined borders in exchange for the government’s
ability to tax the “owner”.
So, how does
a foreigner “acquire” property in Tonga? It can be quite a complicated
transaction, to say the least. It has recently become common for
a Tongan in possession of a tax allotment to lease it for a specified period
of years. The government must approve all such lease agreements and,
by law, they are not supposed to exceed 20 years. A way around required
government approval and the 20-year restriction is the “rental agreement”.
This is similar to a lease and can be written for longer periods; typically
30 or even 50 years. In both cases, the owner of the tax allotment
can also legally own any structures built on the land during the lease
or rental period. And, in both cases, the financial transaction consists
of a lump sum of cash up front and a monthly payment made throughout the
term of the agreement.
A third and
perhaps more desirable means for acquiring land in Tonga is the long-term
government lease. This requires that the owner of the tax allotment
surrender it to the government—or to the Noble, if that’s the case—which
allows the government—or Noble—to lease the land to a new party for up
to 99 years. The owner of the tax allotment will typically receive
greater financial compensation as inducement for surrender of his allotment
and he will usually have to provide written explanation of his need or
circumstances in a letter of surrender that gets presented to the Minister
of Land for approval by cabinet.
This all sounds
complicated because it is. There is a limited amount of land in Tonga
and it’s not likely that any more will spring up from the depths of the
ocean. Land use, conservation, ownership and taxation are among many
challenges facing the Tongan people and their government. Which leads
to the number one concern for those considering a move to this archipelago.
1. Political
Uncertainty - After centuries of living under the rule of a king, and
as a constitutional monarchy since 1875, there has, in recent years, been
a pro-democratic movement seeking to reform the government. Various
proposed constitutional amendments and new models for government have been
discussed and even presented to the Palace for review. Most seek
to establish a democratic parliament fully elected by the people.
A successful public servants strike in 2005 seems to have gained the attention
of the governing minority and has provided the common people of Tonga with
their first sense of political power.
So, what affect
will this have on an investment in Tonga? If the current government
balks at change, the result could be widespread civil unrest. That
could be ugly for palange and Tongan alike. And no matter what form
the Tongan government takes, it will need to address many of the ills that
fanned the flames of change to begin with; including low wages, unemployment
and a weak economy.
Solving these
issues requires economic growth which can be accomplished through encouraging
new business development, if not offering incentives to new enterprise.
That could be good for palange and Tongan alike.
Time will tell
what happens in the end, but for the adventurer and entrepreneurial spirit,
uncertainty breeds opportunity and opportunity knocks but once. The
time to decide which side of the door you want to be on is now. He
who hesitates is lost and so may be your private piece of tropical island
paradise.
The list presented
here is not, by any means, meant to be all inclusive of the concerns any
escapee to paradise should be aware of. A smart person will undertake
his or her due diligence and, in the end, make a decision as to what he
or she can live with…and without. |
