International Date Line blows eastward from its north-south path down the center point of the Pacific Ocean just enough to cause the final Polynesian monarch the first sovereign to view the light of each new day. When King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV of Tonga hails the dawn and looks out on his realm from the veranda of his whitewashed Victorian royal residence, he sees a country of low but radically fertile islands, of attractive sandy beaches, and of vivid coral reefs waiting to be investigated. His nation is safeguarded -- but was never ruled -- by a Western power. Like Samoa to the north, Tonga has managed to care for its Polynesian culture in the face of modern change. The Tonga Visitors Bureau is spotting on when it says the realm "still remains far away from it all; still different, still alone, and 
to the delight of those who find their way to her -- essentially unspoiled." While this explanation is true to the faultlessly flat main island Tongatapu, it is even more applicable to Vava'u and Ha'apai. Vava'u is a group of hilly islands whose fjordlike harbor makes it one of the South Pacific's most popular yachting destinations. The low islands of the Ha'apai group seems to have changed little since the crew of HMS Bounty staged their mutiny just offshore in 1789. Visiting Vava'u is extremely pleasant to the eyes, and you should make every effort to see it and its multitudinous islets. Along with my relish for adventure, I make sure to bring my sense of comedy to Tonga. You may need yours, too, for things don't always go according to a plan here. This is, after all, the neediest country covered. The local airlines
might not come to get you, the electricity might unexpectedly quit working, and the tap water might be turned off during your tepid shower (not that you can drink it when it's running). You'll see crowds of dogs, chickens, and even pigs nearly everywhere, even wandering. The streets of Nuku'alofa, the capital. However, if you take the unforeseen quirks of human race with a smile, you will thoroughly enjoy your time in Tonga, during which you will get a most charming glimpse into the way things used to be out here.
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