In which Tonga Happens & I discover the beach life is for me – Part 1

Afternoon on the beach

Wherever you are dear reader, stop for a moment, close your eyes and imagine this….

There is a place where endless pristine white sand spills down to the sparkling water, a million shades of blue catch the diamonds that dance on the surface, a place that beckons the interested stranger to wander the lush tropical greenery and explore the hidden paths of the forest not knowing where the next corner will take you. In this magical world the stranger can rest in hammock, select from a rainbow array of cocktails and listen to the animals of this strange and stunning world go about their business.

Welcome to Tonga.

Swim or sunbake, tough decision

The Man With The Amazing Eyes and two dear friends booked this trip to the South Pacific awhile ago and while we have all been anxiously emailing each other words of encouragement leading up to it, however when the plane taxied off the runway, you could almost see the stress of daily grind slip away.

Upon arriving in Tonga, we quickly slipped in so zzz’s until the boat arrived to take us to Fa Fa Island where we were welcomed with open arms from the locals and shown our Fale (pronounced far-lay, this is a house made of plaited reeds and thatched with the native timber).

Words cannot describe the five star accommodation with the staff dropping by to leave lanterns for when night set and dropping the mosquito nets in preparation of the impending evening.

the breathtaking end to the day

Laden with cocktails we made our way to the beach to witness one of the most incredible sunsets I have ever seen, earth putting on a show for the four of us. Splashes of Red, gold, amber, silver, orange and blue. The stage set, we splashed in the crystal water like children, embracing natures wonders.

Until tomorrow when I discover more of this jewel set in the South Pacific. X

Paul esq.

Ps- don’t forget to add me on Instagram! @thewanderinggastronimist