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| Euakafa Beach is just one of many stunning deserted beaches. |
This articles is about Tonga Landscape photography in Vava'u. I recently returned from a 10 day trip in these beautiful islands. Because there is no information on photography in the island group of Vava'u, Tonga, I want to share what I have learned. In this article I will focus on many of the incredible beaches. They are clean, empty, private, gorgeous and unspoiled. These are reached by boat. Many of the islands in Vava'u group are uninhabited and the only way to really get around is on the water.
I will give my best beaches a ranking from number one and on down just for fun and for interest!
#1: Best beach in Vava'u Tonga: Ngau and its' neighboring isle of Taunga.
This stunning beach is actually a stretch of sand reaching from one island to another. At low tide one can walk without getting feet wet. When the tide is a bit higher, wading from one beach to the other is equally fun. Sand dollars are everywhere and you can easily leave with 10 or 20 "dollars" in your pocket if you want.
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| Ngau Lagoon has green and blue waters and endless sand. |
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| Coconut Sprouting on Taunga Beach with Ngau in the distance! |
#2: Best beach: Euakafa Island
Euakafa beach stretches forever and a walk along this beach is a walk into paradise! On the southwest side there is a lava-rock tunnel to explore. Coconuts and many other fruits grow along the jungle which borders the beach. Snorkeling here is wonderful as well.
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| Euakafa Beach is unforgettable! |
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| Sail to the special beach of Euakafa. The waters here are green and blue. |
#3 Best Beach: Maninita Island
This beach is unique because it is the most southern small island in all of Vava'u. It is entirely inhabited by birds. Circumnavigating the entire island takes a delightful 20 minutes. Alternatively, one can cross the island through the center jungle and see all the birds flying over your head and hear them squawk. The beach here is rougher sand and I have never seen any location with more hermit crabs. They are everywhere, a crawling living beach. Getting here is half of the fun as you will pass many small deserted islands along the way. This is one of the few places where I felt like I was at the edge of the world.
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| Maninita Island: Swim ashore and explore! |
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| Bird foot prints are the only marks on this beach! |
#4 Beach Beach: the Blue Lagoon at Foeata
This place is simply gorgeous. The sand here is like powdered sugar in the texture and almost as white in color. It is so soft I wanted to make my bed here forever. The shallow sandy approach allows one to basically walk from your boat all the way to the beach without getting your head wet. This is a great place for a picnic. This beach is more discovered than the first 3 so you will probably have some other boats around and maybe some other visitors on the beach. It won't be crowded however.
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| Sailboat and the Blue Lagoon |
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| Picture of Paradise at the Blue Lagoon in Tonga |
#5 Best Beach: Ofu
Ofu is a clean beach with tons of seashells and friendly fishermen. Here I found the best shells of the trip, many on the southern part of the beach. This is wide, lovely, protected and pleasant!
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| Ofu Island Beach and Palm Tree |
#6 Best Beach: Nuku Island
Nuku Island might rank higher on this list if we had a sunny day on my visit here. The small deserted island is gorgeous and this has a large sand bar on the north side to swimming and lounging. It's very lovely. I came on a cloudy day, which may knock this beach down a couple of points.
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| Nuku Beach has everything: great sand, clear waters, palms, shells and deserted! |
Best Beach Honorable Mention: Port Maurelle
No pictures of this lovely beach but it is certainly worth a visit. Great snorkeling here too!