Whale Swimming & Eco Retreat in Tonga

 
 
 
 
  EXCELLENT  
  
 Based on 37 reviews 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Google  
 
  
 
 
 Donna 
 
 
 
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We visited Fanifo Lofa just in the shoulder season to take advantage of the kitesurfing.  My partner was able to kite every single day and while the winds were quite as strong as anticipated he was able to foil in the stunning lagoon. Even in low tide the lagoon was never dry and accommodated his mast.  Glen and Rick dropped us off on the other side of the island while Brian kited and we enjoyed the walk home in a completely peaceful and tranquil beach. We saw a few beautiful local kids and families on our walk but otherwise had it to ourselves. The food was beautifully presented and delicious. We loved eating together at night and made friends with the only other two guests Matthias and Kerstin who were excellent company. We played cards at night and coincidentally stayed at another Tongan island with them later in our trip. Glenn and Karen were great hosts.  They arranged all transfers for us, provided local knowledge for Brian to use while kiting.  Brandon and Rick were awesome staff members who we loved having dinner with and hearing about their travels.  At the end of our stay their new chef Felipe arrived who made home made pasta and fabulous meals. Our fale was authentic and comfortable. Great beds.  Private and roomy.  The outdoor areas and shady grassy areas were perfect for us to do yoga, read and relax- things we don’t get enough time for at home. Glen or Rick (and Jenga the resident K9) were on watch and available for most launches and landings while Brian kited. A luxury we are not used to. They helped have our equipment on the beach while we walked the short 6 minute walk through the bush to the beach. Overall we had a fantastic stay at Fanifo Lofa and would highly recommend it to everyone. Thank you so much to Jenga, Karen, Glen, Rick, Braden and Felipe for a wonderful week!
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Google  
 
  
 
 
 Luke Dean 
 
 
 
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Excellent location. Relaxing off grid accommodation.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Nicole White 
 
 
 
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My friends and I just spent the past 8 days at KiteSurf Tonga and had the most wonderful time possible!! Karen and Glen and their team exceeded our already fairly high expectations. The service was outstanding at all times, the food was next level, the accommodation and facilities are so special and unique that it's sometimes hard to leave them to go down to the spectacularly beautiful beach and water. We really felt like we were a part of their wonderful family and it was very hard to leave 😍. Their knowledge of and love and care for the whales made our whale swimming experience with them even more incredible and also gave us a thirst for more 💜. I would recommend this experience to anyone looking to wind down and recharge.
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Anna Dooley 
 
 
 
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What an amazing week we had staying in Kitesurf Tonga - so worth the epic journey to get there. Karen and Glen have created an idyllic haven - beautiful traditional fales with sea views. Large comfortable beds, huge en-suites and relaxing chairs on the deck. All set in beautifully kept grounds that have taken years to establish. Sam keeps the grounds pristine and offers fresh delicious coconut 🥥 every afternoon. Katie did a great job tidying our rooms each day and changing our foot spa as well as waiting on us every evening. Max did a fantastic job ferrying us to and from the boat through the coral reef in some very low tides and coping with all the luggage on arrival and departure day. Karen created some wonderful meals every evening and I loved the pack lunches on the boat every day. The reason we went was obviously for the whales and they were amazing !! Most days consisted of boarding the boat at 8:30am and looking for whales which never took long- we had some fantastic other worldly encounters with whales. Truly breathtaking - Glen is a friendly knowledgeable skipper reading which whales were happy for us to swim with. Ensuring that we kept our distance and didn’t over stay our welcome. I was slightly hesitant to swim in the deep water with these huge animals but I am so pleased I was brave enough to give it a go and so grateful that everyone helped me achieve it. Karen and Max were excellent guides -always respectful of the whales🐋 ensuring their’s and our safety There are a couple of other operators in the island chain but they never go near one another- there is only ever one boat on a whale they are extremely respectful of the whales at all times. The icing on the cake were the wonderful people we met on our week - we definitely arrived as strangers and left as friends. You couldn’t have wished for a kinder lovelier group of people💕 If you ever get the opportunity to visit Kitesurf Tonga and swim with whales grab it with both hands- an amazing once in a lifetime experience- thanks Glen n Karen xx
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Donna Barker 
 
 
 
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Just back from an incredible experience staying with Kitesurf Tonga. The days were filled with unforgettable encounters with Humpback Whales, and coming back to the relaxing off-grid accommodation which felt like pure bliss. The balance of comfort and simplicity made it the perfect place to truly switch off and soak up island life. The food was absolutely delicious—every meal felt like a treat—and sharing it all with such good company only made the trip more special. Between the Whales, the laughter, good food, island life & epic company it was an adventure I’ll treasure forever. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience to get away from it all, relax in tropical paradise & have a mind blowing experience with the Whales! 🌴🌊🐋✨
  
 
  
 
 
 
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 Kate Stehr 
 
 
 
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As someone who loves to travel and see new places, I think three vacations to Kitesurf Tonga speaks volumes of how much I love this place. Kitesurf is situated on a stunning island (Uoleva), a short boat ride from Ha’apai. From the moment you step foot on the shore, you begin to disconnect. Sure there’s wifi if you want it, but the opportunity to not be contactable for a little while is a pleasure. The food served every day, is wonderful, and getting to know other guests is done around the communal table each night, over a two course meal. This is environmentally conscious travel, and the owners have done a wonderful job of creating a destination that works with the environment in all aspects of its running. You can spend your time snorkeling, kitesurfing if thats your thing, and relaxing. Oh…did I mention the whales? Humpbacks travel each year to this area, give birth and use the warm, safe waters to give their new bubs a place to grow. To swim with these gigantic creatures is beyond incredible. A life changing experience. And again, done respectfully and with the whales wellbeing as foremost in mind.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Google  
 
  
 
 
 Erez Rubinshtein 
 
 
 
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גן עדן חלומי המנוהל ע״י זוג מסורה מי שמחפש חופשה מנותקת זה המקום
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Google  
 
  
 
 
 Evan Thomas 
 
 
 
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Karen and Glenn have really created something special here and I can't recommend it enough for anyone looking to truly get away from it all and just enjoy the elements. Whale watching was outstanding, food consistently blew us away and the kiting is world class. Will definitely be back... hopefully soon!
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Google  
 
  
 
 
 max wines 
 
 
 
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Kitesurf Tonga, owned by Glen and Karen, is on a beautiful island for kiting. Karen does a wonderful job producing high standard tasty meals with great variety. I was never disappointed. Glen has the resort running like clockwork. He is easy to approach and highly helpful. I had a dental issue and he spontaneously offered to take me by boat to a dentist at a nearby island. This is above the call of duty and was highly appreciated by me in my hour of need. Max keeps a lookout for everyone on the kite lagoon, giving helpful advice and assisting with landing and launching kites. Sam keeps the grounds in tip top condition. This is a small friendly and safe Kitesurf resort. Our group of 4 has loved our 10 days here and will return. Highly recommended.