Overview
Tonga is one of the few places in the world where you can swim freely with whales. Regulations state swimmers can come within 5 metres of the whales as they migrate between the islands to breed in winter. In other places, you’re restricted to observing from a boat and from a much greater distance - either that or you're attached to a rope and unable to swim in open water. During this trip we will have plenty of time to explore a tropical archipelago, known as the Vava'u island group. We will swim in lagoons, channels, and coastal shallows over colourful reefs and beds of seagrass. In Polynesian myth, these islands were hooked from the depths of the sea by the god Maui and wrenched to the surface. We will run three daily excursions to swim with whales and two days of ocean swimming around the Vava'u islands. We stay at a Tongan-run guest house often regarded as 'the best in Neiafu', which is Vava'u's main town and the second-largest in Tonga.
Highlights
Explore the Vava'u island group
Swim in tropical lagoons, channels, and coastal shallows. Meet the local species that inhabit colourful reefs and graze among seagrass meadows.
Swim with the whales!
Enjoy excursions to swim freely with whales as they migrate between the islands. This is truly a bucket list experience that never disappoints.
Settle into laidback island life
Stay at a Tongan-run guest house in Vava'u's main town. You are never too far from the sea and will have time to seek out nearby cultural attractions and places to sample the local cuisine.
Itinerary
During our week in Tonga, we have three whale swimming days and two swim days. Here’s a rough outline of our week.
Previous
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Arrive in Vava'u (Day 1)
On landing at Neiafu Airport you will be met by representatives of our accommodation from the Portwine Guest House, and on arrival will have plenty of time to settle in and explore the gardens.
Local swims in Vava'u (Day 2)
Leaving after breakfast, swim days will involve transferring in a boat from the wharf in Vava’u to remote locations around the archipelago. Swims will be 1-3 kilometres, depending on location, weather, and currents. The water is very clear, and you will be able to swim with incredible visibility. From July to August, the tropical water temperature is expected to be in the lower 20Cs. We return to our guest house at lunchtime, with the afternoon your own.
Swim with whales (Day 3)
On whale swimming days we will leave after breakfast, catching a boat from the wharf at 7:30am and spend pretty much the entire day out at sea. When we find our whales, we are led by guides, divided into groups of four, and allowed to enter the water for rotations of 20 minutes each time. This is truly a bucket list experience.
Exploring Vava'u (Day 4)
It's another swim day around the reefs and small islands of Vava'u. We take the boat from the wharf (‘Rikki’s Wharf’) in the morning and explore the archipelago, looking for any wildlife that might've evaded our goggled-eyes so far. Again, swims will be no longer than 3 kilometres in clear, warm waters.
More whale swims! (Day 5)
Back to the whales! Again, we enjoy breakfast before catching a boat from the wharf at 7:30am. We spend the day at sea and return to the deep waters in guided groups of four, awaiting the arrival of our big, blubbery friends.
A day of rest (Day 6)
You might be a little tired after a few days of excitement with Tongan whales. So, we take Day 6 as an opportunity to rest. Enjoy the homely comforts at Port Wine Guest House, read on the veranda and explore the lush garden. You can also venture out to explore our beautiful surrounds on the south coast of Vava'u.
A final day of swimming with the whales and a Tongan feast! (Day 7)
For our final day we'll take the boat out again after breakfast to swim with the whales and conclude our exploration of the archipelago and its wildlife. We're back in time for a Tongan feast in the evening provided by our hosts at Portwine.
Departure from Tonga (Day 8)
After breakfast, we depart Portwine Guest House together, say our farewells and take a transfer to Neiafu Airport for flights to your respective home countries.
What's included
What's Included
7 nights guest house accommodation
7 days breakfast at the resort
Two days of escorted swimming to explore the archipelago and its wildlife
Three days of whale swimming tours
Tongan feast on final night
A rest day to explore the local area and Tongan culture
What's Not Included
Flights are not included
Accommodation
Port Wine Guest House
Established in the 1970s, Port Wine Guest House is run by Tai and Salote Tuiniua, as well as their extended family. The accommodation is a 5-minute walk from the heart of Neiafu in Vava'u – a group of 55 islands, which combine to create a nature lover’s sanctuary in the Pacific Kingdom of Tonga. Port Wine is quiet, homely and picturesque, located within an acre of tropical gardens. You will be surrounded by coconut trees, guava, mei (breadfruit), papaya, frangipani trees, heilala (Tonga’s national flower), and more.
Room options
Private en-suite room in guest house Lu'isa
The guest house has four double/twin bedrooms on the upper floor, each with en-suite bathroom. There is a timber verandah where you can view local Tongan carvings and the luscious tropical garden. The heart of the guest house is a large shared kitchen featuring a long wooden table and church pews, equipped with microwave, kettle, toaster, fridge, stove, cutlery, glassware, crockery and cooking utensils.
Fale Sailoame
Sailoame is a perfect spot for family or friends, featuring a large queen bed and bunk beds. It has a private en-suite bathroom, aircon and a cool breezy verandah overlooking the tropical garden. There is also a private outdoor shower at the back set in the tropical trees and plants.
Fale Lia
Lia is an ideal spot for a private getaway for two. Featuring a large queen bed and a single daybed, the fale houses a private en-suit with aircon and basic necessities (tea, coffee, water etc). The verandah out the front has a great view of the tropical garden while there is also a private outdoor shower at the back, surrounded by the tropical trees and plants.
Getting there
Getting to Vava'u, Tonga
You will need to fly into Neiafu airport on Vava'u, which is most easily done via via Nadi International Airport in Fiji. Nadi is a regional hub for the South Pacific Islands and is served by numerous international airlines from Australia (including flights from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne), New Zealand (Aukland, Wellington), the west coast of the United States (Los Angeles, San Francisco) and Hong Kong and Singapore. There are local then local flights from Nadi to Neiafu, taking approximately 2 hours. You will be met at Neiafu by our hosts from the Portwine Guest House.
Dates
5 - 12 August 2026
Explore the tropical Vava'u archipelago and swim with the whales!
12 - 19 August 2026
Explore the tropical Vava'u archipelago and swim with the whales!
What You Ask Us
Do you take group bookings? Is there a group discount? Can you help with this?
Yes we can! A group booking can be any number of guests, but typically includes 5 or more swimmers wanting to travel together on one of our safaris. Your group might consist of family or friends, like-minded people you’ve met on a previous safari, or perhaps fellow swimmers from your local swim or surf club.
But however formed, we can help through:
- Advising on suitable safaris
- Arranging the booking on your behalf
- Making an existing trip private or finding your own date if your group is sufficiently large
- Providing a group saving or discount, depending on group size
Send us an email here with your group size, preferred safaris and dates, and we’ll get back to you to discuss options.
Will I be able to swim the distances in the trip itinerary?
We aim for every swim to be a pleasure, not a chore. We are not about swimming the longest distance in the shortest time. We are not about ticking boxes. We are there to soak up the experience of some very special places and moments and some extraordinary water and swim courses. We want everyone to enjoy their swims - we are inclusive, not elitist.
That said, to join us on swims as part of the itinerary for the group we do need you to be able to swim 1km in open water, so we can manage the group safely and enjoyably. You don't need to be fast and you don't need to be a world-beater, and there will be plenty of opportunities to pause and take in the experience.
We generally swim 1.5km - 3km in a session depending on the location and conditions, broken up as the group would like, and reflecting the experience and capacity of the group.
Do I have to take part in every swim?
Absolutely not! This is your holiday and you choose to swim as much or as little as you would like. Join the sessions you want, stay onboard the boat for others, or just take time to relax and enjoy the resort.
How safe are your locations?
The safety of our guests, guides and other local partners is the number one priority in every decision we make.
From monitoring up-to-date travel advice for each location, to making adjustments to a planned itinerary during your time away, the well-being of each and every person who joins our safaris is always at the forefront of our minds.
What will my fellow swimmers be like?
Swimming is a low impact and medium intensity activity, which enables a wide variety of ages and experience levels to take part.
Your fellow guests could include young students, retired couples, solo travellers, groups of friends, experienced open water swimmers or those unfamiliar with life outside the pool.
Whatever the makeup of your group, you can be sure that you’ll have a mix of fascinating personalities from all around the world.
Do you cater for non-swimmers?
We do. In fact, you might not even be a swimmer yourself and may just be accompanying someone on safari who does - some guests do just come along for the ride.
To join the swims themselves as part of the group's itinerary we do require you to be able to swim 1km in open water, but there will be other opportunities for you to take a dip in some locations where you are less confident in the water.
And remember: while swimming is the catalyst for our presence, there's much more to the places we visit than just that, which is why we build other activities into our safaris. The places we take you are rich in culture, history, cuisine, and character, and whether swimmer or non-swimmer we want you to sample as much of that as possible.
Do I need to take out travel insurance before joining a trip?
Travel Insurance is compulsory and a condition of your booking with us. You must take out travel insurance to cover the period of your tour covering loss, theft, damage, illness, accident, and consequent medical treatment, transport and related events.
These contingencies are not the responsibility of oceanswimsafaris.com or their principals or representatives. We will not be responsible if you ignore or act contrary to the directions or advice of your oceanswimsafaris tour leaders, or if you breach the terms of your personal travel insurance.
For information see the Travel Insurance section of our main FAQs.
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