Mariners Guided Camping Tours

Ha'apai, Tonga

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2 Day Tofua Volcano Tour

Maximum 4 people

This tour is for the enthusiastic tramper - must be reasonable fit, can look after him/her self and be able to carry in their backpack, their share of all equipment, food and water required to camp over night on the crater rim. This trip is NO picnic, but you will find it thoroughly enjoyable and get a great sense of achievement when you look back on the time spent camping / tramping, on an active volcano. Important - You will need to allow yourselves 7 days in Ha'apai to allow for the weather, and the dive operator to get his divers together. There are other things to do here during the waiting time.

Arrive at Pangai Airport and be met by your Tour guide and transfer to Fifita Guesthouse for a one-night stay. We meet with other Camping Tour people over dinner at Mariners Cafe.

Day 1

At 7-30 am we head out north by taxi for Oceanblue Adventures Dive Base on Foa Island, to team up with the small group of experienced divers who will be diving the Volcano area while we tramp to the summit. The two hour, 30 mile boat trip can some times be rough but as the twin peaks come into view we settle to the task at hand. The highest peak in The Kingdom of Tonga, at 1109 meters, appears on our right like a pyramid coming straight out of the sea - the extinct "Kao" volcano. This amazing peak will appear in many of the photos you will take.

A beautiful cone shaped mountain looking so close. The landing on Tofua is not easy as there is no beach. We anchor off and take the dingy into a small rocky cove and with great care we climb onto the rocks of this active volcano. We head out for our objective, the crater rim of Tofua. The track takes us past an old school building, which still has its roof and a good source of fresh drinking water.

As we rise up the vegetation gets shorter and the views out to sea will have you reaching for your camera. During the 2-hour trek we take time to rest and catch our breath and then the moment we have been waiting for; we reach the rim. There it is, a huge lake big enough to land a seaplane on and the volcano vents at the lakes edge. Known locally as Lofia, the vent constantly smokes, belching and rumbling away.

In 1874 the Tongan King evacuated the Kava growers then living on Tofua's shore, due to increased activity but since it has been "quiet". An internal force waiting to flex its muscle. We set up camp.

Well, here we are on the same Island that Captain Bligh and his boatload of survivors landed, following the mutiny of the Bounty . The ruggedness of the place was bad enough but then to find hostile people, they had no option but to leave immediately with the loss of one life. The keen and fit will explore more of the crater rim and take in the magic cast by its barren surroundings.

Day 2

After breakfast we set off along the crater rim towards the vent below. The terrain here is tussock and small pebbles but as we climb down onto the crater floor it is all barren like the moons surface. Rocks and boulders at the vents edge can only have come from the center of the earth. The stillness once on the crater floor is only interrupted by rumble from the active vent, belching smoke continuously. Back on the rim we pack up camp and head down to the waters edge to meet our boat and divers for the 30 mile trip back to Pangai by 5pm.

We check into Fifita Guesthouse and enjoy a hot shower and ample food at Mariners Café. This evening is our last together and we enjoy a farewell dinner at Trev's Café.