Eua Island

Geologically among the Pacific's oldest islands, 'Eua stands apart from flat Tongatapu in every sense: a spine of forested ridges rises to cliffs that drop sheer to the reef line, sinkholes and caves pock the limestone, and the national park's banyan-and-fern forest holds the red shining parrot - brought over from Fiji long ago and found nowhere else in Tonga. The visiting trade is hiking-and-whale flavoured - lookouts like the 'anokula cliffs glow red at their edges, humpbacks cruise close offshore in season, sometimes watched from the clifftops themselves - and the island's guesthouses run on family cooking and kava evenings. The flight over takes about eight minutes; the ferry, a lively hour-plus.

What you actually see

• The 'anokula cliffs - red-earth lookouts over the reef drop.
• The national park forest - banyans, tree ferns and the red shining parrot.
• Sinkholes and caves - the limestone's hidden architecture.
• Clifftop whales - humpbacks close inshore in season.

When to go

May to October is dry season and overlaps the humpback months (roughly July to October); trails run muddy but passable otherwise. The ferry crossing is calmest in the morning - the strait earns its reputation.

Honest expectations

'Eua is rustic by design: guesthouse comforts, rough roads, and forest tracks that want a local guide both for navigation and land permissions. The famous short flight books out - reserve ahead. Cliff edges are unfenced; the drops are absolute.

Nearby

Tongatapu across the strait and the whale channels between.