Nuku'alofa - the capital of Tonga
The official capital of Tonga, the Kingdom of the Pacific in Polynesia, is located on an island called Tongatapu, which does not sound quite familiar to the Russian ear, just like the name of the city itself - Nuku'alofa.
The main entertainment of the few tourists who find themselves on the Polynesian islands is relaxation on the sea coast. Other cultural activities on the largest island in the Tonga archipelago include excursions in the water area, walks in parks and squares, picnic on the shore and fishing..
Natural and climatic conditions
Nuku'alofa and, in general, this area, is characterized by a tropical oceanic climate. The hot, humid season, which lasts from December to April, is replaced by a slightly less hot, but dry season (May - November). The average temperature is around + 24C °, the coolest month, if I may say so, is August, the hottest is January. Such climatic conditions favor the emergence of lush exotic vegetation, shrubs, palms, tropical forests..
Main attraction
This title was awarded to the Royal Palace, located in the capital of Tonga. Its uniqueness is that it is the only residence of the head of state in the world, which is built of natural wood, without the use of artificial materials..
Cowrie wood was used for the construction of the walls, the first location of the palace was Auckland (New Zealand), which was part of the British colony. Then the building was dismantled, transported to the island of Tongatapu and reassembled. A significant event happened in 1867, the palace was erected for one of the local leaders, who soon took the place of the king.
Some interesting facts are connected with the Royal Palace, including: every year in front of the palace there are reviews of the armed forces (formerly of the royal guard). A symbolic fence was located along the perimeter, since for local residents the passage to the palace was taboo.
Legendary sailors
The islands of Tonga can be proud of the fact that the great navigators who have left their mark on the history of geographical discoveries have visited these places too. Following their maps and plans, in 1643, a team of sailors came down to the coast of the island of Tongapatu under the leadership of Abel Tasman himself, a famous Dutch navigator..
A hundred years later, another legendary personality was noted in these parts, this is James Cook, an English captain and navigator, infamous to every Russian person from the song of Vladimir Vysotsky.
