Mala Island Resort

If you need a relaxing holiday away from the hustle and bustle this is perfect. We are nature nerds and photographers in our spare time and I spent a lot of time photographing flora and fauna and uploading them to iNaturalist. Was absolutely chuffed when one of Tonga's rarest trees was identified from my photos. It takes as little as 30 minutes to walk around the island. You will need water shoes or sandals as even at low tide you will be wading. If you want white sand beaches the beach in front of the resort is the best and does not cop the wind as much. You can go swimming and snorkelling or stand-up paddle-boarding quite easily. I would suggest being a camera that can be used underwater as the water is super-clear and it is possible to get really great views of fish and coral. Checking out the beach at night is also fun with all the crabs that can be seen. I also had time to read that book I have been struggling to get through for the last 2 years. This place is quite rustic and would benefit from some upkeep but it is clean and has all the basics including high speed internet via Starlink. When you transfer over from the mainland, prepare to get your feet wet. 'Olivia is a fantastic cook, the bar is well stocked and 'Olivia and Neisha are very helpful. Their kids are lovely too and it was more like staying at someone's home with Uno games in the evening with the kids. October is at the very tail end of the whaling season so if you are thinking of travelling at this time of year, prepare for the whales to be harder to find. If you want fancy and luxury, this is not the resort for you. If you want quiet and comfortable and opportunity to have time to do nothing, this is perfect. Would I go back? Absolutely. Would I take anything different? Possibly my own snorkelling gear and definitely a camera I can take underwater.