Mounu Island Resort is a tropical island paradise located in the Vava'u Archipelago — the northernmost group of islands in the Kingdom of Tonga at latitude 18.5' South.

This tropical island resort hideaway is thirty minutes by boat from Neiafu, the main township of Vava'u. A 6.5 acre coral atoll fringed by white coral sands and set amidst spectacular coral reefs, Mounu is the southern most inhabited island in the group.

Three superior private fales (units) each situated on the water's edge providing stunning views of the surrounding islands and reefs. The architecture of the units is a modern version of the Tongan fale (house) combining coconut pole structure with a shingle roof. Each fales offers the choice of double or twin beds, toilet, hot shower and private sun deck. The fales are linked to the restaurant/bar complex by bush walk-ways.

Called Moby Dick's, the restaurant is situated on the water's edge at the western end of the island. The perfect position to enjoy a pre-dinner drink watching the magnificent tropical sunsets. Moby Dick's serves lunch and dinner specialising in fresh seafood dishes caught from the surrounding waters. The bar has a wide selection of beer, wine, spirits and liqueurs.

Activities

• Whale Watching: During the months of July to November the waters around Mounu Island are the calving and breeding grounds for the magnificent humpback whales. You can sit on your sundeck and watch the whales play. For those more adventurous we will take you out to snorkel with these amazing creatures. A truly awesome experience. Below you find more information on whalewatching.
• Water Sports: As a guest you have the use of our snorkelling equipment and Tongan outrigger canoes. Scuba diving the coral reefs and spectacular drop offs is available to qualified divers or you can do a basic course with our dive master.
• Fish Feeding: We feed the fish daily in front of the restaurant and you can experience a wide range of tropical fish by snorkelling in our "aquarium".
• Big Game/Sports Fishing: Blue, black and stripped marlin are caught all year round together with tuna and a wide variety of pelagic and reef fish. A number of charter boats are available for hire. Mounu Island Resort operates two high-speed catamarans, powered by twin Honda engines and capable of over 30 knots.
• Bird Watching: The uninhabited southern islands in the group are populated by prolific colonies of seabirds. Day trips can be made to these islands to enable you to view at close range the birds habitat and behaviour.
• Boat Trips: There are a number of island tours available either by yacht or power boat and we will be happy to arrange a trip for you.
• Other Services: Mounu Island resort is connected to the outside world by UHF phone/fax. However there is no television service or daily newspaper. A multi system video player and monitor is available should you wish to play back your videos. Laundry and postal service is available. Mounu Island Resort utilises solar power and we can supply 12, 24, 110, and 240 volt power as required.

We also have a well stocked library for you to pick a book and relax in a hammock.

More on Whalewatching

Our whale watching boat Lulu Tahi, which translates to 'shaking hands with the water', is a 9 metre aluminium catamaran powered by twin 130hp Honda outboards enabling us to be at the breeding grounds in 15 minutes. She was specifically built for whale watching and features a large observation upper deck, comfortable seating, weather protection, toilet facilities and easy access dive platform. Full safety gear is carried. The boat is skippered by a trained Tongan guide.

During the months of July to November the waters around Mounu Island are the calving and breeding grounds for the magnificent humpback whales. You can sit on your sundeck and watch the whales play. For those more adventurous we will take you out to snorkel with these amazing creatures. A truly awesome experience.

Humpbacks are distinguished from other baleen whales by their extraordinary long flippers — up to five metres or a third of their body length.

A mature male adult will average 14.5 metres in length and weigh around 40 tonnes.

The male humpback sings a complex repetitve song that is thought to be part of the mating ritual. To enable you to hear this hauntingly beautiful sound we carry a sophisticated hydrophone on board and the song is relayed through speakers on the boat.

Conditions permitting you may be able to swim/snorkel with the whales. A truly awesome experience. We carry a full range flippers, masks and snorkels for this purpose. However, the decision to get in the water with the whales rests with the skipper of the boat.

We have for hire on the boat an underwater video camera should you wish to video your encounter. We will instruct you in the use of the camera and provide you with a tape to take home. We also sell disposable 35mm underwater cameras for those who want to capture the magic moment without the expense of purchasing an expensive underwater camera.

Come with the crew chosen by:

• BBC 1 David Attenborough TV special on humpback whales
• Chuck & Flip Nicklin for National Geographic Magazine
• Discovery Channel.
• Television New Zealand (TVNZ) Natural History Unit
• Japan Underwater Films
• Channel 7 Australia