8 Best Resorts in Ha’apai 🌴 [2024]

1. Serenity Beaches Resort

A tranquil retreat on Uoleva Island, Serenity Beaches Resort is an idyllic choice in Ha’apai. Choose from unique open-air or fully-enclosed fales each nestled in a private section of forest and each with an outside garden bathroom. Either way, guests spend their time here doing yoga in the pavilion, dining on healthy meals made from fresh local ingredients in the homely dining fale, and making use of SUP boards, kayaks and snorkelling gear to explore the wonderful underwater world from beaches accessible from the front and back of the resort. The resort also operates whale swimming tours in the season, but your most frequent encounter with the whales will most likely be seeing them from the beach! We also list this accommodation in the 5 Most Romantic Honeymoon Accommodations in Ha’apai.

Check Serenity Beaches Resort out:

• Serenity Beaches Resort on Booking.com
• Serenity Beaches Resort on Trip.com

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2. Matafonua Lodge

Scattered with elevated wooden beach fales (huts) and offering a huge array of experiences, Matafonua Lodge is the go-to for jam-packing your getaway with adventures. After a hard day’s swimming with whales, scuba diving with their PADI-affiliated instructors, kitesurfing or perhaps horse riding, retreat to either a double or family fale nestled in beachfront vegetation. Bathroom facilities are in shared blocks with rainfall showers and attractive tiling that feel as good as private. Dine at the on-site cafe open for breakfast, lunch and dinner or use the complimentary bikes to ride across Foa and Lifuka islands to get food in town. Airport transfers are available and don’t require the extra cost of a boat transfer. See more accommodations like this in our 5 Best Family Accommodations in Ha’apai.

Check Matafonua Lodge out:

• Matafonua Lodge on Expedia
• Matafonua Lodge on Trip.com

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3. Sandy Beach Resort

Ha’apai’s most upscale resort, Sandy Beach Resort is the best choice for the discerning traveller who wants some modern comforts. Located on Foa Island, which is attached to the mainland by a causeway, the resort has 12 bungalows just a few steps from an unspoiled beach. Enjoy the views from your private terrace, which leads into a spacious room with a king bed and ensuite with hot high-pressure showers. Being the sister resort of the Matafonua Lodge (see above), Sandy Beach Resort offers all of the activities that Matafonua offers, from whale swimming to scuba diving, while they also host a cultural umu buffet and floor show once a week during the peak season. Or you could simply find yourself enjoying doing nothing at all… See more like this in our 5 Best Luxury Accommodations in Ha’apai.

Check Sandy Beach Resort out:

• Sandy Beach Resort on Expedia
• Sandy Beach Resort on Trip.com

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4. Sea Change Eco Retreat

Escape from the modern world and worries and experience an alternative lifestyle at this off-the-grid resort on the uninhabited Uoleva Island. Sea Change Eco Retreat might be known across Ha’apai for its fantastic whale swimming tours, but it also offers a boutique resort experience staying in either safari tents with a comfortable double bed or a large wooden fale with an outdoor shower. Each accommodation is in its own little area of forest with various pathways leading straight onto the beach. Then straight from said beach, you can snorkel, kayak or paddleboard! Other activities on offer include yoga in their dedicated yoga shala, spa treatments in their beautiful massage fale, and sports fishing in May and June. There’s a choice of vegetarian or meat/seafood dishes in their compulsory meal plan, while drinks are available to purchase at the bar. Note that the resort is open from May to October.

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5. Diana Beach Resort

Enjoy tranquillity, culture and a beautiful beach setting at Diana Beach Resort (formerly Taiana’s Resort) on Uoleva Island. The resort has three Tongan-style fales which are simple but add to the island adventure! Each fale is lined with beautifully woven walls and contains a double bed, mosquito net, a box to put food in, and a bedside table with a solar lantern – think of it like beach glamping! Guests share a shower and toilet in a separate block, while there’s also a communal kitchen and dining room building where you can also charge your devices. Families can stay too thanks to the resort also offering a larger beach house. Backpackers have the option to camp on the grounds in one of the tents available if the other fales are occupied.

As for entertainment, well, you better enjoy snorkelling, lazying on the beach and whale swimming during the whale season! Breakfast and dinner are also available to order, so give your hosts notice. Airport/ferry transfers to the island are also offered (and mandatory to get to the resort) for a fee. See how Diana compares to the 5 Best Budget Accommodations in Ha’apai.

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6. Kitesurf Tonga

As you might have guessed, Kitesurf Tonga has a thing for kitesurfing, considering they have some amazing kitesurfing grounds right on their doorstep on Uoleva. However, the kitesurfing opportunities only begin to scratch the surface of what this resort has to offer. Here, you’ll be staying in one of the five timber fales set among coconut palms. You’ll have a few luxuries, including memory foam beds and a very spacious ensuite with hot solar showers. Snorkelling from the shores, making use of the stand-up paddleboards and kayaks, dining on creative cuisine using produce grown at the resort… It’s also all on the cards at “Kitesurf”. Note that the resort is open from April to November. For more off-the-grid experiences, check out the 5 Best Eco-Resorts in Ha’apai.

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7. Ha’apai Beach Resort

Conveniently located on Lifuka Island between the airport and Pangai, yet still on the beachfront, Ha’apai Beach Resort is a more affordable offering well worth considering. The resort has a snorkelling reef on its doorstep (you’ll need to paddle to it though), snorkelling tours and whale swimming tours. Whether you’re a couple, solo, a family (no under 12s) or a group, there’s a bungalow set-up to suit. Each of the five bungalows has either double rooms with a private bathroom or single rooms sharing bathroom facilities. Breakfast is included and served at the communal fale each morning (including barista-style coffee – a rarity in Ha’apai), while an a la carte menu is available for lunch and dinner and free WiFi is available. Borrow the bikes to get into town or explore Lifuka, hit the water in the kayaks or simply relax.

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8. Fanga ‘o Ipu Lahi Resort

Experience pure isolation on Lifuka Island at Fanga ’o Ipu Lahi Resort. The only accommodation on the secluded eastern beaches of Ha’apai’s main island, Lifuka, Fanga ‘o Ipu Lahi provides the beach resort experience while being conveniently close to Pangai. The resort provides a more Tongan experience than most on this list of resorts in Ha’apai, as it’s locally owned and operated and offers experiences like an umu feast on a Sunday. Forget about sand in your fale, as the standalone units are all connected by an elevated boardwalk winding through attractive tropical gardens. Units come in the form of double ensuites and single-bed cabins with shared bathroom facilities. There aren’t many activities on offer here, as this accommodation is all about relaxation.

© TongaPocketGuide.com