Ha'apai is the middle island group of Tonga — a low-lying archipelago of about 62 islands, mostly tiny, spread across a wide lagoon. It is the quietest and least-visited of Tonga's main island groups, which is its main appeal. The infrastructure here is genuinely basic: a few guesthouses, limited restaurants, and patchy communications.
Lifuka is the main island, with Pangai the only real town. History buffs will know that this is the area where the Bounty mutiny began — Captain Bligh's ship stopped here in 1789, and the nearby bay is the traditional location of the famous confrontation. There's also a small monument to HMS Bounty in Pangai.
The reef diving and snorkelling around Ha'apai is among the best in Tonga, partly because fewer divers come here. Humpback whales pass through from mid-July to mid-October, and some operators offer whale-swimming tours from Lifuka, though there are far fewer boats than in Vava'u.
Getting here is easiest by domestic flight from Tongatapu (about 45 minutes). Ferry services also run from Tongatapu, but the crossing takes 13–14 hours and schedules are erratic.