The Royal Palace is the most photographed building in Tonga: white-painted weatherboard, a red metal roof, two storeys, and a wraparound veranda, set in manicured grounds behind iron railings facing the lagoon. You cannot enter — it remains a working royal residence — but the perimeter is easily walked, and when the Royal Standard is flying above the central tower the king is in residence.
Try to be there for a state occasion or a major Sunday service: the king regularly attends the nearby Centenary Chapel and the royal cortege passes the palace gates.