Tonga's first botanical garden, established in 1997 by a New Zealand conservationist on a hillside on the eastern side of the main island. The garden grows native Tongan species alongside plants from across the Pacific, with an emphasis on medicinal plants and traditional uses. The collection documents plants that are disappearing from the island's landscape as agriculture and development reduce natural habitat.
The garden is a working conservation project as well as a visitor attraction. The paths through it are good for birdwatching — a number of species found in Tonga but nowhere else use the garden's older tree sections for nesting. A small café serves Tongan food. The drive out from Neiafu takes about 20 minutes on an unsealed road.