Some people just like to go for sightseeing and explore when they visit new towns and cities while others along with these like to shop and buy local crafts. Vacation shopping is a lot of fun and most people love to go on a shopping spree while onholiday. The Pacific is increasingly becoming a shopping hub across the world with shopping festivals in majpr cities. Tonga is no exception when it comes to shopping culture!
Tapa cloth makes a great souvenir of your visit to the islands. The bark of the mulberry tree is stripped and then beaten into strips of about twelve inches long and wide. It is dried in the sun and then soaked in natural dyes. After this process, the thin strips are then beaten together to make workable cloth. The cloth is then decorated using natural paints, also fetched from the trees. The designs on the cloth are traditional, reflecting millennia-old Tongan culture.
Usually there is a linear pattern around the border of the cloth and various floral emblems decorating it. You can buy these handmade products at many places around the islands of Tonga. You will also find tapa cloth at the main market in Nuku’alofa, the capital city. At this market, it is also possible to get many other great souvenirs, such as handmade jewelry and traditional carved wood.
Nuku’alofa is the largest shopping center in the country. Here, you will find the largest selection of items, many of which are imported. In general, stores close on Sunday. Prices in Tonga can be high (comparable to most western regions) due to its position as an island nation and the need for many products to be imported. Bargaining is not standard practice here.
The island’s many village show days offer the widest variety of souvenirs. Most shops open an hour earlier on Saturday than on weekdays, but are closed on Sunday. However, even the tiniest of Tonga villages usually has at least a handful of small shops which open outside of regular business periods. Many rare shells and types of coral can’t be exported off the island.
"I enjoy shopping and I found it affordable but some of the clothes are definitely not of the highest quality." - Hassan from Turkey
