Visit Tonga. Tonga offers a different experience to Samoa. The snorkelling and diving are far superior for one thing. And some travellers plan their entire trip around Tonga’s marvellous whale-watching. Thus it’s said, most often by the island’s tourism industry, that Tonga is 'the place where time begins’. Others, perhaps observing the pace of local life, call it the place where time stands still. Both statements are true in a way, as Tonga is an eclectic country where ancient traditions sit alongside the latest offerings of modern life.