Adventure of the month

Reasons I was really excited about going to Tonga:  1. Are you kidding me with this? It's Tonga. It's a country that I have not been to, that I never thought I would have a chance to get to and now I have a flight booked to mother fucking Tonga!  2. Humpback whales. Other places have them but very few allow you the chance to get in the water and swim with them. Tonga is one of those magical places. So far this summer, I'd froliced with (look away if you hate shameless bragging): 3 species of reef sharks, bull sharks, turtles, giant mantas and whatever nudibranches are. I was due for a whale encounter.  3. Tonga is the only royal kingdom in the South Pacific. While all their neighbors were being occupied (mostly by the Brits and the French), Tonga maintained sovereignty. To this day, they have a king whose visage stares down on you from billboards all over the island. This reason is not all that exciting but I feel that lists work best in threes.