· The Lonely Planet guide was invaluable to me when I visited Tonga in 1997. Its recommendations were mostly accurate. I arrived with nowhere to stay, but was met at the airport by Toni, of Toni's Guest House in Nuku'alofa. It's a great place to meet other travellers and to find out the best places to go on other islands and the best ways to get there.

There are ferries between the island groups, but remember that the distances are huge, so I'd recommend the plane. On Lifuka Island I stayed at the wonderful Mele Tonga Guest House: a bungalow right on the beach. Be warned though: when you stay on islands other than Tongatapu, there is a limited amount of food to buy, as most islanders grow their own. Mele Tonga did meals - the highlight of which were fantastic banana fritters for breakfast!

· Have a look at www.kalianet.to.
Chris Dornan

· The Lonely Planet Guide (now 4th edition) has a great deal of practical information and advice on all aspects of visiting Tonga. The Tongan High Commission (36 Molyneux Street, London W1H 6AB, tel. 020 7724 5828) may be able to provide some information. Flights between the islands in the Kingdom are operated by Royal Tongan Airlines. Schedules and fares are on their website www.flyroyaltongan.com. Ferries are far cheaper, but slower. You would have to obtain information locally. For general information on holidays in Tonga the website of the Tongan Visitors Bureau is useful, www.vacations.tvb.gov.to/travel.htm. Specifically on diving, look at www.tongaholiday.com/forgotten.htm, which lists the major operators in Tongatapu, Ha'apai and Vavau. Both these sites link up to many others, as will searches under Tonga holidays and Tonga diving.

Martin Daly (author of "Tonga" in World Bibliographical Series, Oxford, 1999)

· Try the Lonely Planet Guide and the Tourist Bureau in Nuko'alofa. One gives valuable insight and opinions, the other up-to-date details. I found the combination fine.

Rich Hudson