Sandy Beach Hotel & Resort

Tucked into a waterfront setting in Ha'apai, Tonga, Sandy Beach's Dive Center is a fantastic base for exploring the remote, healthy reefs that surround these islands. The waters run warm at around 28°C and stay crystal clear to roughly 30m, opening up swim-throughs, coral gardens, sea pinnacles and tunnels. Divers may share the water with dolphins, turtles, sharks, rays and a wide cast of reef fish and macro critters.

Courses and diving

As a PADI 5 Star IDC centre with two PADI Instructors, Sandy Beach offers Discover Scuba, Open Water and Advanced courses, with dive gear available to rent. You can dive straight from the beach or head out on the newly refurbished dive boat, and a longer day trip makes it possible to reach rarely dived sea pinnacles.

The team know the local conditions and marine life well, including the area's humpback whales. With a free Wi-Fi, a house reef, Fish ID and diving books, and English spoken, it suits divers of all levels drawn to off-the-beaten-path reefs.