February 8, 2026

NUKU' ALOFA, is the capital of The Kingdom of Tonga, one of the last remaining Polynesian monarchies in the world. It is on the main island of Tongatapu. The Kingdom of Tonga is compromised of 170 islands, in the South Pacific and many are uninhabited. Most of the islands are protected by lagoons and some like Tongatapu are surrounded by limestone cliffs. This second port for us in Tonga, was the starting point of my latest adventure, off the Ship.

Fourteen of us, lead again by Ben, went from Nuku' Alofa airport (TBU) to the remote island of HA'APAI , Tonga ( HPA)  to Matafonua Lodge and Sandy Beach Resort  for ten days. Google barely shows this island as a dot in the sea and the government shakely owns the only airline , Lulutai  to fly there. There is a ferry, but it takes 15 hours, to travel from Tongatapu. Six of our group flew on the first flight at 7 am and above is the balance of us - (L to R) Me, Bosco, Basia, Kim & Phil, Ben, Jimbo and Anna on the 10 am flight. Luckily it only takes 50 minutes and then we traveled another 20 minutes by vans to the Resort.

The Resort is on the northern tip of the island and is surrounded by a protective lagoon, with one of the King's uninhabitated islands across the channel from the resort. The two resorts Matafonua and Sandy Beach are both owned & operated by the British couple Nina and Darin, who bought it 16 years ago from the German founder. Sandy Beach was built first as a German retreat to sunbath and relax. When later he  brought in a dive master, he found the Germans  were not using, so he built a more affordable campy second resort, to attrack younger guest and divers. Today, they operate both to appeal to both price points. The campy Matafonua has a shared bathouse and the huts are basic, with no screened windows and mosquito nets over beds. Sandy beach units have ensuite bathrooms and showers, operable screened windows, mini bars and ceiling fans. It was the off season, so both resorts shared the common dining area at Matafonua and other amenities.

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SAIGON, VIETNAM - INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE EVENT

By Pat Patrick • September 21, 2026
I joined in with 49 other Ship Residents to attend an event the next day at The Vietnam War Remnants Museum also known as The Museum for Peace. This was put together by our residents as part of our ongoing efforts with the Ship's Odyssey Rotary Club and our Global Flagship of Peace initiative.

HO CHI MING CITY, VIETNAM

By Pat Patrick • September 21, 2026
HO CHI MING CITY or SAIGON was our last port in Vietnam . The downtown area was an hour away from the Port , so most of us got Hotel rooms in town, as prices were so reasonable. Sadly, it was a rainy four days, but that kept temperatures moderate and we could still get out and do most things. We stayed in district #1 as most of the City highlights are in this area along with the nightlife. Traffic is very busy in the City, especially motorbikes. Crossing the streets needs to be done with intent and quickly as there are very few traffic lights or stop signs.

SHIP SHENANIGANS - CLUE PARTY

By Pat Patrick • September 16, 2026
It's never a dull Sea Day on the Odyssey! We have such creative residents, that are always coming up with new ideas to entertain ourselves and have a good time. This plot was the calculating of Eddie and Michelle - a Game of Clue! The rules were simple - find the party venue at 8:30 pm, come dressed as a character, weapon or room from the game and solve the mystery of who stole the Ship's bell.