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For travelers who enjoy truly unique destinations, Sea Change is an off the grid eco retreat providing unique luxury beach front accommodation with the lightest possible footprint. Sea Change is small but perfectly formed, an idyllic escape for a maximum of 12 guests at any one time – giving you an almost deserted island paradise to chill out and recharge your batteries. During the months of July to October we offer whale watching/swimming encounter trips.
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We wish we had stayed longer at Seachange Eco Retreat! Easy to book and great communication. Everything was organised impeccably - airport pickup, shuttled by boat to the retreat from the Pangai dock including lots of whale watching on the way and a warm welcome on arrival. This place has a stunning beach, crystal clear water, beautiful private fale, incredible food and wonderful hosts. It’s pure paradise!
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
When one stumbles on to something so rare and pristine in this crazy world, you selfishly kinda want to keep it a secret! A year ago, we found a paradise visiting remote Sea Change on Uoleva. Positioned on the best beach on the Island, SCER is accessible only by boat. Accomodation is in the form of traditional Fales or island tents, dotted beneath the palm and coconut trees, opening to warm sea breezes and the sound of quiet ocean movement. Each Fale is discreetly positioned for privacy. Ocean swimming and snorkelling along the reefs is unsurpassed, both accessible from the beach. Of course, whale watching is a key attraction and SC offers undoubtedly the best whale experiences in Tonga. We were truly appreciative of the sensitivity with which this organisation approaches it's whale experiences, always placing the whales' welfare first. The hosts and their friendly staff provide an unforgettable experience for their guests!. Loved the Tongan staffs' humorous intro to Tongan folklore! Food was delicious, and frequently included fresh fish caught on the day. Please do not go to this place if you're looking for the island party life! It really suited to people who want to reset, recharge,recalibrate and reconnect with Nature. Forget the hairdryers and mobile phones. Lose your shoes and forget about them. Swim, read , snorkel, kayak, watch the sun set over distant volcanoes and islands, Listen to silence, contemplate the stars of the southern skies, and find self restoration.
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Date of stay: August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What makes a great hotel or resort stay for me is the view, the staff and location. Sea Change ranks in all these. The staff are friendly and really make you feel like home. The view is pristine beach that stretches the length of the island, blue waters and if you are lucky you can spot a whales breaching. The glamping tents are fun and when you climb into bed with the softest bed sheets, you would never think you were glamping but instead in 5 star luxury. To sleep with the sound of lapping waves is magic. You do need to be aware that is is an eco-lodge so there are no flush toilets and the showers are rustic. This adds to the excitement of the place though.
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Date of stay: September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from clintinNewZealand, Owner at Sea Change Eco Retreat
Responded 11 Feb 2019
Hey thanks Kate! Very much enjoyed having you at Sea Change and following your travelling adventures! Just installed new off the grid hot water shower systems for this season (made in OZ!!) so less rustic but always eco!!!! Hope to see you again in Tonga or somewhere on a path less travelled...
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I didn't think places like this existed anymore. Absolute, pristine, untouched... The dream of an isolated island in the middle of the pacific, going to sleep and waking up to the sound of the waves. Delicious fresh food from the garden. Coconuts galore. I stayed two months - can't wait to come back. Maria and Clint are awesome.
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Date of stay: December 2017
Cleanliness
Service
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from clintinNewZealand, Owner at Sea Change Eco Retreat
Responded 21 Aug 2018
Thank you Marc! And thanks for being here... Most appreciated and we are happy to have been able to share this special place with you.
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If you're sitting on the fence deciding whether or not to book the trip, do it, book it now quick, you'll not regret it! After looking for a place to get away from screens and disconnect I somehow stumbled on paradise. The first day was absolute magic, the island is beautiful with warm crystal clear waters and to top it all off whales breaking on the horizon, everywhere! The tent fale was very comfortable, the food fantastic and Clint and Maria are fabulous. Highly reccomend.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
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My mate and I recently spent 9 days on Uoleva with Sea Change and it’s safe to say it’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Of course having the absolute honour of being able to swim with Humpbacks over the course of the 9 days made this trip unique, however it was my overall experience with Sea Change that helped bring the trip up a tier. Looking back, a number of things that still resonates with me include (to name a few): Our warm welcome as we stepped off the boat, the food (omg the food!), the high quality of my bed, evening convos around the campfire, the resorts eco approach, and of course the amazing staff!
I would absolutely recommend Sea Change to anyone looking at a trip to Tonga!
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Date of stay: August 2019Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We’ve visited Ha’apai last summer and went whale swimming with Sea Change Eco Retreat for about a week. After prior communication, there was no space left at the retreat so they kindly recommended us to stay at a nearby backpacker’s place, but anyway we’re welcome to do the whale swims with them.
Good things first + Whale guides are well trained, super friendly and do everything for a good experience out on the boat treating customers and whales with respect + Equipment and boat is in a good condition + Place is on a paradise island with few tourists around
Things that we wouldn’t have expected – Surprisingly, the owner Clint did everything he could to make us feel unwelcome (I never had such a rude and cold communication before); – On our first day, we were welcomed by a guide and seated at one of the tables to fill out some waivers. Just seconds later the owner Clint shows up and sends us away, because we can’t „hang around“ here, guests might want to eat dinner there (none of the mentioned ‚guests‘ showed up within the next half hour); Not a ‚hello’, nor a ‚welcome‘ by him, just a cold shoulder; – It was not at all possible to rent fins after the whale swims; Same as before, the rude way we were told this, was absolutely unacceptable. – It was not possible to re-charge camera batteries after the whale swims. Charging is only for ‚guests‘ (which I’d supposed we were, after going on tour for so many days with them).
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Date of stay: August 2018
Value
Rooms
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from ClintC285, Owner at Sea Change Eco Retreat
Responded 11 May 2019
Hello... Thanks for your comments and we are sorry you feel this way, but feel the need to clarify a few things regarding your statements. 1. You were not a guest at Sea Change Eco Retreat and did not stay at Sea Change - so we are very confused as to why you have written a review on Sea Change. You were a guest of the business that operates our whale swim encounters - which is what you paid for. You state above that you did enjoy your experience with our whale swim encounter business, and we are happy you did. So since this was what you actually paid for - how can you rate our value and service as 1 out of 5 stars? That makes no sense. What you are complaining about are things that you did not pay for- nor were asked to pay for - and not part of anything you actually booked in to do. Given your good experiences on the whale swims you booked (and the service provided by the owners of Sea Change to find you accommodation) - can you honestly rate us as 1 out of 5 stars? Is that fair on your part? In terms of the service and value for what you actually paid for - why a 1 star for service and value if you had a good experience as you state in your review? 2. You did not raise any complaints to staff - and did not complain to either the owners or managers. We spoke to our staff and they all said you seemed very happy on the boats and with your swims (again - the actual service you paid for). In the future - if you are unhappy about something we suggest you give people a chance to address your feelings by talking to them directly. 3. We are very glad you enjoyed your experiences with the whale swims as you mention above. We do operate exceptionally well equipped boats, and just added a brand new boat to our fleet for the 2019 season. As you state in your review we have great guides and skippers, and take no short cuts with the safety of our guests or the well being of our resident whales. As such - we are perplexed as to why you would rate the value & service as 1 out of 5 stars given this (this is what you paid for right?). Not sure how we can improve on the value of what you actually paid for. Your review was taken very hard by our managers, boat crew and staff - as they mentioned you had a wonderful experience and seemed to love your times on our boats. Not sure what else they could have done to avoid you rating the value and service of what you paid for as so low. 4. We aren't sure why you included a review of our rooms as you did not stay at Sea Change Eco Retreat and never went in to one of our guest accommodations. You have rated a resort which you actually did not stay at - and you confirm this above. We don't think that is either fair or truthful on your part. 5. Your snorkelling gear was provided for free as part of your whale swim experiences. So again, not sure what we did wrong. We don't rent gear out as we provide it for free to all guests of Sea Change and our whale encounter boats. Not sure why that is a bad thing or prompted negative feelings on your part. We also let you charge all of your gear for free as your resort does not have charging facilities. Our charging area is prioritised for our resident guests, and we do let people charge gear when they are going out on our whale swims when they aren't staying with us - but do have to reserve the charging area for our guests at other times. We are sorry this upset you. 6. The comment on throwing stones is mind boggling. We broke up a fight between a feral dog and our manager's dog several times (the feral dog was staying at your resort and was not being fed). There are no vets or pet food in the outer islands of Tonga so caring for dogs is tricky Your resort owner asked us to chase the dog back down to his place so that he could take it to the main island where it could be fed properly by his son and daughter. That is what happened - and the dog is now being taken care of properly. We LOVE dogs. 7. We did ask you to move from our guest dining tables so we could prepare for dinner service. We had you move to our bar area so you could fill out your release forms to go on our whale swims. We asked a few others from your resort to do the same - and they were happy to do so. We apologise if you felt we were being rude, but we do have a responsibility to service our resort guests which includes preparing our dining area for service. 8. We are sorry we could not serve you at our bar on Sundays, but we try to honour Tongan culture and rules which means we are not supposed to serve people who aren't staying at Sea Change on Sundays. It is the same reason we do not operate our whale watch boats on Sundays - as this is part of Tongan law. The laws require that we only serve resident guests on Sundays, and that we do not operate our whale watch boats. It is considered a day of rest for all Tongans - and we abide by that and allow our Tongan staff the day off to be with family and go to church. Again - we are sorry about your experience in our bar area, but are very pleased you did enjoy the experiences you paid for. We do ask that you consider the fairness of your review given our points above - and our staff would very much appreciate that as well.
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Review written by wife/ colleagues that stayed here.
Pros: - Lovely peaceful fale’s with the beach right on your door step (what more can you ask for). You feel very much at one with nature which is very relaxing. - Great tasting food prepared by the chefs (thanks for the all your effort) - we had lovely guests staying alongside us from various places which was great for everyone to socialise. -Mahe was a great skipper with amazing eyesight to be able to spot whales even when so far away.
Cons-
- luck of the draw with which crew you get on board for whale swimming. Some made more effort and seemed to want to go out there way for their customers (kept some tours out longer than they’re meant to) whilst we felt that others didn’t try as much and ‘gave up’ quickly (brought people back before the scheduled time/ took you to places you could swim out yourself to snorkel) which was such a shame when it’s expensive to whale swim to begin with. That being said, they did seem very passionate about the whales and knew a great deal of knowledge so we felt safe in the water. Thank you all for having us aboard and for the lunches.
Thank you to all the staff for their efforts during our stay and we would recommend people to stay here and enjoy the beach island life.
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Date of stay: August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from clintinNewZealand, Owner at Sea Change Eco Retreat
Responded 3 Oct 2018
Hey there.... Thanks for the great review! Really appreciate all the positive comments and feedback, and we are pleased you have recommended for others to come here. Glad you enjoyed our fales, food, the vibe and our whale watch/swim expeditions! In terms of your comments on the length of trips - we just want to make sure and set the record straight. We keep very detailed logs of every trip (we have to per our licenses) and at no time did a boat come back before the scheduled time. As you say some times our boats stayed out past the 5 hour tour time which you paid for, with a few staying until 6 hours. Our skippers and guides make a call on staying out a bit longer than the 5 hour limit under special circumstances (e.g. they find a mom and calf receptive to a swim near the end of the 5 hours and decide to stay on a bit longer to ensure everyone has time with the whales). Our logs during your stay show that no trip was less than the 5 hours you booked for, and a few went longer. Perhaps you thought the trip was coming in too early because they were actually coming back on the scheduled time. As you note our crews are all very passionate and ensure all guests are safe at all times. We only hire the best guides and skippers - as we truly care about the whales. We also adhere to all Tongan rules and laws about how we interact with whales, including the time limits set per our licensing. Also - the price of our whale swim trips is extremely reasonable when you fully understand the requirements and cost to comply with all rules and regs, what it takes to get licenses, making sure that you have the best crews and boats and safety equipments - etc etc. Also the context is important, as most guests tell us their swims with the whales are bucket list experiences - so what we charge for the swims is extremely good value when you consider everything. Again - thank you for coming to Sea Change and recommending us to others. We very much appreciate you choosing us for your holiday, and are happy that you enjoyed your stay here.
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My wife and I just returned from a trip to Sea Change and although it was a long haul from where we live in the U.S. it was well worth it! Pictures simply put don't do the place justice. We were greeted by a warm and friendly staff. Clint and Maria, the owners, were simply superb and made sure that we were happy.
The main reason we traveled there was to experience swimming with whales and we were not disappointed! Wow! The Sea Change guides are knowledgeable, safety conscious, and also excellent photographers. I also went out fishing twice with Mahe, one of the Sea Change guides, and caught tuna as well as some other species just a 10 minute boat ride away from the resort. You better have the drag set because these fish strip some line!
If you're a triathlete, you won't find a better place for open water swim training than Sea Change.
Sea Change is adventure travel. It is not a place to go to watch television. It's a place to a have a life experience. We sure did.
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Date of stay: August 2018
Cleanliness
Service
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from clintinNewZealand, Owner at Sea Change Eco Retreat
Responded 21 Aug 2018
Hey thank you so much for your wonderful words. Our team really gets a big burst of positive energy when they know our guests had a good time. We understand how precious a holiday can be, especially in the crazy world we all live in now! Very much look forward to having you back!!
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My girlfriends and I had been looking forward to this Pilates retreat for months and what we experienced there blew us all away. We have not been able to stop talking about it ever since. Sea Change will make you relax to the point where it feels perfectly normal to not wear any shoes for a whole week....even the dining room has sand for a floor. Having said that, it doesn't mean the pace is slow.....there is plenty to do to be as busy or as chilled as you want . Whale-watching, kayaks, paddle boards, and island circumnavigation will keep your energetic self happy. Giant beanbags, sun lounges and the private sea view from your accommodation will help you slow down and take in the magnificent surroundings. At the end of the day you can get together at the bar for a pre-dinner drink and catch-up with other guests before sitting down to a sumptuous dinner. After dinner there might be a whale information evening or photo sharing, Maria could bring down her guitar for a sing-a-long under the stars,or you could even have an Island themed quiz night. People from other resorts and the boats moored in the bay will often come in for a drink and to join in with whatever is going on. There is a fun vibe every night. The owners and staff are amazing and no request is too much. They really want you to have the absolute best time on their little slice of paradise. We will all be going back again next year - you can never get enough of swimming with baby humpback whales! Book it today, you won't be sorry.
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Date of stay: July 2017Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Clint C, Owner at Sea Change Eco Retreat
Responded 20 Oct 2017
Hi Caz... Thank you so much for the kinds words and we are so happy the retreat went well. Can't say enough about the vibe and positivity that you and the other girls brought to our place! Also a big shout out to Emma for leading the Pilates retreat (our first ever). Yay to "Pilates with Emma"! We hope to see you all out again in 2018!! Maria and Clint
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Hi Debbie... We would highly recommend an overnight stay on Tongatapu - which is what most guest would do when arriving on the Virgin Australia flight late at night. The closest hotel to the airport is the Scenic Hotel (Google Scenic Hotel Tonga) which is about 5 minutes from the airport. Other options are in Nuku'alofa (the capital city) which is about a 40 minute drive. If you want to just do a quick transit stay over and fly out to Ha'apai the next morning we would recommend the Scenic, otherwise you can look at options in Nuku'alofa and spend a half day visiting the capital city and take an afternoon flight out to Ha'apai. Most hotels in Nuku'alofa offer transport for a fee. We can provide recommendations if you would like.
There are more places to choose from in the Uoleva Island area.
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Talitali'anga Eco Resort
LOCATION
TongaHa'apai IslandsUoleva Island
NUMBER OF ROOMS
6
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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