another day in Paradise on the island's northern spit
My involvement with VILLA MAMANA on Telekivava'u goes back to 2006 when I met the Austrian Horst Berger who had made Tonga his home in 1995 and briefly 'house-sat' VILLA MAMANA for the original owner Joe Altenhein.
I never made it to Telekivava'u but reading a blog I had written about Horst Berger, its original owner Joe contacted me in early 2012 - see here - and in 2013 an email arrived from its new owner Matt - see here.
In the meantime, many yachties had already made landfall at VILLA MAMANA, including Jan and Dave Hutchinson from Calgary in Canada:
As they wrote in October 2005 in their logbook aboard SY HARMONICA: "The clearest water we found was probably off the 'resort island' of Telekivavau. The term 'resort island' could be misleading since the last guest checked out nearly six months earlier. A caretaker lives there on his own and takes care of the lovely building and keeps the grass lawn cut. He (Steve from Hawaii) seemed glad to have company for the two days we spent anchored inside his reef and twice he joined us for supper on board Harmonica, and we joined him for sunset drinks on the north beach where we could watch the large flying foxes (fruit bats) desperately flapping from one island to the next, and the frigate birds harassing boobies for food."
 The Villa Mamana is situated on deserted Telekivava'u Island in the South Seas last kingdom, the Kingdom of Tonga, 37 nautical miles south of Pangai with its regional airport. This almost untouched part of Polynesia offers all the lonely island cliché could suggest: crystal clear waters, rich marine life, lush tropical vegetation, an authentic culture, and absolute peace of mind. The Villa (built in 1999) is right at the white beach and the shallow lagoon which surrounds the island. 3000 sq/ft of villa hold 2-1/2 bedrooms with ensuite marble bathrooms, the great room, two huge decks (which become part of the great room with the french doors opened), and a porch. All facing west to ensure beautiful sunsets over the warm South Pacific Ocean. High ceilings, wooden floors, teak furniture, and the light reflecting from the lagoon give the colonial style building its special charm. Amenities include: TV, VCD, stereo, satellite phone, fans, washer, workshop, fishing gear, etc. Further down the beach you will find the kitchen house of 700 sq/ft (fully equipped) with a studio, and a smaller house (500sq/ft) which is ideal as caretaker quarter. Included in sale are also a 40ft motor yacht, a 27ft gamefishing power boat, a runabout, and utilities like two diesel gensets, two inverters, two battery banks, solar panels, desalination system, watertank and much more. For photos, click here. |
Steve was the longest-serving caretaker - where is he now? - with a few more doing shorter stints, including a couple from Germany who pre-tended to live on a desert island and wrote a book about it - see here.
Alas, by 2015 the dream had died - see here - and all that's left of VILLA MAMANA are memories which I'm trying to keep alive by collecting stories and pictures of what the Lonely Planet Travel Guide once described as "the most exclusive and beautiful accommodation in Tonga".
Dave and Jan were kind enough to send me the above photos. As Dave wrote, "Yes, we did anchor at Telekivavau in 2005 and it was one of our highlights. We don't have many photos of the house, and only went inside once. My memory is of some beautiful solid wood furniture which looked lovely, but had already been eaten through by burrowing bugs. Some of these photos were taken by Steve. He was missing western company when we arrived, and was excellent company. We had a glass of wine on the northern spit most evenings and watched as the flying foxes returned for the night. I am sorry to hear that the place has been 'looted' but am not entirely surprised."
I think I do what Steve, Jan and Dave did and have a sunset drink on Riverbend's jetty this evening and raise a toast to a wonderful dream.
Wrote Matt Muirhead, the owner: "Dear Peter, thank you for tying a ribbon around what Telekivava’u was. Seeing the pictures brought back a flood of wonderful memories. The white powdery sands that would move around the island with the full moon cycles. The feelings that isolation brought and surfing world-class waves right out the front door. When I retire from full-time work I will write a few words that might give a glimpse to those who long for a far-away paradise."
Wrote Joe Altenhein, the original owner and creator of VILLA MAMANA, a very long time ago: "We all had the best time of our lives on the island, and will always miss it - unless we find another island and build a 'Villa Mamana Lite' just for us."
And here's VILLA MAMANA after cyclone Ian had struck in late 2014:
