An Exclusive Retreat in the Kingdom of Tonga
Swim with Humpback Whales
Sing a New Song with janne robinson
overview
For nine days in August 2027 you will be in the Kingdom of Tonga. Each morning on ʻEua you’ll board a licensed charter boat for up to seven hours on the open ocean, slipping into the water alongside humpback mothers and their calves. Each afternoon you’ll return to land for breathwork, workshops, cold plunge, sauna, and the kind of unhurried stillness that only an island at the edge of the world can offer.
The fales are rustic. The island is remote. What there is — is ocean, whales, and nine days to come back to yourself.
Every year the humpback creates a completely new song. Not a variation of last season’s — a new one. Attuned to the time, the place, who it is right now. This retreat is named for that. For the parts of yourself you’ve outgrown and are still performing. For whatever wants to be sung next.
Starlink internet is available on-site. Janne’s personal invitation is to go optionally offline — fully present, unreachable. One guide will hold an emergency contact line for your people back home, for true emergencies only.
7 guests per boat. Limited spots. Once it’s full, it’s full.
HIGHLIGHTS
Swim with humpback whales on up to 5 guided days on the water (6–7 hours per day)
Charter flight from Tongatapu (TBU) to ʻEua
Four workshops with Janne Robinson: On Purpose · Write Like You’re on the Moon · A New Song · Your Truth Is Your Medicine
Introduction to Freediving presentation with Cat [Last Name] — professional freediver, shark ecologist, 270-foot depth record holder
Daily breathwork sessions
Yoga, cold plunge (ice bath), sauna, and spa bath on-site
Marine biology presentations on humpback whales and sharks of Tonga
Half-day island tour of ʻEua
Bonfire and Kava ceremony
Starlink internet available on-site — with an invitation from Janne to go phone and data free for the full retreat
THE EXPERIENCE
On the Water
Five days aboard licensed charter boats, each carrying a maximum of 7 guests plus a certified whale guide and skipper. You’ll spend up to 7 hours a day on the water — watching, waiting, and slipping into the ocean alongside humpback mothers and their calves. Every day is different. Every encounter is entirely up to the whales.
Tonga is one of the few places in the world where swimming with humpback whales is legal and regulated — and ʻEua is one of its most remote and least trafficked islands. ʻEua sits directly on the migration path and whales are visible from shore most days of the season. Your group has four private boats, exclusive, for the full week.
On Land
The retreat is rustic and real — oceanfront fales, filtered water, all meals prepared on-site, and the kind of simplicity that forces you to arrive fully. Newly renovated bathrooms, air conditioning, a purpose-built oceanfront yoga deck, ice baths, sauna, and spa baths. Remote and entirely yours for the week.
THE WORKSHOPS
Four workshops with Janne Robinson across the week — each one building on what came before, each one shaped by whoever shows up and whatever the whales and the ocean surface.
Workshop One: On Purpose
Most of us are taught to focus on what we do — our job titles, roles, and achievements. Rarely are we asked the deeper questions: What are your gifts? What gives you energy? What intrinsically and organically happens around you when you walk into a room?
On Purpose is a guided workshop to help you connect with the deeper current of meaning that runs through your life. Through breathwork, visualization, journaling, and reflection, we will move beyond the labels of career or role and begin to have a conversation with the unique purpose that lives at the center of who you are.
Whether you feel clear in your role but want to reconnect with your deeper why, or you’re questioning your path and wondering what’s next — this workshop will help you name the gifts that naturally flow through you, understand what your life is uniquely called to address, and anchor into a meaning that can move with you through every pivot, season, and role of your life.
This is not about finding a rigid definition of purpose. It’s about creating space to meet the feeling of purpose in your body.
Workshop Two: Write Like You’re on the Moon
The best art is made when we write like no one will ever read it. This workshop is an invitation to do exactly that — to pick up a pen and let your truth land on the page without editing, without performing, without holding back.
Janne will share her own work, including a deeply personal poem about finding her estranged father in a remote village in Crete. Then it’s your turn.
No writing experience required. You cannot do this wrong.
Workshop Three: A New Song
An open integration session built around what the whales stirred in you.
Over the week you will have floated next to some of the largest creatures on earth, heard their song through the water, and watched mothers with their calves in the wild. Something will have moved in you. This workshop is the space to bring that — to share what came up, what shifted, what you’re still sitting with.
Janne will work live with the room. Part sharing circle, part coaching, part integration. No agenda other than helping you understand what this week meant for you and what you’re taking home.
Workshop Four: Your Truth Is Your Medicine
An open hot seat. Bring anything — career, city, partner, family, friendship, self. The masks you’ve worn. The places you feel trapped. The questions you haven’t asked out loud yet.
Over 1,100 people have taken Janne’s program built around one belief: belonging from anything other than who you are isn’t worth it.
This workshop has no agenda. It has whoever shows up and whatever is true for them. Janne will work live with what’s in the room.
YOUR FACULTY
Janne Robinson — Host & Lead Facilitator
Poet, author, and coach. Janne’s work centers on truth-telling, personal sovereignty, and the courage it takes to live an authentic life. She has built a global community through her writing, coaching programs, and live events. She has led over 200 one-on-one purpose sessions and her program Your Truth Is Your Medicine has reached over 1,100 people worldwide.
Cat [Last Name] — Freediving & Marine Science
Cat is a professional freediver with a depth record of 270 feet and a shark ecologist whose work takes her into some of the most remote ocean environments in the world. She will lead an introduction to freediving — the science of breath-hold diving, how to move through water with presence rather than force, and what it means to enter the ocean as a guest. Cat’s expertise and her relationship with the ocean will change how you see every moment you spend in the water.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
1 night accommodation in Nukuʻalofa (August 19, pre-retreat) — dinner included
Charter flight from Tongatapu (TBU) to ʻEua and return
6 nights accommodation on ʻEua, private room (August 20–26)
5 days guided whale swimming on licensed charter boats (weather dependent)
All meals on ʻEua (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Filtered drinking water, tea and coffee
Access to ice bath, spa bath, and sauna
Breathwork sessions
Yoga
Four workshops with Janne Robinson
Introduction to Freediving presentation with Cat [Last Name]
Marine biology presentations on humpback whales and sharks of Tonga
Half-day island tour of ʻEua
Bonfire and Kava ceremony
ouvenir t-shirt, cap, and water bottle
Starlink internet available on-site
Snorkeling equipment and wetsuits (if required)
Transfers between accommodation and charter flights
1 night accommodation in Nukuʻalofa (August 27, post-retreat) — dinner included
International flights to/from Tonga (fly into Nukuʻalofa, TBU)
Massage therapy (available on-site, charged per session)
Alcoholic beverages (available at the retreat’s licensed bar)
Tips for staff and crew
Travel insurance (compulsory — guests must arrange their own)
TRAVEL NOTES
Fly into: Fuaʻamotu International Airport, Nukuʻalofa, Tonga — airport code TBU
Arrive: August 19, 2027. Accommodation included in Nukuʻalofa. We recommend flying in 24–48 hours early if you have a long international journey.
Depart: August 28, 2027 or later. You’ll return to Nukuʻalofa on August 27. Accommodation included that night.
Charter flight: On the morning of August 20, a charter flight transfers the group to ʻEua. Included in your retreat package.
Travel insurance is compulsory. All guests must hold valid travel insurance for the full duration of the trip.
Itinerary Overview
Day 1 — August 19 | Arrive Nukuʻalofa
Fly into TBU. Overnight accommodation and dinner included. Rest.
Day 2 — August 20 | Fly to ʻEua · Arrive
Morning charter flight to ʻEua. Welcome orientation and practice swim. First look at the ocean that will hold you all week.
Workshop One: On Purpose
Days 3–6 — August 21–24 | On the Water
Each day: up to 7 hours searching for and swimming with humpback whales. Afternoons: breathwork, cold plunge, sauna, yoga, rest. Evenings: dinner, bonfires, open time.
Workshop Two: Write Like You’re on the Moon — mid-week
Cat’s Introduction to Freediving — mid-week
Marine biology presentations as scheduled
Day 7 — August 25 | Sunday — Rest Day
No boating on Sundays by Tongan law. Half-day island tour. Snorkeling, sauna, stillness.
Day 8 — August 26 | Final Day on the Water
One last day with the whales. Final evening together.
Workshop Three: A New Song
Workshop Four: Your Truth Is Your Medicine
Kava ceremony and bonfire
Day 9 — August 27 | Return to Nukuʻalofa
Charter flight back to Tongatapu. Overnight accommodation and dinner included.
Frequently Asked Questions
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We offer a range of solutions designed to meet your needs—whether you're just getting started or scaling something bigger. Everything is tailored to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
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Getting started is simple. Reach out through our contact form or schedule a call—we’ll walk you through the next steps and answer any questions along the way.
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We combine a thoughtful, human-centered approach with clear communication and reliable results. It’s not just what we do—it’s how we do it that sets us apart.
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You can reach us anytime via our contact page or email. We aim to respond quickly—usually within one business day.
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We offer flexible pricing based on project type and complexity. After an initial conversation, we’ll provide a transparent quote with no hidden costs.
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Collaborative, honest, and straightforward. We're here to guide the process, bring ideas to the table, and keep things moving.
your schedule
thursday
friday
sunday
monday-
wednesday
Land into Tongatapu and meet your family for the next week. Spend the night in the capital ready for early flight in the AM.
Early morning flight (7-10 minutes long!), short orientation and pop your bags into your waterfront accommodation, then straight to the boat for an orientation swim and whale time!
saturday
thursday
08:30 - 16:30ish searching for & swimming with humpback whales! Our permit allows for 7 hours on the water each day, so if we depart later, we return later. Sunshine, yoga and educational presentations await us at home!
This is a day of rest for the Tongans, so we don’t run whale swims this day. We can snorkel right off the beach, explore the island, or take a rest day- as you please.
Three more days of seven more hours of whale swimming. You would think you would be tired of it by now- I promise you won’t.
Breakfast & goodbyes! (Get out while you still can!) Return transfer to Tongatapu capital. Recommended to book an extra night in the town incase of charter flight delays.
frequently asked questions
WHY SWIM WITH HUMPBACK WHALES IN TONGA?
Now, if you have to ask that question, then I’m not sure you’re in the right place. But incase you do need persuading, imagine the best visibility in the world with only five other hand selected humans around you (three at a time in the water!), surrounded by whales as far as you can see, with interactions so good you can convince yourself the whales love you as much as you love them... that’s why.
DO I NEED TO HAVE EXPERIENCE SCUBA DIVING?
Now, if you have to ask that question, then I’m not sure you’re in the right place. But incase you do need persuading, imagine the best visibility in the world with only five other hand selected humans around you (three at a time in the water!), surrounded by whales as far as you can see, with interactions so good you can convince yourself the whales love you as much as you love them... that’s why.
DO YOU HAVE SNORKELING EQUIPMENT AND SAFETY VEST?
While we can help with some gear, we strongly encourage you to bring your own snorkel, mask, fins and wetsuit that you have tested and are comfortable with- please feel welcome to reach out on advice for this at any point. We do provide weights and weight belts if they help you feel relaxed in the water. While life jackets are available, swim jackets are NOT so if you want a swimming aid you should bring your own.
WHAT LEVEL OF FITNESS AND EXPERIENCE IN THE WATER IS REQUIRED?
Sometimes the ocean in Tonga can be rough, and boat pickups can take a few minutes if our skipper has a giant whale or three to navigate around! If you feel like you would be comfortable floating or treading water for 10+ minutes and could swim 200m without any trouble, you’ll be fine with us!
HOW DO I GET TO TONGA?
The only direct flights to TBU are from Auckland, New Zealand and Nadi, Fiji. It is best to buy these well in advance as prices do shoot up exponentially! You will need to fly into the capital, Tongatapu, and from there, we will take care of everything. We provide inter island flights for you on the morning of your first day in the water. You should try to arrive into TBU the day before the first day of your trip, and consider flying out the day after your last day incase inclement weather affects your departure from Eua.
contact me directly to secure your dream trip & date of choice
Email: hello@jannerobinson.com
Whatsapp: +16193068704