Beautiful Samoa

Samoa – a pacific island nation consisting of two main islands (Savai’i and Upolu) with four smaller islands surrounding the main landmasses. Away from the rush of the rest of the world; Samoa has its own pace. Everyone seems happy, everyone looks relaxed. Nobody is in a hurry to go anywhere.

Samoans have a strong sense of community which reminded me of my time in India while growing up. You will see men playing basketball in groups every evening, kids running around the side of the streets, families gathering up in the front yard to mingle. It takes you back in time when we had time to know our neighbors and be part of the community.

It is a perfect place to visit if you are looking for a break from everyday hustle and are in the mood for a not-so-touristy destination.

Apia – the main town as well as Faleolo International airport is on Upolu.

Travel Tips

Buy a local sim – International data plans may not work properly and hotel wi-fi is either expensive or not very reliable. Buying a sim is pretty cheap and you can do it right at the airport. If not at airport, you can find stores in Apia too. We got a bluesky sim with data plan in only a few dollars.

Rent a car to travel around the islands – A rental car would be the most efficient way of exploring the islands if you have limited number of days. AWD drive is recommended as many areas have rough or no roads. Also, there are only a few car rental companies, so make sure to book in advance. Drive carefully because it is not unusual to see people walking on the street or kids playing on the side. You may not expect it but there are police checks in place for documents and speed. AA-Rent-A-Car and Blue Pacific Car Hire are a couple of good options for car rentals.

Ferry reservation – If you plan to travel to Upolu and taking your own car you will need to make a ferry reservation in advance. This can’t be done over phone or online and you must do it in-person at least a day before your planned departure. You can go to Samoa Shipping Corporation office on Beach road in Apia. There are limited slots for cars on the ferry so don’t wait till last minute to make your reservation.

Experience staying in a beach fale – Samoa has this unique accomodation option where you can stay in a semi-open hut right on the beach. The picture below shows a public use beach fale. The ones provided by resorts have pull down curtains to give you privacy if needed. Fales are always cheaper than hotel rooms.

Carry cash with you – Local currency is Samoan Tala. Make sure to get enough of it at the airport as you would need cash at multiple places. Most of the tourist attractions have a small fee which can be paid only through cash. Hotels and resorts accept card but charge 3% service fees.

Shop your way in Apia – The town has a few stores where you can find anything you need starting from snacks, drinks to everyday essentials. We found a store called Farmer Joe’s and did all our grocery shopping from there. There are smaller stores all over the island but they may not have everything you are looking for.

Best time to visit – July to September is the best time to visit to avoid extreme heat or rain. Rainy season starts from October.

Where to stay?

There are plenty of beautiful resorts in Samoa. In Upolu, my recommendation would be to stay along the South coast road as many of the attractions are on the southern side of the island. We stayed at Samoana Beach Bungalows in Upolu. It is 20 minutes off the Main south coast road in Salamumu. The resort is located along a beautiful stretch of coast and has options for kayaking, snorkeling etc. The staff is great and the fare at the restaurant is pretty decent too. Some of the other resort options in Uplolu are Return to Paradise, Coconuts Beach Club resort, Sinalei reef resort and Seabreeze Resort.

In Savaii, we stayed in a euro-style beach fale at Stevenson’s at Manase. It has a great oceanfront location but the fales are a little too close to each other. A fale is however great value for money. If you are willing to spend more, you can go for a private room or villa. 

Things to do

Samoa has a lot to offer – you can choose to spend your whole day in your resort while doing water activities or go out and explore the cave pools, waterfalls and beautiful beaches. 

Explore the reef – Samoa is surrounded by a live coral reef and many different varieties of fish species live in them. There are spots where you can find turtles and giant clams too – just ask about it at your resort. Do learn about the tide timings before you go out in the water and also be responsible with the reef!

Survivor lagoon – Season 19 of the well known TV series ‘Survivor’ was shot on some of the beaches in Samoa. There was one close to our resort. We only came to know about it through the staff at the resort. If you happen to stay in Samoana Beach Bungalows then this place is a 20 minutes walk or 1 mile by kayak. Water is calm here which makes it a perfect spot for snorkeling. Also, because it is not so easy to reach, you may see no or very few tourists.

Piula Cave Pool – It is a fresh water pool located on north coast of Upolu island. Adventure seekers can take a narrow under water passage through the cave to come out on the other side of the pool. However, the best part is swimming out of the cave and being able to see the water glowing due to sunlight.

To-Sua Ocean Trench – One of the major attractions in Samoa (see the cover picture at the top). There are two giant holes interconnected by a lava tube. One of them get filled by ocean water. There is a steep wooden stair that goes down to the trench. Jumping into this is an experience in itself. You will need to pay 20 Tala per person to visit this.

Alofaaga blowholes in Savaii  – A fun way to see the power of waves in the  ocean. The best time to visit would be as the tide is coming in or during high tide but they work all through the day.

Manase Beach in Savaii – It is a well known beach not just because it is beautiful but it is calmer than some of the other beaches in Samoa. A great place to watch turtles, go snorkeling or paddle boarding. 

Drive around the islands – This will give you the real feel of Samoa. Both islands are small enough that you can drive around them in a few hours – there are a lot of points to stop on the way to click pictures.

These are my top picks but given we were there just for 6 nights (4 nights Uplou, 2 nights Savaii), we definitely could not cover everything. You can find information about other attractions here.

Cost of Travel

Samoa is not an inexpensive travel destination but at the same time it is less expensive than some of the other well known pacific islands like Fiji or Tahiti. The major expense would be the flight tickets. We paid around $1,250 USD per person to fly from San Francisco to Faleolo airport. Car rental was around 900 WST or $330 USD for 6 nights. A nice room in resort can cost from $75-$150 USD per night which includes a continental breakfast. Restaurants in the resorts are generally expensive – a meal would cost around $20 USD.

Hope you find this information helpful in planning your trip. Feel free to reach out through comment or Contact us page if you have any questions.