8 days in Samoa on a tight budget……

We’ve just got back from spending 8 days in Samoa. We’re a couple in our late 20’s been travelling for a year and were on a tight budget. There wasn’t a great deal of information available for us to plan our trip – here are a few comments.

Airport:
We arrived at 1am and were planning on heading to Savai’i on the 6am ferry. From comments on thorn tree we thought it would take a couple of hours to get through immigrations….but it only took 5 mins! We spent the first night sleeping at the airport – not the most comfortable airport to sleep in – plastic chairs no walls and windows and lots of stray animals wondering around. By 1.30am the airport was dark & empty, fortunately, the few remaining airport staff took pity on us and let us sleep on the floor in the air con passport control room and at 5.30am we got a free armed ride down to the wharf by security. The night would have been a lot worse if the airport staff hadn’t helped us out – very uncomfortable and no taxis or buses running at 5am! Plus the taxi driver who had agreed to come and pick us up at 5.15am never showed up! A taxi from the airport to the wharf should cost 10 tala. The bus from the airport to Apia costs 3 tala and vice versa but the majority of buses stop running late afternoon and do not run on a Sunday. We met a German girl who’d got a taxi to Apia for 30 tala but generally I think the price is usually 50-60 tala.

Savaii:
We got the smaller ferry both ways and it was perfectly fine – there was a shaded area with seats to sit and a toilet. The ferry cost 12 tala and took about 90 mins. There are buses at the wharf which meet the ferry and taxi drivers. We stayed at Jet Over Hotel which was a 10 min walk from the wharf and 80 tala a night for an enclosed Fale with windows, a great fan and a bed. The hotel was ok, by the sea, had a pool (which was empty) and served a buffet breakfast for 15 tala. Meals were pricey but outside the hotel you can get a bbq chicken meal for 7tala or if you walk up the only traffic lights on the island there is a supermarket.

As we didn’t have a long time in Samoa we decided to splash out and rent a car for 24 hours to see as much as possible. We rented it from the hotel for 100 tala a day and they charged 20 tala for the driving license (cheaper to get in Apia only 10-12 tala). It was a lot of fun driving round and great to be able stop where and when we wanted. Petrol was about 3 tala a litre. Although the car blew our budget, it meant we saw more. We met a couple staying at Jolans who spent 2 hrs on a local bus travelling to Manse (a 20 min drive in the car) and when they arrived they only had 10 mins before the last bus left and spent another 2 hours travelling back. So if you only have a short time I’d recommend a car, if not, then maybe just 1 or 2 sights a day.
We stayed at Jolans Beach Fales (north of Lano) for a night (the bus stops just outside). The place was beautiful on a lovely sandy beach and the sea came under the fale at high tide. It was 50 tala a night p/p which included breakfast and dinner – def recommend staying here.

Apia:
Apia was a little depressing after we’d had such a great time in Savaii. Do not plan to come here on a Sunday as everything is shut and the place is like a ghost town! We stayed in Hotel Elisa 70 tala for a budget fan room (very stuffy rooms – cooler outside than in the room) or 110 tala for budget air con room. The shared kitchen was basic – kettle, microwave and fridge and there was a little pool. The Italian coffee shop and internet café, just past the tourist info did large chicken curries and chicken stirfry for 4 tala (lunch time only) and massive pizzas for about 30 tala which was dinner and lunch the following day for us. The best thing we did in Apia was snorkelling at the reserve – 4 tala entrance fee, 5 tala a mask, 2 tala a snorkel and 6 tala for flippers (which weren’t needed). The coral was amazing and one person spotted reef sharks. There are toilets, showers and seating in shady areas – take a picnic and spend a while there.

Upolu:
We shared another car rental with some other travellers we met in Hotel Elisa (110 tala for 24 hrs – think its possible to get it for cheaper – esp if you’re doing a longer rental). We visited the Piula Cave Pool (5 tala) which was lovely and refreshing and we found the underwater tunnel which links the 2 pools. To Sau Ocean Trench def worth a visit (15 tala) there is also another underwater tunnel. There are fales and blowholes so could spend a while there with picnic. No taxis around here and limited buses so if no car you’d probably have to hitch.
We stayed the night at FaoFao beach fales in Saleapaga which were lovely – on the beach, 70 tala p/p for dinner and breakfast. Make sure you visit on a sat night for the fiafia which was lots of fun – all the family joined in – even the dogs!

All in all, we had a great time, amazing country and genuinely friendly people – we just spent a lot more than we had planned! Arh yes and don’t forget the 40 tala departure tax when you leave!!

Good information. Thank you. The only request I would have would be for an exchange rate for the tala, for those who have never been to Samoa.

First of all, thank you for your informative post, which I actually printed and took to Samoa with us!

You are right that there is very little up to date information about Samoa.

I thought I’d add a few comments of my own to yours. We are also a couple travelling on a budget. We had 10 nights and travelled in August. The only thing we booked in advance was the first night in Apia as we arrived late evening, but we had no trouble getting accommodation despite it being high season.

We also rented a car on Upolu and saw all of the main sights in a day, which was well worth doing.

Regarding car hire - we feel we got a little bit ripped off on this. We called several hire car companies for the cheapest quote, but when we arrived at Funway car rentals to do the paperwork, 20 tala was added to the quoted price as “insurance” (never clear exactly what this covered) and they also tried to add GST, which I argued should have been included in the quoted price and they dropped it. 20 tala for the drivers licence, but everywhere quoted us 20 - 30 tala for this. Organising it the day before perhaps wasn’t the best plan. We paid 140 tala for the 24 hours. The car was delivered with ¼ tank petrol, which, as we had no idea of the tank size or how much fuel we would need, we felt forced to fill the car before leaving Apia. There are no other petrol stations on the route we took - the Cross Island Road via Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, the Bahia temple, lookouts for Papapapai, Togitogiga, Sopoaga waterfalls, To Sua trench - now 20 tala (great spot for our picnic lunch), Lalomanu beach & back up to Apia via Piula Cave Pools - and we returned the car with ½ tank, so definitely overspent on fuel. I’ve since heard some car hire companies supply the car with a full tank, in which case you return it with a full tank, which is a much fairer system - definitely a question I would be asking next time!

We planned to stay overnight at Lalomanu, but realised that by returning to Apia the same day we could catch the earlier ferry to Savaii. Nevertheless we were quoted 90 tala per person at Taufua Beach fales for a basic fale with dinner and breakfast. The car hire place would have collected the car from the ferry terminal for a 70 tala charge.

In Apia we stayed twice at Lynn’s Getaway where we were upgraded to an aircon room for the same price as the fan room we’d booked (both ensuite) - 100 tala a night - on the first occasion; 140 tala for an aircon room with shared bathroom, although we were the only ones using the bathrooms, on the second occasion (the only room they had available). There is a supermarket & petrol station next door. We also stayed one night at the Samoan Outrigger Hotel, which was 170 tala for a fan room with shared bathroom. A really nice place, but perhaps a little overpriced. Both places were a short walk from Giordanos Garden Pizzeria, which had a lovely courtyard for dining and massive wood fired pizzas - enough left over for lunch the next day - at good prices. They also do takeaway. Lynn’s will provide guests dinner for 20 tala per person - a feast. The other place not already mentioned that we found reasonably cheap was the bar/restaurant Amanaki Hotel - on the main road near hotel Elisa. Agree you don’t need to spend much time in Apia, but we found it to be OK.

My top tip is to pick up a current ferry timetable at Tourist Information in Apia. This was invaluable as the ferry times differ on different days, and the locals aren‘t very sure of the schedule themselves - this was looked at so much by other people it fell in half!

Bus fare to/from the ferry terminal to Apia was 3 tala - buses pass by the airport - and very efficient at whipping you off the ferry onto a bus and into Apia in no time. Taxi from Apia to/from the airport 60 tala, and we had a taxi for 60 tala from Apia to the ferry terminal too.

Savaii:

We took the small ferry over, and the big ferry back. Both were fine, and the same price at 12 tala per person, but most people prefer the big ferry with aircon and a movie.

On Savaii we stayed the entire time at Tanu’s Beach Fales. A great atmosphere with lots of returning guests staying there and local Samoan families at the weekend. They charged 65 tala per person per night for a fale right on the beachfront including dinner and breakfast. Fales were well spaced out. Note that those people who had booked in advance online paid 80 tala per person - we phoned up from the ferry terminal to check they had fales before catching the bus, but most people just arrive.

The bus to/from the ferry terminal on Savaii to Manase takes about 1½ hours (not sure how it took 2 hours each way from Lano - those people must have got unlucky!) and costs 5 tala. Manase really is a beautiful spot with a calm, crystal clear lagoon, good swimming and the reef on your doorstep.

Tanu’s run day trips of the island if there is enough people - they were highly recommended! 90 tala per person. Jane’s Fales next door hire cars, but I don’t know at what price. We looked at Jane’s, which had nice wooden fales with proper doors and a bed for 70 tala, but felt it just didn’t have the vibe of Tanu’s.

My top tip for Manase is to take your own snorkel and mask. You can snorkel straight off the beach. Jane’s Fales rented out snorkeling gear, but we thought this was expensive at 17 tala for a snorkel and mask for 4 hours (more if you want flippers). Most people had brought their own gear.

There is a little shop at the garage and an ATM at Manase. Tanu’s also have a shop with beers, soft drinks and a few snacks (and bizarrely, large tins of corned beef!) - you write what you took in a book and pay when you leave. There are a couple of options in Manase for lunch/snacks. Tanu’s has opened a little bar/bistro across the other side of the road. They did BBQ for 8 tala, which after the first day we realised one of these with a side of fries was plenty for two people! There is also a more upmarket place 2 min walk away - Stevensons, which did reasonably priced meals and great burgers! They also have a pool table & TV. Jane’s Fales advertised lunches, and Le Legoto resort was also walking distance, but we didn’t go there.

If you like a drink, make use of your duty free allowance :-) Although the beer is good and around 8 tala for a 650ml bottle.

All in all, an excellent, relaxing trip!

Check out xe.com for up to date exchange rates to the tala.