accommodation

Hi,

I am planning to spend a few months in Samoa for rest and relaxation for health reasons. I wanted to know if anyone had any recommendations or ideas from your own visits to Samoa. I am an experienced traveler however this would be my first trip to Samoa. My rough guide for accommodations are: private, quite, electricity. :-)

Thank you

Hi there

I've been to Samoa a few times, but usually don't stay in one place longer than 10 days or so before moving on.

The beach fale in Samoa are great for short term, but I don't know as if I'd want to live in one for a few months but you may. Most beach fale I've stayed are electrified, but just for lighting.
I'm sure that if this is where you want to stay, many places would love to keep you for the duration. You should be able to haggle out a price as you are not going to be a short term guest.

other than the beach fales, the only other option out of town are the expensive resorts. You may also want to try to find a place in Apia to stay.

Some beach fale are quiet, others have a more social atmosphere. Litia Sini's comes to mind as a subdued place.

Samoa for a few months? Lucky you.

Good luck

Few months?
Wonder what sort of visa you are getting - Samoa only gives 30 days on arrival to most nationalities.
For rest and relaxation Samoa could be OK, but if you are just a bit more active, you may find a few months there a bit too long.
Remember that there are only two sizeable islands to explore...
Keep your valuables somewhere safe if staying at beach fales!

Since at least 2005 Samoa gives you a 2 months visa upon arrival. You can easily extend that to up to 6 months (ask your local host for assistance). For more than 6 months you would need a formal local sponsorship.

I know quite a few people who stayed here for months and found it a great place to relax. You will soon get used to a slower pace, be sure. Not too many tourists here, people will soon recognize and greet you as a "local". Life is not planned and squeezed into schedules and certainly less than 2% of the people keep a diary for their appointments ...

There is electricity everywhere in the country, so that is not an issue (220V, 60Hz). Beach fale resorts are usually neither quiet nor private, so hardly an option for more than a week or two. Some hotels/resorts have quite nice long-term rates though. Check the Kitano Samoa (Tusitala) in Sogi/Apia. Many long-term residents there.

I suggest that you start at Vaiala Beach Cottages in Apia though (spacious cottages with private bath and small kitchen) and explore alternatives yourself. Rent a car, go around both islands and ask for long-.term rates at places you like. Check the local newspaper (Samoa Observer) for rental offers. Unfortunately almost all rental opportunities (small houses with all facilities) are in and around Apia only though. Drive around a bit and look for signs at the road (many of those compounds do not advertise). There are some new places like that in Puipaa and Lotopa, all west of Apia Central. There are always vacancies so in about a week you should be settled.

BTW, keep your valuables safe wherever you are ... !

Would also recommend Vaiala Beach Cottages in Apia.
We stayed there for 6 weeks and got a very good rate.
The rate for 3 months would have been even better.

I would have to go with Vaiala Beach Cottages. I've heard great things about them. I hope you have a relaxing time on your trip!

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Since at least 2005 Samoa gives you a 2 months visa upon arrival. <hr></blockquote>I was there in 2006 and was given 1 month only.
The officer even made quite a fuss about my ticket-out being dated for later than one month, which I explained by saying I was going to make a side-trip to American Samoa.

Don't nail me on the exact date it was introduced but the regular tourist visa is 60 days now for quite a while already. It is at the Immigration Officer's discretion though, as almost everywhere in the world. It always depends on the impression you make to them (or whatever else).

Yeah, Laszlo, cut your hair! :)

Nothing wrong with my hair - unlike yours? ;-)

Maybe I just bumped into an idiot at immigritation.
He didn't have a clue about where my country was - but then absolutely no one else in the whole of Samoa did.
Anyway, that was my personal experience: lot of hassle and only one month given - which was more than enough in that not-too-endearing country, of course!

Quite a change from Fiji, where they welcome you with a singing string-band while queueing at immigration (Vanuatu has that, too), then wave you through with a 4 months entry stamp without ever asking to check tickets or anything...

Hm ... I was at Faleolo Airport (APW) seven times during the last week, picking up and dropping off guests. Every time a plane arrived there was a singer with a string band playing in the baggage claim area. People were smiling, immigration officers were giving two months visas ... Are you sure we mean the same place?

There might be exceptions though - I am not sure if they do that when planes arrive from Fiji or Pago. Did you arrive from Fiji or Pago? Or did your plane come from a decent place like L.A., Auckland or Sydney ... -:)

I am not surprised that nobody knew your country. Like a Samoan arriving in Europe. Samoa? My Samoan wife had to wait for about an hour at the Austrian border once until the had figured out what passport she was holding.

The nicest encounter of that kind I had in Fiji with a guy at the airport. He asked me where I come from. Germany. Aha. He had never heard of it. So he asked me if Germany was a British colony or independent. Well, I opted for independent. "Like Fiji" - he proudly answered. So be it.

Indeed I arrived from Fiji, on Air Pacific - around 3 am.

I must admit I found Fiji a much more decent place than either Auckland or Sydney though - never been to LA, but I guess it's not my cup of tea either...

I think most people over here would have at least a vague idea about where Samoa is (somewhere in the Pacific), but they might also think it's still full of tatched fales and girls in grass-skirts, etc.

I am glad some else mentioned the rapid progress of technology in Samoa. I was amazed at the change from 2006 to 2007.

So where is everyone getting the money for their Digicel mobile phones?

Laszlo: I got the ears lowered yesterday... I am sure the Samoan customs officers would be pleased at my appearance. Who knows what kind of visa I would get!! (oh, and I had my teeth whitened in Thailand, too if that's any counsilation).

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>islandboi321: So where is everyone getting the money for their Digicel mobile phones?<hr></blockquote>

So far Internet access is only provided by GoMobile, the mobile branch of SamoaTel who are also providing the land line phone services in Samoa. The Digicel hype is over by now and more and more people turn to GoMobile, offering lower rates, especially to land line phones and overseas. SMS/Text messages are free with GoMobile too (at least for 2007). And unlike Digicell, GoMobile does not lock their phones to stop you from using other SIM-Cards, i.e. while being overseas. Fierce competition, very nice for the customers.

Where the people get the money for their phones? Well, most phones were given for free or at very low costs. (Oil lamp principle: I give you the lamp for free and sell you the oil). Hardly anyone (especially all those young Digicell users) has credit on their prepaid phones though, everybody waits to be called -:) The cheapest prepaid cards are sold for 5 Tala (USD2). Digicell even has a service that people in New Zealand can upload credit on a phone in Samoa - very ingenious .-:)

I just spent three weeks in Samoa and found it extremely relaxing. I would recommend Vaiala Beach Cottages upon arrival and departure from Apia. It is walking distance to town and Nigel is very accommodating. We loved Lalomanu. Although we stayed at Litia Sini's (which was nice) I would recommend the place next door because the food is better. On Sawaii we liked Regina's on Manase Beach best. The only place we didn't like on our stay in Samoa was the little island of Manono.

Yep, fully agree on recommending Vaiala Beach Cottages. The owner Nigel Burr (ex-New Zealander) is an old friend of mine and gives everybody a good deal. Tell him that Peter Goerman sent you! :-) Each cottage is like a small home with everything provided - and the beach is right there on your doorstep. And it's secure and would make an excellent base while you explore other parts of the island. Also, it's a very easy walk into town and yet far enough away so that traffic noise and crowds don't bother you. Go for it! And have a wonderful time! Peter

jhaine, I 100% agree with your assessment of Lalomanu - sheer magic!!! - and staying with that favulous cook there by the name of Tai. She cooks up a storm for dinner! The island of Manono was absolutely dreadful as the places there who offer you breakfast, lunch, and dinner (and charge you accordingly!) hardly give you enough or anything decent to sustain you. I came away fro Manono feeling physically sick and it took me several days to shake it off. In any case, Manono has no beaches, no great swimming spots, and on the island nothing worth seeing or visiting. if you still must go there, make sure you get back to the mainland at least one day before your departure just in case the dinghy taking you back has broken down or isn't going because the owner doesn't feel like going or wants to charge you a king's ransom to get off the island because he senses your urgency.