First timers need some advice!

Hi!

My partner and I have decided on going to Samoa for a week at the beginning of September. Is this a good time of the year to go?

We've already done some research, and we will probably stay on Upolu only, to avoid rushing around. We'd probably rent a car, although we normally are fans of public transport. But as we only have one week we don't want to waste too much time waiting for buses and going back and forth. (I read that buses only operate from Apia, and it's difficult to impossible to travel between towns)

Can someone recommend a rental company? There seem to be quite a lot of them around... We'd rather hire a scooter than a car, though, but only found one operator who rents scooters?

We are in our mid-twenties, we'd like to stay in fales, and avoid backpacker/party/style accommodation. We are into nature, so we'd love to visit some caves, waterfalls, and do some hikes.

I read about Lake Lanotoo. How do you get there? I read about a 4WD track and a hike, that doesn't sound like you could take a hried Hyundai Getz up there? :)

What about food? Is it common to eat the fale you are staying at? Or can you book accommodation only and then go into town to grab food? Or are the fales out of town? We love our flexibilty, and having dinner at a fale sounds a bit like "you have to be back for dinner at 6pm" to me? Or how does that work? :)

Sorry for all these questions, some help would be appreciated!

Cheers!

Please check your private messages.

There are plenty of small SUV's to hire but usually no scooters and they are not very suitable for the terrain anyway.
Most of the restaurants are in Apia and most of the fale type accommodation is on the other coast quite some distance away.
We always stay in Apia and explore from there.
Most of the things you want to do will be on private land and will require permission and cost a few Tala for entry.
Have usually found it is just as easy to hire a taxi for the day and leave the permission side to the driver to arrange.
You can negotiate a price for the days hire, the driver then looks after your gear while you snorkel etc.
Take the hike up Mt Vaaea in Apia to the graves of RL Stevenson and there are a few other interesting memorials etc out on the peninsula in Apia.

I've just got back from my first trip to Samoa and I would not recommend a hire car option
1. many road are in a poor state (it had rained a lot!)
2. you will spend a lot of time dodging children/pigs/chickens/dogs rather than enjoying the view
3. you can get to just about anywhere on Upolu by taxi for T$120 (maybe less, I did not negotiate) so consider this against the car hire cost
Others I spoke to said buses were ok (even fun) but there is no strict time table outside of Apia

thanks for your replies!

the idea with the taxi might not be that bad actually. It's around 120 Tala a day to rent a car, but at least with a taxi I wouldn't have to worry if we have an accident, don't have to pay for insurance or gas.

As I said, we only have one week. We do not want to spend each night at a different place, but we don't wana stay the whole week in Apia either. So what we thought we could do is stay 2 nights or so in Apia, then travel south across the island (we want to visit Lake Lanotoo) and then stay maybe 2 nights or so in a Beach Fale on the South coast.

I imagine it being easy to find a taxi for the day while staying in Apia, but how would that work out if we stayed in a beach fale?

Could a taxi take us up to Lake Lanotoo?

How would you split the 6 or 7 nights up?
As I mentioned before, we would like to visit Lake L., do some snorkelling (neither my partner nor I have ever snorkelled before! :) ), some bushwalks, caves...

Thanks so much for all your input!

Found this blogsite on Mt Lanotoo http://mrlavalava.blogspot.com/2006/07/lake-lanotoo.html .
It sounds like a taxi there is no problem, just have him wait while you hike and then drop you at a beach fale on the south coast.
You can then either arrange for him to collect you in a day or so or take a bus to your next place.
We prefer to snorkel at Palolo Deep in Apia but being beginners you may prefer to start at the beach fale.
Good gear makes or breaks a snorkel trip and most of the hire stuff will be pretty had it. We always take our own.
If you get a good taxi driver he will also make your stay enjoyable by knowing the good spots, most of the taxis are also had it ,we had the brakes fail coming into Apia down Mt Vaeea but we made it after a thrilling ride through red lights with the horn going and the brakes on fire when we finally stopped.
Plenty to do and see around Apia.

Please be aware that beginning September 7th 2009 Samoa will switch the side of the road to drive on from right to left. September 7th and 8th are declared Public Holidays for the people to get used to the new law. Countrywide the speed limit will be 15 mph (25 km/h) only then, on all roads and for at least one whole week. They might lift it then, back to the usual 35 mph (55 km/h). It all depends on the number of casualties during the first days of confusion.

So nothing that has been said here about taxis and buses and rentals and whatever will be valid anymore at that time and still for a while after that. Please consider that people in Samoa are not used to driving on the left side of the road at all and by far the majority of the cars are still left hand drive (so the driver sits on the "wrong" side of the car). I would never trust neither a taxi driver nor a bus driver during the first weeks after that 'switch'. They might have never driven on the left side of the road before ...!

Regarding Lake Lanotoo. Make sure that you read the comment to the blog entry linked to above as the comment refers to a much more actual and realistic state. The Tourism Office had cleaned and cleared the way to the lake around 2006 and put up signs. However nothing happened since and all is gone and overgrown by now again (same thing with the Pulemelei site in Savaii).

It is at least a 4 hours hike from the parking spot (which is at the end of a very rough road). There is no way of having a taxi taking you there and the driver waiting for you to come back. Usually hikes to Lake Lanotoo are done as a guided long half day tour (you are very much advised to take a guide - there hardly is a path and there are no signs at all anymore). Altogether it is a day's affair and definitely nothing to be done just in between and on the way to somewhere else.

Overall - and I said that before already on one of your previous postings: My sincere advice is to stop planning much about your stay here in Samoa. No use. Just take it as it comes and you will enjoy.

oh wow... I wasn't aware of that! That's very helpful to know, thanks a lot!

As we haven't booked our flights yet, we might consider going 2 weeks or so later. (or earlier, which sounds like the better idea)

I'm from Europe, now living in NZ, so I have experienced the swap from driving on the right to driving on the left myself (at least we sit on the 'right' side of the car!), so your advice not to trust anyone sounds fair enough!

Re Lake Lanoto'o:
Where would you get a guide from, just asking around in villages? Any rough idea of prices?
It still sounds very appealing, probably because it is off the beaten track and a bit ineccessible.

Hm yeah, probably you are right, and we shouldn't plan that much ahead. Normally, we have a lot more time for our travels, so I want to make sure we're not wasting half our time with organising things we could've done from here.

Thanks a lot for your advice!!

Simply avoid to be in Samoa right after September 7th. Coming in August already might be a bit better as well regarding the weather.

Lake Lanotoo is all close to Apia, only 20 min. drive from Central Apia to the side road leading to the lake. From there it soon gets more difficult though and with a Getz you will not get to the end ...

The major tour companies in Apia and usually your hosts at your accommodation will know guides to take you to Lake Lanotoo. You will always be picked up in Apia. Chantal (Tel.21592) was very well known for her excellent tours but I am not sure if she is still in Samoa. If you want to check that out in advance or even make a booking, try that phone number (685 is the country code to be dialed before) Or check Oceania Travel or Polynesian Xplorer or contact your hotel in Apia.

In colonial times the lake was situated directly at the road that was the Cross Island Road then. That is the reason why it had been so popular and mentioned so often. Nowadays it is very much more difficult to get there - but so far everybody I met who had been there said it was worth the effort.

I would spent a day in Apia and rent a car for a round - the - island trip on the second day. For one day it does not make a big difference which one you take so Discovery Rentals might suit you best (easy to contact, very professional service, good cars - and if they charge a bit more it is only for one day ...)

On that trip you can see all the waterfalls and you can check out beach fale options in Saleapaga or Lalomanu on the South coast while passing there. On the third day maybe to Lake Lanotoo then and the rest of your week in the fales. They usually even do transfers too from Apia, as they are there almost every day for shopping. Or you take the bus to get there and let the resort transfer you to the airport at the end.

BTW, snorkeling is awesome in Lalomanu at present, even right at the beach. No need for fins - goggles and snorkel are enough. Hopefully it will not change (or only to the even better) until you get there - the conditions improved so much after heavy damages some years ago and since they banned motor boats. Right now it is really impressive.

Quote:

"Please be aware that beginning September 7th 2009 Samoa will switch the side of the road to drive on from right to left. September 7th and 8th are declared Public Holidays for the people to get used to the new law. Countrywide the speed limit will be 15 mph (25 km/h) only then, on all roads and for at least one whole week. They might lift it then, back to the usual 35 mph (55 km/h). It all depends on the number of casualties during the first days of confusion."

Unbelievable... This will be world news no doubt.

Someone is going to profit nicely by importing vehicles from NZ me thinks.

Read more about it.

"We are in our mid-twenties, we'd like to stay in fales, and avoid backpacker/party/style accommodation. We are into nature, so we'd love to visit some caves, waterfalls, and do some hikes."

My information is admittedly out of date, but unless a tourist surge has occurred in the past 5 years, you shouldn't have to worry about dodging a party scene. The fales had a wide range of people -- from young backpackers to families to older travelers. Almost all of the backpackers I met were either dental students or medical students working in local clinics as part of their training. Samoa was much more for me then Fiji--lots of opportunities to chat with locals and learn about local customs. Though granted, I was a solo female traveler taking a lot of public transportation, so that may be why I had so many positive interactions.

If I am wrong and Samoa has since evolved into party central, please do let me know as I am hoping to make a return visit in the next year or two.