Manono

Hello all,

I’m looking for any and all advice on visiting Manono Island. I have been to Samoa before so I am familiar with the islands (and transportation) as well as the fact that Manono is very traditional and has no cars or dogs.

We are thinking of traveling from Apia by bus and spending a night or two on Manono. We have a 3 year old so it will be a bit of a challenge but I really don’t want to rent a car just to have to leave it on shore for two days. Is it fairly easy to find a boat to the island or is there usually quite a wait?

Other questions are:

Is it worth the visit?

Recommendations on fales? Costs?

Should we take our own food/water?

Best area to swim/snorkel?

Anything you would recommend seeing or doing?

Any other suggestions would be welcome…

Thanks,
Teine

I visited Manono about three years ago.

I found it worth visiting just to see a people without motor vehicles and to get away from the dogs, but don't stay too long there as it is very small and there is not a lot to do. I recommend either one night, or make it a day trip.

There was only one place to stay (I can't remember the cost), which gets very noisy as the winds pound the tarps at night.

The food they serve for breakfast and dinner is good, but lunch is a meagre toasted sandwich and coconut (bring your own). The stores on the island are very small and can run out of stock (such as bottled water).

As for things to do, you can walk around the island clockwise (30 min), anticlockwise, and ask someone to take you up to the ancient mound in the centre of the island (you will need to pay a guide, as you cut across a lot of private proverty).

There is a designated wharf to Manono from Upolu, and I found it no problem finding someone to take me across.

Hey there Teine

We were at Manono August '06. There are a couple of places to choose from, Vaotuua (Manono Beach Fales) which you can check at the following link;
Vaotuua (Manono Beach Fales)
Sunset Views Fales you can check out the following review;
Sunset Views Fale (Review)

Our experience was at Sunset Views and I've copied below the text from a previous topic here "Getting Around and Booking Fales".

...... Sunset Views Fales is closer to a family stay than we had at any of the fales which was great.

It is pretty basic fully enclosed garden shed style fale with a small deck to sit on. The food was also pretty basic but allowances need to made for a sick child in the house, Sau your host was on Upolu with the sick boy so the older brothers looked after us.

The beach, well there isn't one really, it's fairly rocky and progresses to a sea grass floor as you wade further out, it gets pretty low at low tide but swimming off the wharf at high tide was great. The toilets are fine, fairly basic but they are flush style, they are in a separate block behind the fales.

Interestingly, we booked through Green Turtle expecting the Vaotuua fales, all the pictures showed them whilst booking, but we ended up at Sunset Views. Our jaws dropped but we soon picked them off the floor. The snorkelling was some of the best, the family were generous with the use of their boat in that they took you out to the reef for your snorkelling trips, Leo would be spear fishing and dinner that night was generally what was caught. Plus we just did some general trawlling (fishing) from the boat. As above why not try directly with them........

The price maybe about $100 tala now (I'm sure I saw that price on a website recently) see link below;
Sunset Views Fale information

Cheers

Hi and thanks for the input. Based on what I've read, I think we will give it a go (at least for a night!). Sounds like it has the potential to be very relaxing.

Sincerely,
Teine

I got a tour of the island from the island village chief, can't remember his name for the life of me but he'd worked in LA for a long time before returning to Samoa. This was circa June 2004 and was arranged through the staff at Princess Tui's in Apia.

We were on our way to see the star mound, which had been destroyed by a hurricane not that long before my visit. It was a really good trip and I'd recommend it to anyone, but probably only for a day trip really.

we stayed at vaotuua in october and it was great although one night is enough. the food was very basic but excellent and heaps and heaps of it, they even caught lobster and fresh fish for us for dinner which was a nice surprise. the swimming is nice and you have steps straight into the water from your fale, we didn't snorkel though. i wouldn't worry about taking food, maybe some bottled water though. it was good with no cars and dogs and we were the only tourists on the island. it was very clean and tidy and the locals were friendly. just make sure you get the right price from the boat driver as we saw one guy trying to rip off some tourists much to the disguist of the other locals,check the lonely planet for the correct price. also make sure you have a long skirt to wear in the village as there is a sign stating this (a sarong is fine)