Survivor?

Hello all,

I was planning a week long holiday to Samoa late July/early August but I have now been advised against doing so.

Travel agents are telling that, due to Survivor being filmed there, Samoa is a no go until September. Apparently accommodation is very hard to come by and film crews are running around fencing off beaches and the like. They are advising their customers to seek alternative destinations.

I'm now checking out other places but I was really keen on Samoa.

Can anyone confirm that this information I've received is accurate?

Thanks for any advice...

Yes - one of our staff had her stay at the Aggie Grey Beach resort cancelled (despite having booked and paid her deposits) because the owners had accepted a booking from the film crew and fully booked the resort. She was offered time at the hotel in town but that was not suitable as she has a young family and they specifically wanted the beach. Whether this is affecting other places I dont know. She managed to change her dates to May at another resort.

Might I add she was not happy.

Everything came on very short notice and there were some really unhappy clients, I am sure.

Aggie Grey's Beach Resort & Spa near the airport is booked out from sometimes soon until at least end of September. Furthermore the following 3 beaches (all South Upolu) will be closed for public access from May 12 through until October 4:

• Matareva Beach (Lefaga)
• Return to Paradise Beach (Lefaga)
• Aganoa Black Sand Beach (Siumu)

I haven't heard of anything else being more booked or affected otherwise. Especially I do not see any problems for Apia and for stays in Lalomanu or for the whole of Savaii.

Overall I am sure that you can still have a very nice stay in Samoa. September will be the month when Samoa will switch the side to drive on (from right to left). Expect real traffic problems starting from September 7 for at least 2 weeks. Late July/Early August should be no problem at all though.

i just rec'd email from hotel millenia confirming Survivor is filming in Samoa. She thinks it is great fun and very good for Samoa.

Wonder why they aren't going over to Savai'i? Maybe not enough space for the production crew. they'd rather stay at Aggies Beach Resort.

I knew it was only a matter of time before those media whores from that dreadful programme discovered Samoa...

Hi islandboi

Have been a refugee from this site on tripadvisor, but this subject causes me to break my silence!

I'm totally appalled about Survivor going to Samoa. They have already caused disruption by making Aggie's Resort cancel the bookings of many people. This has caused massive inconvenience and loss of money in some cases. I'm no fan of Aggie's (and I know you're not) but this has made me really angry.

There are so-called 'experts' on tripadvisor who are supporting Aggie's - ex-pat Samoans with links to various resorts. I was nearly thrown off tripadvisor for kicking up a fuss when they started deleting any criticism. Big Brother lives!

Hope you are well.

Actually, a little touri$m won't hurt either Samoas. I bet the Cooks didn't have a big tourism explosion after SURVIVOR nor did Vanuatu, Fiji,and the Marquesas And what's wrong with the tupe' SURVIVOR will spend down there? And besides, Allen Grey needs the tupe'.!

Well, hello aquarian! I thought you had fallen off the face of the earth...
Welcome back!

oh wow, I didn't know about this, and we've only booked our flights (and the first night in Apia) 2 or 3 weeks ago!

We're going from 8 to 16 of August, does anyone know if anything (roads, towns, beaches...??) that will be closed during this time?

No reason to whow about this. There is only one town in the whole country and that is Apia which will certainly not be closed because of 'Survivor'. That reality-TV program suggests that a group of people tries to survive in a jungle (everyone who knows the Lefaga Return to Paradise area will share a good laugh with me on that).

The only places to be closed are mentioned under #2 (Aggie's Beach Resort and 3 Upolu South coast beaches). And that's it.

BTW: The Survivor program has never been broadcasted in Samoa so hardly anyone knows what the whole fuzz is about anyway ;-) We will simply ignore it and so should you do.

I think i got this info from TT, but here's what i have:
the following 3 beaches (all South Upolu) will be closed for public access from May 12 through until October 4:
- Matareva Beach (Lefaga)
- Return to Paradise Beach (Lefaga)
- Aganoa Black Sand Beach (Siumi)
It's pretty sucky if you ask me, because everyone should have an opportunity to see Lefaga, but what the hey. We'll probably find more exotic wonderful places. you'll love the island no matter what. we're going to be there in June & will be back in July - if you want to private message and remind me, we could chat it up when i get home. (that is if you're in the US). I'm going to watch survivor tonight when Jeff P will anounce their next venue. My hotel hostess is all excited and she and i are planning to go spy on the happenings! the island is huge.

thanks for that. As you state under #2 we would be gone by the time these beaches will be closed anyway. I just hate the thought of my trip being spoilt (especially by a programme like Survivor).

oh yeah - and think of this ; months after you get home you will have a t.v. survivor reminder of every day you spent in samoa and you can say to your traveling companion : " lookee lookee - now i remember that day - it was the day it rained and and and.... didn't we see that guy at virgin cove??? and and and. " it will be a good thing in the end. that's how things work in samoa. (me the expert who was there for 6 weeks 20 YEARs ago!! :)

just as well we made early bookings for the insel this year - i think that with the show, & the change to RHD will make for an interesting few weeks- i would like to think there will not be too much disruption, but time will tell.

Aganoa Black Sand Beach in Siumu has just been 're-opened until further notice'.

Yes! All about what will have to be survived

wksamoa

This is the original article on stuff. You will see that it's been censored by the Samoan newspaper.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/entertainment/2430151/How-hard-will-Survivor-Samoa-be

Note the comment about Aggie Grey not shafting its visitors if you have trouble finding it! There may be other changes, but that one jumped out at me.

It is the only alteration made. And that sentence would clearly not have been appropriate to be printed in Samoa (because of the wording, not necessarily on content).

Hi wksamoa

Thanks for those comments.

Just a query about the 3 beaches that you mentioned would be closed from 12 May to 4 October. Another travel forum is saying that information about beach closures is rumour only. This doesn't seem to tally with your remarks which seem to be well-founded, including your follow-up that Aganoa would be re-opened until further notice. Is this official info from the government or film company? Am certainly not disbelieving you, rather the reverse.

Thanks.

It is quite official.
Quote from a email message I had sent May 6th to someone:
"On page 19 of today's (Wednesday, May 6th) Samoa Observer there is an ad from Talofa Ltd (whoever that is) saying that the following 3 beaches will be closed for public access from May 12 through until October 4 !!

• Matareva Beach
• Return to Paradise Beach
• Aganoa Black Sand Beach

More information from Fanaea Natu Taulelao on 720 6512"

That was a paid notice in the paper. You find it as well in a news item

I am enjoying your updates, wksamoa!

Please keep posting what you find out.

Thanks, wksamoa.

It's very useful information. Far better to have all the facts out there than to pretend nothing is happening.

Am grateful - thanks again.

funny - I contacted aggie's for a week in september and they said they were booked for 4 months due to a 'filming'. So we chose Fiji.

Actually, I think SURVIVOR only takes about 30 days to film. But pre and post production probably takes a week or two. But 4 months!!!!???

Survivor lasts 39 days. (or a bit more if they have more people on the season). About a week post production clean-up and tear down. Pre-production at least a month. They have sets to build.

I happened to be in Aitutaki after they filmed and heard about this stuff from locals they had hired. They started actual filming in late June and finished up in the first week of August. So 4 months is way too long for just one season.

Hi

Found the following article on a link from Samoa Live. It seems to confirm people's thoughts that 4 months is a long time for one series.

http://www.examiner.com/x-12254-Newark-Reality-TV-Examiner~y2009m6d20-Survivor-20-will-shoot-immediately-after-Survivor-Samoa-probably-also-in-Samoa

Has anyone heard whether there are 2 series to be filmed and where else on Samoa will be affected?

If anyone is interested this is the link to Samoa Live - a very useful source of information I find.

http://www.wsamoa.ws/

Sorry, I meant Samoa Online, but the link is correct!

Onomea seems to know a great deal about all the technological points of Survivor.

Things that make you go "Hmmm..."

(:

hey islandboi, you probably wouldn't remember me but I've been around TT since 2003 when I planned my first of two trips to the Cooks. This is a new name because my old email went away AND I forgot the password. I used to post here as KamaainaK, same name I use on tripadvisor. I'm not at all affiliated with Survivor, just a fan since the first season - and like any good fan I remember stuff.

I was in the Cooks after the filming and our hosts shared some non-confidential stuff about the recent filming logistics, which was on everyone's minds at the time.

I just saw some media article where Jeff Probst confirmed they are shooting back to back seasons in Samoa. He said it is budget cutbacks from the network, that they can't afford to have the crew off for three months and then on again, and they'll save money by not moving.

So it is definite there are two seasons being shot, and probably they are wrapping end of September first week of October.

Hi islandboi and onomea,

I remember both of you. :)

LOL waves at bluedamsel
another Survivor fan totally unaffilated with the TV production ...

Hi! You and I share a love of both Survivor and the South Pacific!

Edited by: bluedamsel

The Samoa Sunday Observer newspaper today confirms that two seasons will be shot back to back here in Samoa. I was already wondering why apparently more locations are being explored or even prepared; Aganoa Black Sand Beach at Siumu and a not yet opened new resort at the Upolu West Coast, quite close to Aggie's resort. Mangroves there and different from the Lefaga and Siumu beaches. But as I am not familiar at all with the Survivor format I did not know if all participiants stay at one place all the time (which would make more sense to me) or are moving around or they start at different locations at first.
Never mind - so there will be two Survivor Samoa.

hey wksamoa,
thanks for the report.
As a long time viewer of the series (all 18 seasons to date), I can explain a little. Even for only one season there will be multiple locations.

1) There are two tribal camps in most seasons. A few times there have been 3 or 4 tribes early in the game. The tribes do not share a beach, but are not always far from each other. These beaches are where the tribes sleep, cook, forage and spend their down time.

2) At some point when the tribes merge they all live on the same beach - either one of the two camps already set up or a third location.

3) The series features challenges where castaways compete for rewards and immunity. It gets boring if they are all shot in the exact same place. Some challenges involve water - swimming, diving, running across courses, platforms. Some can be done in fields or on sandy courses. There are obstacle courses and large puzzles, all sorts of challenges. The players are transported to the challenges if they aren't within walking distance to the camps, but it always appears that they walk in or arrive by canoe. Challenges occur two days out of three for most of the season.

4) There is a tribal council set that is permanent for the whole shoot. This is the torch lighted venue for voting and discussion that occurs roughly every three days.

5) There is accommodation away from the others for voted off castaways. They are given better conditions, and food, but need to be segregated from the public.

6) Aside from the production headquarters, there are often field quarters for the crew.

7) There are rewards, especially later in the game, that allow those who win the challenges to see some enticing aspect of the location's natural wonder or host culture, or to experience pure R&R. These can be anything from a visit to a traditional village for feast, awa, dancing or a swimming hole, a waterfall picnic, a helo ride, a diving adventure, and so forth. The outside rewards tend not to occur until at least two weeks into the shoot, as the first bit allows the players to experience the most deprivation and isolation.

Whether they will repeat the tribe camps and tribal council location -- it is quite likely. The tribal camps need to be somewhere with a bit of wild land around them.

As to repeating the rewards, one hopes not!

Would love to hear news of what they seem to be using the beaches for, and when. It is fun to follow along ...

Ah, that explains a lot. Matareva Beach and Return to Paradise Beach are quite close to each other but really separated at the same time. Quite challenging to get from one to the other even though there are not more than a mile apart. Ideal for setting up two tribes. Later on they might merge at one of these locations or they go to the third beach at Siumu. The resort I mentioned would be perfect as a secluded place for the ones being outcasted.

Of course, I remember you onomea... I'm just giving you a hard time...

Bluedamsel... There is a name I have not heard in a long, long time...(Said in an Obi Wan Konobi voice)

Hello again...

It's a pretty neat program. We like the scenery and the challenges. We've sailed past the beach on the Marquesas and of course been to "Return To Paradise Beach" several times. Smart move doing two SURVIVORS back to back at same location.

Thanks for the updates.

What with Survivor and the change of driving side from right to left coming shortly, I think I'll leave my next trip until next winter!

I would be more worried about the driving ... sorry I didn't get there before the switch!
waves back to islandboi

wksamoa,
is the secluded place the future resort at Fagaiofu Bay?
http://www.samoaobserver.ws/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8307:resort-to-be&catid=50:headline&Itemid=62

I thought maybe they would put the tribes there because it's so remote.

Are the Return to Paradise and Matareva beaches really so isolated that a group could live there and forage in jungle beyond the beach? Usually the tribes get a fair amount of room inland to roam in and are not confined to the beach. In the Cooks they got an entire motu to themselves. Also they usually get canoes to do some fishing offshore.

Not having been there, I'm trying to picture how far it is to civilization from these two beaches.
For the challenges, the contestants will stay on that location and then leave, no roaming around.

What beaches do you think would be good for the challenges?

wksamoa,
it occurred to me there is video from old shows, and as you haven't watched it:

here is video of a mixed land and water challenge from the Cook Islands. They repeated this challenge with floating blocks to run out on in Palau, Survivor Micronesia, and you might see it again in Samoa ...

Challenge

and here's a video of newly arrived castaways foraging far and wide for food in Fiji
Fiji trek

Hope the links work ...

ed to add
I forgot to mention there is another location needed if they continue to do a game feature called Exile Island, where they send one or two players to "suffer" deprivation. Ideally it would be a tiny island of its own, but otherwise just something desolate.

Edited by: onomea

Yes, that is the resort at Fagaiofu Bay. It is secluded as it is only accessible on one road (many Mangroves around). I would not call it remote though - less than ten minutes drive from the main road. Maybe they will use it for the second season as well.

The two beaches are about 2 miles from the main road. Dense vegetation, at least in some parts, but I would never call it a jungle.

Hi islandboi! I hope you've had some good adventures since we last spoke. :)

Thank you for the info, wksamoa.