Tips for Samoa

Since I tried to gather this kind of information earlier this year and since there seemed to be so little information available, I'll now share some of my knowledge regarding travelling in the independent Samoa. I spent four weeks (February 2010) there and I'll just go through how it all went, how much did things cost and so on...

For (budget) travellers that go around islands (outside Apia): after all the transportation, accommodation in beach fales, entrance/village fees and perhaps something to eat in the afternoon (most fales don't include lunch albeit they include great breakfast and dinner) it comes to around 75-100 WST per day, also depending on the amount of Vailima consumed, and personally I found it very consumable. So it is easily as pricey as New Zealand but nothing most people couldn't handle and you should be willing to pay something for that kind of exciting visit, too.

Flight from Tonga to Samoa crosses the dateline so I left in the evening of Feb the 2nd, my birthday, and landed in Apia very late on the 1st of Feb, thus having two full birthdays! At the moment this Air New Zealand flight takes place once a week on Tuesday evening (Tongan and NZ time) and seemed to be quite full as it's connecting to L.A.

In general, this period (February) was very silent everywhere in Samoa and very often I was (almost) the only one staying in a fale or a guest house. It also rained a lot but not all the time. The more time you have, the more good days, too.

Shuttle bus from the airport to Apia is 25 Tala. Taxi would be 50 or 60 Tala.

I stayed first two nights in Apia at Seaside Inn (share room 42 Tala with breakfast) which is alright. I can't understand how sometimes people rave about the breakfast in here since it's very light and basic including white toast, a tiny and carefully measured teaspoonful of butter and similar amount of fruit jam. Some fruit is included too, plus tea and coffee. Unless you have a metabolism of a snail you won't get fed by that. Samoan villagers really know how lovely breakfast CAN be. But Seaside Inn is very peaceful, looking almost dead at times, and incidentally the MV Tokelau ferry seems to be departing/dropping right opposite the guest house as it faces the wharf.

Excellent, tasty and reasonably priced pizza is available from Italiano's Pizza Bar on Beach Rd. It was so good I had to visit them again, and even the smallest size feeds a man! I also tried the more famous/upscale and more expensive Giordano's pizzeria but their pizza resembled mediocre cardboard with none of the extra servings (spices, sauces) offered in Italiano's.

After two nights in Apia I went straight away to Savai'i. The ferry doesn't go from Apia so you have to take a bus or a taxi (expensive) to go west of Upolu where the ferry departs. The ferry was supposed to go at 2pm but it went at 4pm so I waited for total three hours but that's part of the country. They go several times a day, including Sunday, and cost 12 Tala.

In Salelologa wharf in Savai'i you are approached by a bunch of enthusiastic cab drivers that would love to drive you wherever on the island for much, much more money than what you'll pay by using Samoan buses that all await for the ferry opposite the wharf. It is a total mystery for me why Samoans have such an insane hurry and hassle with anything related to buses. They even manage to develop “traffic jams” in this tiny town immediately after the ferry has unloaded and the buses rush away. Where is the reason for this ridiculous chaos? Then again, it's fun as long as you made it inside.

I used these buses all the time and as long as you're willing to stand or sit in tight spots with your luggage tied on the back of the vehicle you'll be fine. The music is terribly loud but visually these traditional buses are quite attractive. And the driver always stops where you want to stop, just let him know as you get on board. Funnily even this proves awkward at times since the driver seems to be so stressed and uneasy about the fact that the bus isn't driving yet!

I stopped first at Manase and stayed there for three nights. Regina's Beach Fales (60 Tala incl. three meals) is the easternmost place and the first one when arriving from Salelologa direction. This fale resort has amazing food, mostly buffet style which means you get a wonderful breakfast, dinner and even a lunch which is very rare in Samoa (fales almost always include only two meals in the price.) The guy found it so amusing I'm from Finland he kept on laughing at my face every time we met. “Finnnland...! Finland...!” Very warm memories about Regina's hosts.

After Manase, I took a bus towards Falealupo-tai which is the westernmost point of Savai'i and the whole world. At Cape Mulinu'u you are at the end of the world's day and the raging ocean is a stunning view. Falealupo-tai has couple of beach fales and I stayed in the first one as you arrive in the village. This place (65 Tala, two meals) is surrounded by decorative stone wall and has an amazing beach for swimming and snorkelling. Tranquil, peaceful, atmospheric, one of my favourites in Samoa.

The owner of fales in Falealupo-tai was desperate for people to go there (this is the furthest you can go in Samoa) and thus it is highly recommended. As I left he said “Thank you for your money” which stayed in my mind, as I realized the money I paid him for three nights must have been a massive contribution to his living... and just a normal night budget for somebody like me.

Going there is a bit tricky, though, unless you have a rental car. If not, the buses only drop off at Falealupo-uta and from there it is another 9 kilometers to Falealupo-tai and the fales. You have to either walk it (a rough one with luggage and that climate) or take a local taxi from a guy living very close to the bus drop-off point. As you start walking the road you'll soon see his house to the right, and he'll see you. First he'll ask astronomical charges to take you to the fales as everyone knows you're going there and there is no other way. You can negotiate the price according to your will and bargaining skills as the one first asked (for me 25 Tala) is a rip-off after a long bus drive you've just done for about 5 Tala! Sometimes even the bus is supposed to be taking this loop to pick people up from/to Falealupo-tai but it didn't work when I was there... and I had to take another “village taxi” again when I was leaving towards the main road to wait for the bus.

From Falealupo-tai I went back to Salelologa where I stayed for two nights at Lusia's Lagoon Chalets. They have their own lagoon for swimming but there's no wind so it is extremely hot at times. This is a good place to stay with 55 Tala per night including breakfast and nice staff.

Satuiatua Beach Fales (65 Tala, two meals) has great snorkelling with the coral starting immediately from the beach. The owner of this place, a loud voiced old lady who speaks quite rudely to (young) girls working for her, expects everyone to attend the Sunday church after which everyone is welcome to attend the Sunday feast. I had some lovely octopus and my Samoan favourite, umu, the raw fish with coconut milk.

Manono island has a place called Sunset View Fales (100-120 Tala, three meals) and the view is truly amazing, facing straight to the west. They were still repairing places after the September tsunami and the new cabins (not fales) were to be on or above the hill. This is a bit more expensive place, with 100 Tala per night, but the island itself is a bit special and I don't know if any other beach fales are operating there. No dogs, cars, horses or bicycles.

Word of ADVICE: If you go to Manono and are going to stay overnight, PHONE ahead to Sunset View Fales so that they will be picking you up from Upolu (Manono-uta), this is included in the price, and this way you avoid being ripped-off by some other islanders. At the wharf in Manono-uta, there was a young guy calling himself Sam telling me he wants to be an actor. He seemed very friendly to the stranger and told me something like if I paid 20 Tala the boat would go immediately instead of waiting for some time. I said I'm in no hurry which Sam didn't like. I wasn't very impressed by his acting. He told me this next boat would go only to the other side of the island and I should walk the whole way to Sunset. I believed this and said I like walking. Soon a fat older guy came, shook my hand and said firmly “why don't you pay 20 Tala and we go right away to Sunset?” I accepted this as it was late afternoon and 20 Tala is not much in Euros but it turned out they still only took me and the silent villagers to the wrong side of the island, basically lying to my face in “the other” Samoan way. Beware of these people. Manono has four villages and each has their own boats and drivers, potential rip-offs. A call to Sunset is the easiest way.

After Manono I wanted to stay in Apia for a while, this time in 1848 Princess Tui Inn (six bed dorm 39 Tala with breakfast). This proved cheaper and lovelier than Seaside Inn but with equally light breakfast, proudly called “Tropical breakfast” in the brochure. Unless you are a small girl you won't be fed by what is offered so advisable is to buy some eggs and juice to add to your start of the day. The myths of Samoans eating until they're tired and Samoan plates being gargantuan are not fully accepted by (overseas) people running some of these Apia places. Go to the villages.

Another poorly managed thing about Pricess Tui Inn is that the main hall, where the reception and computers are, is terribly hot with no fans! You can see into the office of the manager with two fans running all the time there. Samoan staff has to sit in this oppressing heat 24hrs. It shouldn't come as a surprise for anyone that in tropics you have to MAKE the air move. But otherwise Princess Tui Inn is nice and the stairs are a perfect spot to drink some Vailima and chat with guests.

Namu'a island turned out to become one of my favourites in this trip alongside Falealupo-tai and Savai'i in general. Namu'a has one beach fale resort maintained by a family and they charge 90 Tala with two awesome buffet style meals. The people are very, very nice and the boat drive from Upolu is included. You'll hear plenty of stories about the tsunami, and if you're lucky, you'll snorkel with a big turtle. Not much wind here so LOADS of mosquitoes, much repellent is needed. The owners have three wonderfully crazy puppies, some of the few well-cared dogs I saw in Samoa. Truly lovely island!

Taufua beach fales (90 Tala, two awesome meals) is running well and they are still building new fales in this most affected tsunami area, namely Lalomanu beach, Upolu. The fales are very close to each other, though, and the place is more for the people who want to “show off” they're having a holiday and for people keen on partying on a tropical beach. There were people in the water clinking beer bottles against each other. There is non-stop music played around the reception, at times so loud you don't even hear what the Samoan staff is asking/saying as their voice is silent by nature. Quite honestly this is pretty far from my idea of tropical tranquility Samoan style, but for people staying in Samoa for a shorter while, it might work.

When I was leaving Taufua, the boss, a big lady, was unsure whether I had paid for my two nights or not. I had arrived two nights before on Friday afternoon, paid to two girls attending the musical reception then with no bosses in sight. Now she was concentrating on her office notebook where she couldn't find my name or any proof of my payment. I had a drive waiting for me outside as they were in a hurry to Apia. She wanted to “double check this” which was when I took advantage and left the premises.

An advice for Samoans: even though you don't wish to “push” the customer by asking them to pay for their stay, it would be so much easier for everyone if you took it as A RULE to take the payment upon arrival, not whenever anyone wishes or remembers to pay. That way you could avoid confusions about payments when somebody is leaving, as the truth, after all, is that you don't trust a palagi who convinces you he or she has paid and knows better than you. You are careful with money. Asking for the payment while checking-IN is not something to be ashamed of. It doesn't concern or stain the myth of “Samoan hospitality.”

And then I returned to Apia and flew back to New Zealand. I spent total four months in Tonga and Samoa and DEFINITELY didn't get enough. The South Pacific is too spectacular an area to be “seen or done” only once.

''my Samoan favourite, umu, the raw fish with coconut milk..."

A quick correction, the raw Samoan fish in coconut milk is called 'Oka', not 'Umu"

I met heaps and heaps of people from Finland in Samoa this year... I am surprised that your hosts were surprised...Maybe it's just the way the country name rolls off the tongue.

A fair trip report, otherwise... Thanks.

You're right! I mixed it with the earth oven, umu.

I also heard from a few other people that they had seen plenty of Finns in Samoa recently but for me it always seemed surprising since I met only two during my time in Samoa. Same applied even in New Zealand, I met only half a dozen or so people from Finland during several months.

Great detailed report-Thanks for sharing!

Too bad others who claim to have spent so much time there weren't nearly as generous.

Nice report. Lots of Danes and Germans still left over in Apia. Not being backpackers, we'll continue to stay at Aggies.

Hi Juho,

nice to hear from you again and I´m happy that you enjoyed Samoa so much. Thanks for all the up-to-date information!

Hi
thanks for the detailed post. Saw your final comment about being in both Tonga and Samoa over 4 months.

I'm looking at planning a trip to the either Samoa or Tonga, unfortunately only for 10 days or so and would like your advice on which country would best suit us. Just to give you an idea of what we like..... we have travelled the world over 4 years, always backpacking/cycling/public transport etc, even through Africa where everyone was telling us we were mad. Anyway the reason I had settled on either Samoa or Tonga was that I'd heard they are the less touristic/westernised South Pacific islands. What's your view on that?

I'm not interested in staying by a pool in a resort, definately to get out and about, some snorkelling, sea kayaking, hiking, back roads through villages, playing some random game with the locals are the sorts of things that we want. Tonga was of particular interest as the idea of swimming with whales sounds great. And as always, now grounded in NZ with a mortgage and responsibilites (oh to be free and travelling again!) we didn't want to spend more than $200 NZ a day or thereabouts.

Anyway, would love to hear what you have to say.

Cheers

Ged

Hi Ged,

Tonga islands (over 150 of them) are scattered on a huge area compared to Samoa's only 14 or 15 islands which are all located very close to each other. Vava'u and Ha'apai in Tonga have excellent snorkeling and underwater life while Samoa's more variable ground level consists of lush, dreamlike and extremely beautiful rainforest with good hiking and isolated waterfalls. I think in 10 days you can see very nice things in Samoa and also have time to visit both of the main islands, Upolu and Savai'i. In Tonga you can also visit one of the outer groups in 10 or so days (both Ha'apai and Vava'u offer whale watching in season which goes on around August and onwards.) Check http://www.finsnflukes.com website for wealthy source of reliable information regarding Ha'apai. (Greetings to finsnflukes guys! - including Micky!)

I think Tonga is perhaps a bit more "adventurous" destination for the single fact that getting to and from the outer islands can turn out to be a challenge even with the more reliable airplane. For example, at the end of this January when MV Pulupaki had just been given the ban to sail any longer in Tonga (and this was(/is?) the last operating interisland ferry around the islands), all the flights became suddenly very booked and full as people needed to get out of the northern islands to Tongatapu somehow. Many people lost their connecting flights due to delays in these domestic flights so it is always a good idea to have some spare days before the international flight out of country like Tonga. It's risky if you have the domestic and international flights planned for the same day.

When I was on these lovely places (Nov-Mar) it was low season and definitely not too much noise or people related annoyances and I can hardly imagine Ha'apai in Tonga, for example, ever to get too restless as the place is very slow paced and relaxed thanks to the locals! I heard during the peak season (Jun-Oct) in Samoa, for example, some more popular fale areas, like Manase in Sava'i, can get pretty crowded but to avoid that you can always go somewhere more isolated, like Falealupo-tai in Savai'i. Tonga is less developed than Samoa which has McDonalds and traffic lights in Apia! In Tonga the pirated dvds containing (mostly) shitty mainstream movies are very popular but still it's far from being irritatingly westernized.

I also noticed that both Tonga and especially Samoa live traditionally the more further you get from the capitals. In Samoan villages you'll sense from the eyes of the villagers that they really live by their traditional way of sharing and respecting the huge family and openly talk to you about it. The village chiefs also remind you of the ancient ways, and in Tonga the several kava ceremonies, for example, are very important part of the locals (plentiful) sparetime.

Oh yeah, and with that planned budget you'll do just fine in either country.

I have a few other tips for Samoa and will post them when I get back to my own laptop.

Thanks Juho for all the info. I was leaning to Tonga but after reading your response Sava'i sounds great. Couple more questions for you. Besides flying between Upola and Sava'i, is there a regular ferry service between the islands. Any idea on costs?
Also, if I headed to Tonga, would I be crazy to skip both Ha'apai and Vava'u? I was also thinking about spending the week just between Tongatapu and Eua. What are your thoughts on that and also if I had to choose between Ha'apai and Vava'u, which one would be the best (keeping in mind I'm the restless type that doesn't like laying on the beach all day).

Cheers

Ged

Samoa: It is easy to travel from Upolu to Savai'i by ferry and it goes 3-4 times a day, 12 Tala one way so it's cheap. It also goes on Sundays which is good since Sundays in both Tonga and Samoa are considered holy and almost everything is closed outside churches. The ferry, however, doesn't leave from Apia but the western side of Upolu island where you have to go by bus or a taxi. Even with a taxi this will take about 30 minutes. The buses are named according to their final destination (ask which one goes to Savai'i ferry), they are very cheap (around 5 Tala) crowded and noisy but memorable and any guesthouse people/staff in Apia can tell you which bus to take from the station at flea market. Many taxi drivers are also willing to take you to the ferry terminal from Apia but it will cost something close to 100 Tala. I don't know how much the flight between the islands would be but the small plane leaves from Fagali airport, east of Upolu, not from the international airport.

Tonga: I think it wouldn't be crazy for you to concentrate on Tongatapu and 'Eua with the time available. Ha'apai wouldn't probably be your place since it is VERY silent and slow and also has the longest and most remote sand beaches in Tonga! In Ha'apai area it is very likely that the things you end up doing in the day are resting in a shadow and snorkeling the endless coral reefs in crystal water. In fact, I was also thinking how would my time pass in Ha'apai but I ended up LOVING it - even though I also like to be active. But it's obvious Vava'u would be better for you. Vava'u is famous for all kinds of water activities and numerous beautiful islands for cayaking, for example, but then again, 'Eua is the only real hiking island in Tonga, something you might like. I met some people who spent 8 days in 'Eua alone so combining this and Tongatapu for the week is not at all a bad idea.

hi guys
seeing we have some knowledge going here on Samoa - which has been the most useful info I've found so far! Cheers! - I was wondering if I could pose a question or two to you all...
Has anyone stayed at Taumesina Hideaway? I am looking at staying here for a trip in late July. I've read good reviews. Is it really "5 mins" out of Apia...?
Can you advise on whether you can get around on the island(s) in any way besides 1) hire car and 2) local buses? Can you hire motorbikes or anything? I've found limited info on this so far .. it seems to be a big NO.
During July is fale/budget accomm all booked up, so much so that you need to pre-arrange all of your accommodation, or can you turn up somewhere without having pre-arranged it?
Thanks for any help on this.

Jackwack: I think there could be a risk of budget fales and guesthouse being full during the peak season, and especially in more popular spots like Manase in Savai'i, so if only possible, I'd book something in advance if traveling in Samoa during that time. I'm sure the tourism authority office on Beach road (a big modern fale) in Apia can do some bookings and callings for you while in Apia. At least you'll know the most potential places to stay as they are VERY helpful at the office and did some calling for me, too, when I was planning my weeks.

Some other tips and stories:

Mt. Matavanu crater hike in Savai'i is maintained (guarded) by a temperamental local called Da Craterman. I don't know what would happen if you refused to pay him the surprisingly high entrance fee (20 Tala) but if you do pay and go on, you get to enjoy this beautiful track in the magical rainforest. I felt like being in the middle of a fairy tale, it's quite dramatic. The track is indeed VERY well maintained by Da Craterman and the hike is a good day exercise.

Lake Lanoto'o hike near Apia is good for fit people. You take Siumu bus from the flea market and ask the driver to drop you off on the correct spot, nearest to the track. When the bus stops, you'll see a small road crossing to the right with NO signs about the lake but with some signs to the premises of a religious group. The walk from the main road to the start of the track took me 35 minutes but I walk pretty fast. You walk until you see a big signboard about the national park among the thick vegetation. There are several smaller roads and turning points before that but you just keep going forward. The sign stays to your right as you follow the side of the cow fence towards the thickening forest, and from there to the lake it took about 50 minutes but it is VERY muddy, slippery, steep, thickly grown and even exhaustive hike after which swimming in the lake feels wonderful even though you'll feel dirty again after the hike back to the main road. No access fee.

Samoan thinking has some special aspects all of which are easily dealt with by just normal social sense and psychological eye. When I was waiting for my boat from Mutiatele village to Namu'a island, this local guy came talking to me as all Samoans do with the usual questions about me being married, having kids or being in Samoa for the first time. But in addition to this he suddenly bought me a beer from the small sheltered village store we were facing. He asked for and paid two big Vailima's, opened them and pushed the other bottle to me. I knew this is strange but since I love beer in general I just took the bottle in my hand but had sipped it only once when my boat driver came and told me we are going to the island now. I took my bag and held the almost full beer bottle on my other hand and as I briefly turned my back at the beer guy before going to say him goodbye he whispered very silently something like “ten tala..! ten tala!!” I realized that I was expected to give something for the beer that I never asked for but just walked away as my driver was indicating. A day later this beer guy visited Namu'a island and asked the same questions all over about me having a family, a sister, or kids, without any recollection of the same questions and answers the day before, and then he finally asked something about the beer. I knew he thought I took advantage of his hospitality but still... that was too strange as it didn't happen to me elsewhere. I know this is a sensitive issue in Samoa. If you are given a gift, you must give something back now or sometimes in the future. I had decided to buy him a beer when I'd leave Namu'a but I never saw him again by the road... So the logic is: he wanted to have couple of tala (ten tala! ten tala!) by buying me a beer that cost him about 7 tala in that store.

David Stanley writes in his excellent South Pacific book “Another unique Samoan characteristic is musu, to be sullen. A previously communicative individual will suddenly become silent and moody.”

I got this impression that if my answer to their most precious questions was no, they could no longer approach a palagi who seemed too strange/distant for them. These questions are: Are you married? Do you have kids? Do you have a girlfriend? You travel alone?

I was left thinking if musu has something to do with these questions in right context, when Samoan meets somebody who doesn't have strong, non-stop family connections (in Samoan sense) and somebody who just goes around places by him/herself. Most Samoans couldn't continue the discussion after my honest negative answers and became very silent and unresponsive. Samoans don't understand the concept of travelling alone. But it's not a surprise considering how thoroughly they dedicate their time with their families.

And you immediately see if an islander has ever visited overseas. I also got the impression that getting married to a Samoan girl wouldn't be very difficult. Simply EVERYTHING circles around family and community in Samoa, probably less only in Apia.

Your last paragraph is pretty funny. Yes, it is very easy to marry a Samoan.
I know several Samoan gals who have married white boys...and believe me...those poor white boys are still paying. They go back Samoa to visit..but they'll never move back.
Waaaay tooo much falavelave etc.

Hi - My husband and I stay in Samoa for up to 6 months each year and would definitely recommend Taumesina Hideaway and yes it is just 5 mins from Apia (by car, 20 mins walking), but you would never know it as it is a tiny piece of paradise tucked into a secluded corner of the village of Moata'a. If you want to get a true sense of Samoan culture and life fa'a Samoa (the Samoan way) then this is an ideal village stay. The owners go out of their way to make sure you have everything you need and are willing to answer any questions you have regarding Samoan traditions, etc. The fales are clean and comfortable with a veranda which has views over the lagoon (stunning sunrises). You can swim, snorkel and fish in the lagoon alongside the villagers and their kids. It really will make for a truly memorable stay. Prices are very reasonable.

Hope this helps.

Also, definitely book for July/August, many places have overflow fales to cater for peak season walk ins but these are often taken as well. There are plenty of rental car companies (around 130 tala a day for a Getz), taxi's and local buses but the hiring of motorbikes is not common.