TRAVELLING!! :)

Hey!

Ive booked a ticket to Samoa and I leave in 4 days! SCARY!

I havent booked accomodation yet or anything. I plan to get off the plane, find a place to stay for a night or so, then hire a car and travel around discovering different things and seeing different place.

This is where you can help me.

What are some places you can recommend I visit?
Any good hotels i can stay?

All info is much appreciated!

totally out of my comfort zone and looking for a fun relaxinf adventure!

thanks :) :)

I'd definitely recommend visiting Lalomanu Beach, Piula Cave Pool and To Sua Ocean Trench on the main island of Upolu, maybe the Papaseea Sliding Rocks too if there's been enough rain (when I went there wasn't much water in them at all), which are all easily accessible from the main road circling the island. Just find a tourist map of Samoa on the internet and all of those places will be marked on there!

I'd also recommend going over to Savai'i, which is the other, slightly bigger island. It's pretty easy to get across on the ferry, and there's a few cool sights to see there - some nice beaches, and the Afau Aau Waterfall is pretty spectacular!! There's also a few smaller islands where you can stay or visit for the day, but I never got to them so don't know much about them, sorry!! I found the Lonely Planet book on Samoa and Tonga to actually be really helpful if you can get your hands on a copy.

In terms of accommodation, it depends what level of luxury you're after - if you're willing to go pretty basic, then there's loads of good beach fale (basically just little huts with a mattress in and a mosquito net) all over the place at the major sites, like Lalomanu and Manase on Savai'i. If you're after fancier places, then Aggie Grey's is a nice hotel, and there's a few other resorts, but I don't really know much about them seeing as I only stayed in the cheaper fale. The good thing about staying in the fale is that they include breakfast and dinner most of the time too, and the food on the whole is pretty decent! Lots of fresh fish, some nice fruit and plenty of rice!

I loved Samoa, I was there for a week and it's a really relaxed, laid back place, and having your own car will make it a lot easier to get around and see all the sites, as the buses are pretty slow (but all part of the experience!) Hope you have a great time there!!

Hi

I agree with Yexley that the To Sua Ocean Trench should be visited and also there are lots of nice waterfalls around some are close to the main roads.

I was in Samoa in May 2012 and I stayed at the Sa'Moana Resort on Upolu (southern coast). It was about a 45min drive from Apia and the airport. Something to be aware of is that the airport ISN'T in Apia but about a 40min drive from Apia. There is lots of places to stay in Apia but I don't know what lies closer to the airport. Also I wouldn't plan on staying too long in Apia as there are much nicer places to stay outside of Apia. Apia doesn't have any real beaches to speak of.

The Sa'Moana Resort where I stayed was a midrange place with nice but fairly basic beach fales (some had great outdoor showers). It was right on the beach and there was snorkeling, kayaking and surfing all close by. The local staff were great and we really enjoyed it there. I went up to Aggie Grey's Resort to do a scuba dive (I didn't stay there) and it looked nice but a typical western style resort (I think this was not too far from the airport). So it depends on what style of accommodation you want but I found the fales to be good and I liked that it actually felt like you were in Samoa.

Good luck with your trip. I'm sure you will enjoy it as the people are very friendly and its a beautiful country.