Moso's Footprint - Savaii

Having just returned from a week in Savaii, I would just like to post comment on one particular attraction that we encountered. Moso's Footprint in the North Western region of Savaii would have to be one of the most significant rips off's I have encountered in a very long time. Upon driving onto the land, we were greated by a young lady that spoke broken English and confirmed that we were in the correct place and charged us 5 Tala per person. After ensuring that we locked up the car, put correct walking shoes on, grabbed bags, camera's etc she then guided us around two metres away to what appeared to be an indentation in some dirt for which the locals had placed some shells around. She then had the audacity to insist that we pay an additional 2 Tala for each photo taken. Acknowledgement is made to the significance of the legend but to anyone considering visiting - avoid this attraction.

Even stopping at the side of the road to take photos will have the local kids running up saying "Two Tala" but it is the only way they can make any money and is to be expected.
We thought the treetop walk was overpriced, the walk in a dark lave tube where you cant see anything was just funny and the turtle ponds not really a conservation project but put yourself in their shoes and they have to make the most of every opportunity that is available to them.

There are many "ripoff" tourist sights in Samoa... The only thing missing is the "1 mile ahead... The world's largest Taro root!!!" kind of nonsense.

The biggest ripoff is the blowholes in Savai'i... When I was there on one of my Samoa visits several years ago, we were asked to pay the "entrance fee" twice (!!!) because there were 2 people who claimed ownership to the area and were feuding over who had the right to ripoff palangi tourists.

Another one good one is the "Lover's Leap" also on Savai'i...We had the village kids run up to us screaming "Jump! Jump! Jump!". I thought this was rather rude considering a local woman made us pay 2 Tala just to stop the vehicle and get out to see this cliff.

As for the kids wanting some cheap entertainment of watching Palangi flailing themselves over the cliffs, I told one of the punks it would cost him 500 Tala if I jumped... He looked at me oddly and didn't seem to get it... Then again Samoans have never been known to understand irony.

Edited by: islandboi321

I did think the blowholes were worth the entrance fee and the price of the coconuts to throw in the holes.
We were lucky to have them in action and able to blow the coconuts about 90 ft in the air.

I fully agree regarding Moso's footprint. A real shame.

Lover's Leap - well, you enter a private property when leaving the road towards the cliff. So they take their chances :-) I never heard any kids calling for someone to jump and yes, they do not understand what you regard as irony.

You pay twice at the blowholes. First to the village for using the road, then to the family which owns the place where the blowholes are. Before there was only one charge (from the village) which only gave very little (if anything) to the family. That's the reason why it changed. If there is a rip-off it is on part of the village, because the road does not even belong to them and they do not do anything to maintain it. So if you get upset because of the double pay: the first ones are the robbers, the second ones deserve the pay ...

Looking @ blowholes is free in Tonga.

Looking at them is free in Samoa too :-) You do not pay for the look - you pay for using the road to get there. And if you want to go near to them and have someone throw coconut husks into the hole to be blown up high, you pay again. You can watch the blowholes from a not too great distance as well for free, avoiding that second pay (but unfortunately not the road fee rip-off).

There is another double pay on Upolu: when going to Matareva Beach. First the village charges for the road use (but they do at least some maintenance). Then you pay to the landowners if you want to stay at the beach. They provide shelter, toilets, shower and such.

Some enterprising Samoan should use carcasses of dead dogs in blowholes and charge a premium to people interested in seeing the Scourge of Samoa blown Sky-High!

The way they treat dogs and cats, they'd probably use live animals if they could!