Samoa is an island nation with a population of 185,000 but many more Samoans live outside the country, particularly in New Zealand, Australia and California.
Samoa is about one-half of the way between Hawaii and New Zealand. The islands have narrow coastal plains with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in the interior. The two main islands are Upolu and Savaii. The capital, Apia, and the international airport are on Upolu.
SAMOA Summary Dec 21-25
Visa. Visitor’s permit upon arrival. Need onward ticket, accommodation, sufficient funds
Money. Samoan Tala (WST). 1US$ = 2.78WST. ATM at the airport
Flights. Apia (APW) Fiji Airways A$1,044.20
Dec 22 NAN-APW FJ853 11:15-14:10
Dec 25 APW-NAN FJ254 @16:00-17:00
Booking #60C8D0 Ticket #2602426067724
Accommodation. Eddie Guesthouse. Vaivase Road, Apia +685 7598643 CA$33.21/night, $66.42/2 nights. Booked on AirBnB. A$74.18/2 nights
Phone. Country code +685. SIM at the airport even when landing at 1 am.
UPOLU (Apia capital)
Day 1 Dec 22.
Apia (APW) Fiji Airways A$1,044.20
Dec 22 NAN-APW FJ853 11:15-14:10. Got a SIM and used an ATM at the airport. The taxis at the airport are typical – they all work at a fixed price (80ST). I bargained down to 70 and the other drivers got pissed off.
It was raining heavily and the flight was an hour late. I tried to contact MotoSamoa to see if they would still be open but there was no answer. Common sense prevailed – I forgot about the scooter and took it to Eddies, a day earlier than my reservation. They didn’t answer the phone either. There was no one home and a lady from across the street phoned around, got her niece’s number and she told me the combination on the padlock on the gate. I sat in the fele, a round, thatched open-air “gazebo” with chairs and a couch. Eventually, the host arrived. Marie is a real sweetheart and we sat around and had a smoke together.
Her place was full, mostly with Samoans and Kiwis. Despite saying several times that I didn’t want her to cook for me, she made rice, put out a can of tuna and a small salad of only lettuce. I didn’t open the tuna. I am trying to partially fast and this was fine.
I worked all evening on my article on High-functioning Asperger’s for the Atlantic and finally had a polished piece that said everything I wanted to. It is heavily orientated around Elon Musk and his social dysfunction.
ON Eddies Homestay, Vaivase Road, Apia +685 7598643 Booked on AirBnB. A$113/3 nights.
Day 2 Sat Dec 23
I was up early to continue refining the article, eventually had BF, the nap and left late at 10:50 to go to some of the sites in Samoa.
I hitchhiked down the road and then hitched south for the 8km to the museum.
Robert Louis Stevenson Museum. Robert Louis Stevenson is famous for his many writings including Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Originally from Scotland, he was known to the Samoans as the man with great ‘manas’. Due to his many positive interactions with the local community, he became very popular and also a well-respected figure to the locals who knew him. He passed away on December 3, 1894, at the age of 44. His colleagues and people who worked for him buried him above his house on top of Mount Vaea (within Vailima) at a spot overlooking the sea.
The house is on a huge estate that looks like a botanical garden. It is two-story place with grand verandahs. Downstairs there is a small sitting room and a large hall with wood floors and several photos. Upstairs are the bedrooms and a sitting room.
Also at the museum was an Australian couple from Mornington. He is a doctor and great company. I told them about the church, they were keen to go, so I hitched a ride.
Baha’i House of Worship, Tiapapata. This is the mother church for all of Polynesia. It is the typical 9-sided structure with 9 doors, all open to the outside. This one has 9 sides sloping up to the center of the dome with its Arabic scripture.
Shrine of Three Hearts. In Vaola high above Apia, it is this enormous airy Catholic church with great views down to the ocean. The images in the lovely stained glass are local Samoan-style images of the Bible – a muscular Joseph, Mary with a frangipani flower behind her ear and a baby Jesus all Samoan in appearance. There is a Christ who looks like a stern Pacific warrior, figures from the streets of the villages and towns, and a huge wooden cross and Pacific decorations.
Peewee had plans to visit Apia and asked me to tag along.
Aggie Grey’s. In the NM Hospitality Legends series, this historic 3-story hotel was opened in 1933 by the Samoan entrepreneur Aggie Greys, and became a popular gathering place for American servicemen stationed in Samoa during World War II. Many notable actors, including Dorothy Lamour, Marlon Brando, Gary Cooper, William Holden, Raymond Burr and Robert Morley stayed at the hotel. Since 2016 it has been part of the Sheraton chain but in 2018 to Chinese investors. Only the casino is open as the rest of the hotel is undergoing extensive renovations. I walked into the grand lobby.
The hotel in Apia is not to be confused with the Sheraton Samoa Beach Resort (formerly named Aggie Grey’s Lagoon Beach Resort), on the northwest coast of Upolu, 30 km west of Apia.
Immaculate Conception of Mary Cathedral. A huge Catholic Church on the main street along the waterfront. The nice part is the wood ceiling with geometric diamonds, stars and octagons. The glass is not stained glass but printed, but there is a lot of it.
Museum of Samoa. Closed on a Saturday.
Peewee dropped me off at the road going up to Eddies. I walked about 1.2 km then got a taxi for the next km to Gioranos Pizzeria. It was open at 2 and only open for takeaway today but he allowed me in. One of the best crusts I’ve had in a long while.
When I got into Peewee’s car, I ripped an incredible tear in the right front of my worn-out shorts.
I ate at Giordono’s Pizza and had the best pizza in years.
I returned to Eddies and had a relaxing afternoon.
I contacted the car rental company that Peewee had used – Tafaifoe Rentals Taxi and Transport – Tafaifoetaxistand22@gmail.com but one rental extended their stay so he had no vehicle. So I have almost 2 days with little to do. I played bridge, slept and relaxed.
Day 2 Sun Dec 24.
I was unable to get a taxi today so I spent all day at the guesthouse, played bridge and slept. I have continued my low-calorie existence.
ON Eddies Guesthouse.
Day 3 Mon Dec 25
Another quiet Christmas on the road. My daughter messaged me which is always nice.
I hitchhiked into town and a guy gave me a ride to the bus station which was empty and I don’t think there were any buses today.
I ended up getting a taxi to the airport and paid him extra (S$100) to stop at two churches in the NM series.
Every house in Samoa has a fale – generally a large open-air space with a galvanized roof and several (usually about 25) posts supporting the roof. Usually, they are separate and in front of the house but sometimes are attached to the front. In some, the posts are elaborately carved. They are used for family dinners and to hang clothes in out of the rain. Some communities have large fales usually with high domed thatched roofs.
There are also an astonishing number of churches. My taxi driver said 1000 and I believe him.
Our Lady of the Rosary, Siusega. (Siusega Catholic Church). A large white church with two bell towers and blue accents – several shutters and many blue crosses. I only had time for a very quick look inside.
Methodist Church, Faleula. A surprising church as it is quite small. Every pew had a thin white shawl and a bouquet of flowers on the end.
I arrived at the airport with a lot of time to spare. I stood in line for 30 minutes to exchange my Samoa money for Fijian.
Flight. Fiji Airlines TUR-NAN 16:00-17:00.
Because I wasn’t able to get a taxi, I was unable to see all the following sites in Samoa.
Piula Cave Pool is a natural freshwater pool by the sea beneath the historic Methodist Chapel at Piula, Lufilufi on the north coast 26 km east of Apia. Entry is by the main road through the painted stone wall of Piula Theological College with steps leading down to the pool. A popular swimming hole for locals and visitors, the pool is formed by a natural spring flowing out of a cave and out to sea. Inside the main cave opening on the north side is a short submerged tunnel leading to a smaller cave opening on the east side of the pool. It is open Mondays to Saturdays and there are small fale and changing rooms for visitors. The monastery charges a small visitor’s fee.
Fagaloa Bay – Uafato Tiavea Conservation Zone. Tentative WHS (21/12/2006). On the east side of the island, is combines the natural and cultural worlds: the largest tropical rain forest on any Pacific island with unique flora and fauna accompanied by the traditional Samoan cultural practices of Fa’a Samoa and the matai system (Fa’amatai is the chiefly system of Samoa, central to the organization of Samoan society and the traditional indigenous form of governance in the both Samoas.
Lalomanu Beach
Lalomanu Church (CCCS Church), Lalomanu.
To Sua Ocean Trench. Erosion of the lava fields around Lotofaga left the area pocketed with tide pools and a series of blowholes, the largest of which is To Sua (whose name translates to “big hole”). The To Sua ocean trench is a swimmer’s delight, set on the edge of a tropical paradise with the South Pacific lapping at its shores. Surrounded by lush gardens, visitors wind along cliffside paths to the natural saltwater pool sunken deep into the earth. The western side of the ocean trench opens onto a small, sandy beach only accessible through a cave-like nook. Sheer rock faces of volcanic basalt disappear underfoot, leaving an epic ladder as the sole access point to the water below.
Too impatient to descend slowly? While making a flying leap into the crystalline water may seem a poor choice, at 90 feet in depth, the saltwater pool offers a perfectly safe opportunity for those bold enough to give it a go.
The trench closes at 5 PM every day. It opens at 8:30 AM every day except Sunday when it opens at 12:30 PM
Pupu Pu’e NP. The name of this 29-sq-km national park means ‘from the coast to the mountaintop’, extending from the highest points of Upolu Island down to the rugged Le Pūpū lava cliffs on the island’s south coast. The 700m Ma Tree Walk ends at a gigantic rainforest tree with huge buttress roots and the island’s best-preserved remaining tropical forest. At the park’s western boundary, a sandy 3km unsealed access road leads to the magnificently rugged O Le Pupu Lava Coast, where a rocky coastal trail leads along lava cliffs, the bases of which are constantly harassed by enormous waves.
On the Cross Road heading north
Papapapaitai Falls. While driving towards the southern coast of Upolu via Cross-Island Road. Papapapaitai (Tiavi) Waterfall is a must-stop and see. One of the most photographed falls in Samoa and is also considered the longest at 100m high, cascading into a deep gorge. Its untouched surrounding brings life and a sense of mystery to all. 
Lake Lanoto’o NP. The 8,500 hectares national park is located in the central highlands of Upolu and consists of three small crater lakes, Lake Lanoto’o, Lanoata’ata and Lanoanea amongst tropical rainforest. Stunning views and great bird watching with several endemic bird species such as the endangered Tooth-billed Pigeon, Mao, Samoan Starling, Samoan Whistler, Samoan Broadbill and Samoan Triller. Lake Lanoto’o is Samoa’s first wetland of international importance (or Ramsar site) under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
SAMOA – UPOLU (Apia) SIM and ATM at the airport
Car Rental. Requires a Temporary Driver’s License that can be arranged by the car rental company (pay in cash). An International Driving Permit (IDP) must be endorsed by the Land Transport Authority on the outskirts of Apia. Drive on the left at 40km/h in towns and 56km/h on the open road. It is 185 km around the island and takes ~4 h 15 mins. Samoa’s roads are easy to drive with each of its two main islands having relatively well-maintained tar-sealed roads (especially in comparison to other South Pacific islands) which run around the perimeter, while three main roads also cross the island of Upolu. There are no gas stations on the east side of Upolu. At roundabouts, give way to others in the circle. Free left turn on red.
Tafaifoe Rentals Taxi and Transport – Tafaifoetaxistand22@gmail.com is another unlisted company to try.
There were no cars to rent so I rented a scooter from MotoSamoa, Upolu, Apia 22/12 @3 pm, drop off @23/12 @12 pm.
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I didn’t go to American Samoa.
Unfortunately, I left booking the flights to Pago Pago, American Samoa late, could fly on the 23rd but the only return flight on the 25th was at 3 pm, too late to get my flight from APW to NAN at 4 pm. So I will be in Apia Samoa for two extra days.
On checking accommodation in American Samoa, the cheapest was CA$140/night on AirBnB with no bookings on Hostelworld or Booking.com.
I left the information for American Samoa here for information’s sake.
UNITED STATES – AMERICAN SAMOA (Pago Pago)
Visa. Entry Permit on arrival
Money. US$ +1 684
Get in. Pago Pago (PPG) Talofa Airways
Phone. Country code +1 684
Talofa Airways. Samoa domestic carrier Apia (APW) Samoa to Pago Pago (PPG) American Samoa. Make sure you get the times and dates right, as you cross back and forth across the international date line, and it can be very confusing.
ON Dec 22 American Samoa
Fiji Airlines. PPG-APW @12:00- Dec 25@12:30
Pago Pago.
Jean P. Haydon Museum,
Congregational Christian Church
National Park of American Samoa,
Kanana Fou Church, Tafuna:
Marine Protected Areas of American Samoa Tentative WHS includes the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa, Rose Atoll Marine National Monument and Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, which protect coral reefs and pelagic habitat around islands of the Samoan Archipelago.
The areas included are home to a wide diversity and abundance of marine wildlife, including ancient corals, and endangered species, and are key areas for nesting seabirds and sea turtles.
The Valley of the Giants (Ta’u) contains some of the largest and oldest Porites corals in the world. Distinct crustose coralline algae growth gives the fringing reefs of Rose Atoll a striking pink hue unique to American Samoa.
The area includes corals that are unusually resistant to high temperatures and that have shown resilience to coral bleaching. These areas represent significant on-going biological processes in the evolution of coral reef ecosystems.
Fatagele Bay contains a very diverse and healthy ecosystem, with over 200 species of corals, 1,400 species of algae and invertebrates and 271 species of fish. Swains Island is a hotspot for coral cover, large fish (biomass) and fish species richness. The Ta’u area’s “Valley of the Giants” contains large Porites corals, including what is thought to be the oldest and largest Porites coral in the world, over 500 years old. The Muliāva area encompasses seamounts and a hydrothermal vent that are biological hotspots, providing habitat for an unusual group of deep-sea organisms. Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is a hotspot for fish biomass, has a unique coral community is an important refuge for giant clams and contains important nesting grounds for the endangered green sea turtle The area also supports endangered corals, eagle rays, Pacific bottlenose and spinner dolphins, many shark species and humpback whales.
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Manono, Apolima and Nuulopa Cultural Landscape. Tentative WHS (21/12/2006).
Manono island is situated in the Apolima Strait between the main islands of Savai’i and Upolu, 3.4 km west-northwest off Lefatu Cape, the westernmost point of Upolu. The boat trip from Upolu Island takes about 20 minutes.
There are four villages on the island with a total population of 889 (2006). Electricity was only introduced in 1995 and there are several shops with beach fale accommodation for visitors. The majority of people in the district live on the ‘mainland’ at the west end of Upolu island. Dogs of any kind are prohibited on Manono Island. There are no cars or roads. The main thoroughfare is a footpath that follows the coast. Dogs and horses are banned for environmental reasons. However, dogs were sighted on the island in September 2016.
In the early 19th century, the island was sometimes called Flat Island, because it consists of a small, flat hill and surrounding low-lying terrain, which is only visible at close approach.
During the 1800s, Manono Island was a stronghold for the Methodist church and its early mission in Samoa. At an annual church meeting held here on 21 September 1859, a decision was made to establish a training institution on Upolu island which eventually led to the establishment of Piula Theological College in Lufilufi.
Apolima. The tiny island lies 2.4 kilometres northwest off the westernmost edge of Upolu Island’s fringing reef and 7 km southwest of the island of Savai’i. Shaped like an upturned bowl surrounded by steep cliffs, there is a broad opening to the sea on the northern side, which is the main entry point. Entry is only by boat.
With a population of 75, the village is situated in the interior’s flat plateau, on the northern side. It is the rim of an extinct volcanic crater with a maximum height of 165 m. Its area is slightly less than one square kilometre.
Nu’ulopa. A tiny uninhabited island 700 meters west-northwest of the northwestern corner of Manono. Nu’ulopa is 37 m high and about 100 meters in diameter (0.01 km²).
Aleipata Islands are a group of four uninhabited islands off the eastern end of Upolu Island. The aggregate area of the Aleipata Islands 1.68 km2). This includes Nu’utele (1.08 km2), Nu’ulua (0.25 km2), Namua (0.20 km2), Fanuatapu (0.15 km2).
Namua and Fanuatapu lie at the outer edge of the fringing reef of Upolu, at a distance of 0.7 km and 2.5 km, respectively, from Upolu Island itself. Nu’utele and Nu’ulua are 4 to 6 km further south, outside the fringing reef, and lie 1.4 km 3.5 km off Cape Tapaga, which is the southeastern headland of Upolu.
These islets are remnants of eroded volcanic tuff rings. Only Namua is open for visitors, who can enjoy the Namua Island Resort and the beaches. Fanuatapu, being the easternmost island, has a lighthouse. The islands are important nesting locations for seabirds.