Introducing Samoa…
Samoa, or Malo Sa’oloto Tuto’atasi o Samoa, previously also known as Western Samoa (as there is another country called American Samoa) is located halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii, just east of the international date line.
Most visitors to Samoa arrive by plane from Auckland (4 hour flight time). There are also a handful other flights per week to Sydney, Nadi, Nuku’alofa (Tonga) and Los Angeles.
The official language of Samoa is Samoan, a Polynesian language with not even the slightest similarity to any of the languages I speak.
Fortunately most people speak good English (some better than others) so communicating with the locals usually isn’t a major problem. English is even an official language on the island (second language for most people).
The currency in Samoa is the Tala (currency code WST). Prices are fairly low on the island, expect for imported goods (including food in some restaurants).
Taxis are very cheap though and in fact if you want to have a look around the island it is often cheaper to negotiate a good deal with a taxi driver for a day/half a day than to rent a car.
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Welcome to Samoa - See the island with adventure
Samoa has a population of nearly 200,000 inhabitants and consists mainly of two larger islands - Upolu and Savai’i. Upolu is the main island where the international airport is located as well as the capital Apia.
It takes around five hours to drive around Upolu without any stops, roads are OK although not perfect. There are plenty of speed bumps as well.
It should also be mentioned that the Samoans are very religious and nobody quite knows how many churches there are on the island.
I tried to make an estimation of the number of churches we passed on the way to the airport (around 45 minutes drive) and I am sure we must have passed nearly 50 churches.
In the department store in downtown Apia they even had a section with Jesus products, everything from plates to miniature statues. Never seen that before!
Apia
Apia is the capital of Samoa located on northern Upolu by the water and has all the government and administrative buildings and an extensive range of shops, restaurants and other services.
Describing Apia as a city would be quite an exaggeration (even though it‘s supposed to have around 37,000 inhabitants), a town would be a more appropriate word, you can basically walk from one end of Apia to the other end in about 15 minutes.
It’s a rather nice and cosy place though in my opinion, not the most modern of places but there are many old colonial houses and overall there is a nice tropical feeling to it.
The local market is well worth a visit and the nightlife is actually not that bad either. Apia also has a Mc Donald’s for those who don’t want to try the local food.
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The Apia waterfront
The famous clock tower in downtown Apia and the Amau bilding with a department store to the right
The most famous hotel on the island: Aggie Greys Hotel
There are more churches on the island than I could count, sometimes they are just a few meters apart, as these two in Apia
Apia bus station, quite a sight!
The local market in Apia
Mc Donald‘s has also made it to Samoa, there is one restaurant in Apia
A persistent child trying to sell oranges to a tourist
Sunset over downtown Apia
Apia at night, the nightlife is actually not that bad on the island
Beaches and national parks
There are some very nice beaches on the island, a few ones in the vicinity of Apia, but the better ones are on the southern side of Upolu.
Unfortunately as it was raining (at least partly) on every single day of my visit there was no point in venturing very far away risking to be stuck in a remote place somewhere on the island in the rain without proper shelter. A real shame!
Upolu is also quite mountainous and has a beautiful and rather untouched vegetation. There is a large national park in the middle of the island for those who enjoy nature and some peace and quietness.
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Nice overview of Apia and the beautiful mountains from the small port
Nice beach outside Apia, although there are nicer ones further away
A local very colourful bus leaving for southern Upolu.
These kind of “social houses“ can be seen everywhere on the island
A bus passing a local cemetery
Samoa Outrigger Hotel, Apia
Samoa isn’t one of the most developed countries in the world and the range of accommodation reflects that.
There are no international hotel chains on the island and few proper beach resorts, however there are a number of good (and even very good) middle class hotels, the most famous being Aggie Greys hotel in Apia.
Honestly in my opinion it would almost be a shame to make it all the way to this rather untouched island in the middle of nowhere and then stay in an international hotel, if it was possible.
I chose a good budget hotel called the Outrigger Hotel located around ten minutes walk from downtown Apia.
The hotel was actually owned and run by a Danish man who came to Samoa as a diving instructor, but liked the island so much he decided to stay and opened a hotel.
The hotel occupies an old and rather nice looking colonial building and also had a lush garden with a nice covered terrace and a swimming pool.
Really friendly staff as well, being a rather small and informal place they quickly learned my name and asked how the day was when coming back in the late afternoon.
Cool Vailima (local Samoan beer) was also available for sale at the reception, very appreciated by the guests.
I stayed in a proper room with ensuite facilities, TV and AC. There was even a small private veranda.
Only problem was a slightly bad water pressure and a lack of hot water from time to time, but I believe that’s a general problem on the island and as for hot water most people rather enjoy a cold shower in the warm and humid climate.
If you are on a tight budget there was also a budget option available: a traditional Samoan fale.
A fale is basically a hut with room for 2-4 beds, a bit like staying in a dorm, but outdoors and in much more exotic surroundings.
Staying in a fale can probably be a very nice experience, especially if you get a private one at a beach overlooking the ocean. However if it’s raining you really have to keep your fingers crossed the ceiling can cope with the rain or you’re up for a wet night.
With the less than perfect weather during the visit I was happy not having chosen that option.
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The entrance to the old colonial building housing the Outrigger Hotel
My room with a small private veranda
The nice terrace where the breakfast is served and the pool
The rather exotic budget option for price-conscious travellers: a traditional Fale
The lobby