Visiting Samoa? Here’s the best things to do and where to stay to make your Samoa holiday the best the be
Samoa is a tropical paradise, with phosphorescent turquoise swimming holes, beautiful white sandy beaches, and friendly locals! It is one of my favourite Pacific Islands, and somewhere I recommend to everyone! Here’s why you should visit Samoa.
All you need to know before you visit Samoa
Western Samoa is a tropical island paradise in the South Pacific. Everything there is natural and less built up as other Pacific Islands. The people are all so kind and friendly and it really makes the trip. The country consists of two main islands called Upolu and Savai’i. Unfortunately we only had time to visit Upolu, but I would love to return to see the other.
All international flights land in Apia so this will be your starting point no matter where you are coming from. There are direct flights from Australia and New Zealand and a few other nearby islands.
Getting Around The Island
Most roads on the island are drivable in any car. However, the west coast is a bit of a harder drive. I would only recommend doing it if you’re an experienced driver!
Petrol stations are few and far between anywhere outside of Apia! As we discovered, when running out of fuel on the south coast, you should always leave Apia with a full tank. No matter your plans for the day.
Catching The Bus
There are buses that go to most of the towns around the island. They are all locally owned by drivers from the smaller towns and usually run once of twice a day into Apia and returning. There are no real set times for the buses and if a driver wants to finish early, then he does. So if you want this as your main transport option you have get used to having a really loose schedule.
Renting A Car In Samoa
Driving around the island is super easy and gives you the opportunity to see what you want at the pace you want. In Samoa, they drive on the right side of the road. The speed limit for the majority of the island is 30mph/ 56 kmph. There are a few rental car places at the airport, and many more around the island. These can be complicated to organise in advance so it’s best to get a shuttle to your accommodation and then head into Apia to see if any rental places have cars available. When we arrived, no rental places had any cars available.
The companies are on island time so most of them didn’t know when any cars would be coming back, or expected them back but had to call people to check they were actually bringing them on that day! We used Samoana Rentals in Apia which was around 120tala a day for a 5 door Suzuki. They have deals if you are renting a car for a certain period which makes it cheaper but it’s always better to go in and talk to them than try and book it in advance.
Travel The Island On A Tour
Another option is to go on a tour, or a shuttle bus, around the island. A lot of hotels offer these (the Sheraton does a good priced 1/2 day and full day tour) that take you to the best spots. There are also private companies that offer them. If you are not up for driving a car, then I would recommend a tour for at least one day when you visit Samoa.
Thing To Do In Samoa
Visit the best swimming spots
The To Sua Trench
By far the most incredible spot on the island! To Sua Trench is an old lava tube connected to the ocean. It is a great swimming spot buried beneath beautiful tropical plants where you can feel the swell of the ocean as you swim inside. The water is the perfect shade of blue, and if you arrive early then you will probably be lucky enough to have the hole to yourself.
It costs 20tala per person entry into the area, but it is surrounded by beautiful gardens, with toilets and showers. The hole itself is at the bottom of a big wooden ladder, it looks quite steep and scary but when you’re actually climbing it it is not too bad. It can get slippery on rainy days though. The tide inside the trench is quite strong but there are ropes to hold on to and a platform at the bottom to rest on if you need.
This is something you must do when you visit Samoa!
Puila Cave Pool
Such a cool place to swim if you get the chance! The cave pool is around 10tala per person. The pool itself is really beautiful, coming out of a cave that you can swim in to. Unfortunately the bridge underneath to the other cave is unsafe so you can no longer swim between. The pool is located by the edge of the sea, there is no sand but that’s also a lovely place to swim with no waves. The park has many open fales and is a good area for a bbq or picnic! In the gardens is also the most beautiful ladies toilet I have seen, like walking into your own personal jungle. It can get really busy in the afternoons so I would recommend coming in the morning!
Togitogiga Waterfall
A paradise to swim in if you go at the right time. This spot is hidden in the National Park so entry is free! It’s about a 5 minute walk from the car park to the waterfall but you are able to swim both at the bottom and the top! The water is quite shallow and there are many mosquitoes so make sure to spray yourself!
Visit The Best Beaches on Samoa
Palolo Marine Reserve
Such a sweet place with very picturesque fales along the grass beside the beach. The reef itself is about 100m out. The beach is covered with hard and soft coral so you need to be a confident swimmer to get there! But there are still fish swimming around in the shallows! This is a place I could have spent all day at relaxing!
Lalomanu Beach
Probably the most beautiful beach in Samoa! We stopped twice at Taufua Beach Fales where you could either pay to park the car and use the beach or it was $50 tala to use a fale all day! This was a really good option for us in the rainy season as it was raining on and off all day so we needed the shelter! The beach itself is a tropical paradise! And the colours of the fales just add to the experience!
The staff here were really friendly too! (We ran out of petrol on the south coast and they sent a petrol cab with the local bus driver up to Apia for us and let us sit in a fale all day until it came back in the evening! They even offered us dinner with their overnight guests)! If you wanted to stay in a fale on the beach during your stay, I would definitely recommend coming here when you visit Samoa.
Waterfalls
Papapapaitai Falls
Only a lookout on the side of the road this spot is a must visit on your drive past but more for a quick stop than anything! The waterfall is beautiful from a distance, you can see it flowing into several pools on its way down the cliff.
Falefa Waterfall
Falefa is a smaller waterfall where you are able to swim in the area around it, however, it is quite a distance to the falls itself. The gardens here are stunning and worth a visit even if you’re not planning on swimming! It was $10 tala per person for entry! The waterfall can also be seen from the bridge crossing the road just after the entry to Falefa for a closer view!
Sopo’aga Falls
Again, just a view point, but we really enjoyed this stop too! It was $10 tala per person entry to the gardens and the view point but it was a really interesting place filled with different native plants and trees, all labeled with their Samoan, English, and Latin names! If you come here on a regular day they also have a coconut demonstration, showing you the different ways to use the fruit! We went on a Sunday so it was very quiet and there was no demonstration on that day.
Other Things To Do on Samoa
Visit The Robert Louis Stevenson Museum
About a 20 minute drive from Apia is the house where Robert Louis Stevenson spent his last 4 years in Samoa. A really interesting spot to go and visit with a great house tour and beautiful gardens! You can also do the hour long hike up to his grave on the mountain but make sure you’re wearing good shoes!
Explore Apia
Apia is the main city of Samoa, with most restaurants, shops and petrol stations being around here. It is not the most beautiful place but there are a lot of things that are worth a stop off!
Apia is the main city of Samoa, with most restaurants, shops and petrol stations being around here. It is not the most beautiful place but there are a lot of things that are worth a stop off!
Visit Apia Fish Markets
Apia fish market are in the centre of the city, located in a big open area they are filled with people selling all sorts of freshly caught exotic fish!
The Cultural Center
The cultural centre is only open Mondays to Fridays 9-5, but unfortunately it was closed during the Christmas and New Year period so we were unable to visit. Here you can watch locals demonstrating cultural practices and learn about Samoan traditions.
Apia Markets
Here is a great place to get any souvenirs from Samoa as well as try some local food from the stalls that are located around the back!
Apia Bus Station
As I said before, all of the buses in Samoa are locally owned and decorated by individual bus drivers from each town! So heading down to the bus station you can see all the beautiful coloured buses pulling into the station!
Where To Stay
Aggie Greys Sheraton Hotel
We stayed at Aggie Greys Sheraton Hotel in Apia which was a good choice for us as it was a good base, being close to the city and petrol stations, close to many car rentals, and there were many things around within walking distance!
The hotel had a fine dining restaurant which we visited on Christmas Day for a degustation menu which was absolutely delicious! There is also a restaurant by the pool that does a range of cuisines as well as a Fia Fia night on Thursdays with a Samoan buffet, entertainment and music!
Sheraton Resort
We stopped at the Sheraton Resort for one day which is good because it is close to the beach and also has a pool and other facilities. It is just a bit further from the town and lacks other activities close by. Could be a good place to stay with kids.
Sea Breeze Hotel
We stopped at the Sea Breeze hotel which had a really nice restaurant, and is also located on the south coast with some amazing beaches! This was a bit more expensive though.
Coconuts Resort
Coconuts Resort is a beautiful spot on the south coast. It also has a pool and a private beach as well as a really good restaurant. This resort looks gorgeous and has won many awards from Samoan tourism over the years!
Taufua Beach Fales
Another option is to stay in one of the beach fales. They are less luxury but always owned by local families so it is a good way to get to know the people and the culture a little better. If I was travelling to Samoa again I would definitely spend a night at one of these! Taufua on Lalomanu Beach was a really nice one!
The Best Restaurants on Samoa
We didn’t get much time to explore many eateries on the island unfortunately due to it being Christmas and then an incident where we ran out of petrol! But the few we tried were definitely worth recommending!
Paddles, Apia
Paddles is an Italian Samoan fusion restaurant owned by the most lovely family! In the centre of Apia, the restaurant has an amazing view of sun setting over the water! Recommendations would have to be the calamari and the Oka! But all of the food was really good!
Sails, Apia
We stopped for drinks and snacks at Sails one afternoon. The cocktails were a really good price and the taro chips and oka sashimi were delicious! Would have loved to return for a bigger meal!
Aggie Greys, The Sheraton, Apia
Aggie Greys at the Sheraton Hotel offers a 5 course degustation menu with Samoan delicacies. Everything we tasted there was divine! If you’re wanting more of a fine dining, restaurant experience then I would definitely recommend this!
Fia Fia Night
We ended up staying at Aggie Greys Sheraton Hotel to watch the traditional Fia Fia night, because it was easy and because most people we had spoken to recommended it to us! The buffet had all sorts of meat and fish options, as well as amazing salads! (PLEASE try the poke if you have a chance it’s 10/10!) the entertainment was really good, with opportunities for guests to join in and a fire show at the end!
