Samoa Beach Paradise

Samoa is about one-half 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. This is where I spent my 7 days holiday, Samoa Beach Paradise! :)


First Day - Apia, Upolu Island
Air New Zealand brought us straight to Upolu Island (from Auckland) and arrived at 1 in the morning. No more public bus to town (which only costs 3 tala), and only taxis (60 tala) available.

Faleolo Aiport in the midday

Decided to stay in the airport to wait for the first bus in the morning, even though the consequences are : sleep on a nice bumpy hard bench and having different taxi drivers approaching to offer their services (There were 4 drivers, and one of them even insisted to pay 20 tala and lied to me saying that there were no more buses!). I think that's the advantage of having enough research by browsing around, so I was quite sure that there must be some buses. Not only offering their services, they asked me to get married to them once they know that I'm not married yet. So after lessons learned, I told most Samoan guys that I'm married with 5 children. Conversations ends. :p

Finally, being stubborn pays off. The bus that I had been waiting came, and it was exactly the same as people described on the internet : colorful (like a kindergarten bus), loud disco music, and stops every fuckin 5 minutes (they can stop wherever they like basically). So even the trip from Faleolo Airport to the center of Apia was supposed to be 30mins, it took 1 hour 15 minutes to get there.

How the buses look like in Samoa : colorful, loud music (so you can hear them from distance) and open windows

Buses are cheap in Samoa. One odd thing I experienced with bus is they are so relaxed that one bus driver stopped in the middle of street, and eat his lunch! He even offered me to try his lunch as well... Bus drivers often text and smoke while they drive.

The first thing that I did was check-in at Tatiana Motel and went to the food market to try traditional food & drink (See the food section below). After experiencing traditional food (they're really nyumm!) I went around Apia City (which is the busiest part of Samoa and still no one around) to see how it looks like. I somehow felt like I was back in 70s because of the design of buildings, buses and advertisements are old..

The busy food market (Marketi Fou) in Apia. Bananas and Taro are the most common food in Samoa

How the market looks like from inside. It's actually very dark inside. But they are nice sellers and don't hassle you around (like in Thai or even Indonesia)

The old fashioned gas station

Old design buses

Second Day - Savaii Island
Staying one day on Saturday in Upolu Island (Apia) successfully made me bored. I then decided to leave the island.. Never expect that it's gonna be like most islands in Thailand or Bali, which are very touristic and lively (sometimes touristic is good, after experiencing a too quite place). Even though most of the people (even the old ones speak very good English here).

Alrite, to make it short, on my second day I decided to go to Savaii Island. I almost catched a taxi which costs 50 tala to Mulifanua Wharf (because many people say that there are no buses going on Sundays, most of the people go to church), and fortunately chatted with a Samoan lady who told me that there are buses going to the wharf at certain times! Took a bus to the wharf and successfully saved 46 tala (fiuh...)

On Sunday, most people go to church with white clothes like this

On the open space second deck ferry (the first deck is air conditioned and accompanied with several big screen TVs with mainly religious programs in Samoan language)

The fale (an open bamboo cottage) that I was heading to is Joelan Beach Fale in Lano Village, which is HIGHLY RECOMENDED. It runs by a Samoan couple Falesoa & Sione, they cook a very nice traditional samoan breakfast (contains many tropical fruit like papaya, pineapple, oranges, banana), lunch (many taros, fish & vegetable) and also dinner. The fales are placed right in front of the beach (yess, it's a white sandy beach with a sparkling blue sea! And most special about them is that they don't treat guests like customers, but they treat us like family! So you really get the paradise feeling and also get to know Samoan family & culture even more, and it all only costs 50 tala per night! What a guuuud bargain :-D

Joelan Beach Fale is the first fale in Lano village and it's placed on the right side. Just tell the bus driver they all know where it is. It costs 1.3 Tala from the wharf to here.

This is what my fale looks like. In the morning I have the waves right under my fale. Feels like heaven...

There are approximately 10 Fales on the beach..

A breakfast set at Joelan Fale, full of tropical fruit! :D

This is where I sleep in Savaii Island. Yes! Right in front of the beach..

A French couple that I met at Joelan Beach Fale

Falesoa, the owner who treats us like a family instead of customer..

Third Day - Salelologa
After having a nutricious tropical breakfast, I headed to a local hospital to see a dentist, which I changed my mind after the reception lady was quite rude to me and forced me to pay a reception money. It's not that much though, but I just didn't like the way she treated me... Anyway, I went to the most crowded place on the island (seems like it), Salelologa. There are local market, savaii tourism center (the young girl who works there seems nice but because she just moved in, she doesn't know that much about the island), internet cafe (costs 6 tala per 30 minutes), car rentals, a mall (that's what they call it even though it seems like a warung to me), and several other shops..

Churches are everywhere and we can find them in almost every village

Met some local people to chat with

A very nice Samoan lady who I chatted with on the street

Samoan children who chilling out in the fale on the beach..

Some Samoan young guys who work as a farmer and (again) asked me to get married with :p

Faga Beach
I was a bit snob and thought that I could just walk from Faga Beach to Lano Village, but I was so damn right. In the last couple of metres I feel like hell I almost fainted in the middle of the street. There were barely anyone, but I met some nice local people to chat with..

The main road in Savaii Island that brings you around. It mostly placed right on the beach so this is the panorama that we'll get even from the buses

How blue most beach like in Savaii Island

Fourth Day - Manase
I regret myself of not hitch hike from the first day. It was so easy (the local people often stop and asked where I headed to, while most of the tourists never did. Never mind though). On the way to Manase I only need to hitch hike with 2 cars, they're all Samoan. I think hitch hiking in Samoa is easy and free, but if you're in a hurry I wouldn't recommend you doing it, because sometimes they're too nice and can take up your time! (I was dragged to their home to have a cup of tea and cakes, and got introduced to all the members of family) :p

Hitch hiking and ended up being introduced to every single member of family in Samoa :p

People are right, Manase is exotic. There are around 5 fales over there, and I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND you to stay at Vacation Beach Fale (instead of Tanu Beach Fale which is more touristic and well-known among tourists because of the advertising). Instead of paying 65 for two meals, in Vacation you only need to pay 60tala with 3 meals (all buffet), very nice view from the fale, and also very nice and family-feel owner!

Because Manase is like Lalomanu on the eastern part of upolu, which is more commercial and touristic, people were trying to rip me off by paying 10 or 20 tala only for snorkeling! I walked alone heading back to Lano village and patience pays off, luckily I met with a bunch of fishermen who's going to spearfishing, and they let me follow them. Such fisherman, they swam hundreds of meters away from the shore and the coral & fish are AMAZING. It was exciting as well seeing them cathing the fish inside the sea. But the problem started when... I was trying to swim back to the shore! The waves were too big to be true I kept brought back to the sea.. I had to calm myself down many times otherwise I would be panicked and tired myself. The worst part was when I was trapped in the middle of shallow corals, I thought it was quite close but it wasn't. Fffuck! I hurt myself a lot on my hands and feet (again).

Anyway, that was quite an experience.. Hardcore swim with the fishermen...

Some fishermen that I met on the street

One fisherman who's deaf but swim like a fish!

Met with a lady who washed her clothes on the beach. Seems like a good idea...

Food & Drink
This is the most interesting part of the other part in this article! Based on the research of what food & drink I wanted to try, I finally ge to try all of those! :

Kava : It's a traditional drink made of roots of the plant (mildly a narcotic drink). When I drank it, it had no taste actually, but it has somewhat like a mild ginger after-taste. Left that bite sensation on my tongue. But soon after that..... I felt dizzy! Some other tourists told the story that their friend drank a big bucket of Kava and they fell because they couldn't feel their feet for a while (it makes us feel paralyzed somehow)

You can find 1 small bowl Kava like this in the market for 1 Tala


The Samoan Coconut that's given to us on the hot day!

Samoan traditional salty buscuit (above, costs 5 Tala for 10 pieces in market, it costs 8-10 Tala at the airport or other shops). Taro Chips (below)

Typical Samoan lunch with Taro & Coconut Cream Banana

Some other lunch with fish & Taro

The coconut cream banana! They often eaten with fish at lunch & dinner

Typical Samoan breakfast with many tropical fruit!

Typical Samoan family place their kitchen utensils

Palusami/Umu : It's made of onions and coconut cream wrapped in a taro leaf athen baked. It usually is eaten with baked taro. Even the food market was a little bit too dark, I ate there anyway and it tasted nyummm!

Samoan People
From what I heard and this is mostly true, the samoan people (less than 200.000 people in both islands) are a very laid-back people. So if you wanna relax and having the best time to chill out, Samoa is a no doubt destination. Talking more about the young guys, they're actually friendly and fine but I think they're a little bit too friendly and aggressive. Nothing dodgy about them though, they seem nice and genuine, and they seem like they enjoy to have an opportunity to speak English...

It's more likely to people to smile at you first everytime you bump in to them. So smiling back is a must! :) Some sellers would loudly offer their items to you but don't worry because they won't hassle. Many people work (or have worked) in different parts of New Zealand. So in Upolu Island it's easy to ask directions or simply talk to local people..











Culture & Religion
As an ex country that colonalized by America, Samoa considered as a country that still hold their their culture well. Most of Samoan people are Christian and they go to church on Sundays. That's why most activities shut down on Sundays. Samoan people are nice, friendly and open. On my last day, I had to wait 10 hours for my flight and stuck in the airport area because there were no more buses to go to or from the town. So I just sat in front of small shop while waiting... Several people invited me to their houses to wait, and finally I agreed to go to one of the families (Moana, Sili, Aifua, Sefu, Faleluya, Monalisa, Va'a and other family members) and it turned out very nice. They cooked a nice Taro & chicken for dinner and let me to use their bathroom.. I had such a great time on my last night, it feels like I found a new family!

Met a Samoan girl who I became friend with. She does nothing before, but then she got a job at the fale just next door of my fale

Aifua & Sefu, a nice couple with 10 children that nicely let me stayed at their house while waiting for my flight..
Sili who I met at small shop and invited me to her house..

Meet other travelers
I met some travelers and had no idea what Samoa is like. Funny we had the same experience that everytime we ask locals about something, each person always has different answers. So I would highly recommend you to do the full research through websites (lonely planet, thorn tree, trip advisor and jasons are the most handy so far). All travelers that I met were from everywhere, French couple, Czech couple, Canadian couple, Finnish couple, a german guy, an American guy and also a Swiss couple (I didn't meet any single Asian traveler, probably it's not a even a common destination among us)

Useful Tips
Budget Motel in Apia, Upolu Island
Tatiana Motel in Fugalei Street. It costs 50 tala per night, a decent room, decent continental breakfast, and close to the only 2 bus station in Upolu, one near the food market and the other one close to the produce market. So it means that you have access to anywhere in upolu by bus

Budget Fales in Savaii Island
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you to stay at Joelan Beach Fale in Lano Village. It costs 50 tala including nice Samoan breakfast (tropical fruit like papaya, banana, pineapple, coconut, etc), lunch (usually a nyummy chicken with taro) and dinner (many fish, vegetable and chicken). The fales are open and placed right in front of the beach (the sound of the waves is like heaven), with a white sand, and most important Falesoa the owner is treating you like a family instead of customer. so we really felt like at home

I again, HIGHLY RECOMMEND you to stay at Vacation Beach Fale in Manase Village. 60 tala for three meals, amazing view from the fale and really nice owner...

- ASK many people if you need to know any information
- Internet access is not that easy to find (there is one in Salelologa and one in Manase)
- Ask the local people about the bus fare before you use the bus.
- If you wanna relax, snorkle, and enjoy the each, go directly to SAVAII Island.
- If you wanna see how the capital of Samoa is (more crowded and busy), Upolu Island is worth visiting
- Samoan guys are a bit aggresive here (they're nice though, but I find it a bit annoying)
- Never believe taxi driver (some of them lied to me that there were no buses from the airport
and also on Sundays, I almost spent 100 tala to go by taxi, which I grateful I didn't)
- Dogs are a safety problem in Samoa. While many are kept as pets, they are far from domesticated
and will likely to attack us. This is a serious issue when travelling in Samoa and should
be considered when arranging transportation

Language
Some useful language that I use all the time :

Hello : Talofa
Bye bye : Tofa
Very : Malosi
Good / delicious : Manaya
How much : Evia
Expensive : Kaungaka
I'm Samoan : Oau Ole Samoa (I say it all the time because they think I'm Samoan)

Money Spent
I was exchanging money from ANZ Bank in Wellington (I highly recommend use ANZ rather than Travelex, they have much better rate!)
So I've got 550 Samoan Tala for only 330 NZD

200 Tala for Motels : 50 Tala x 4 Days (3 nights at Joelan Beach Fale & 1 night at Tatiana Motel)
40 Tala for Samoa Airport Departure Tax (make sure you're prepared with cash!)
24 Tala for Ferry (going to Savaii Island and back to Upolu Island) 12 Tala x 2 times (Be careful because the Czech Couple got cheated by the officer even it's clearly written that it's only 12 Tala. They paid 15 Tala instead)
36 Tala for Eating & Snacks (I bought most food in supermarket and when I was travelling by ferry)
15 Tala for buses (the buses mainly cost 1-4 tala per trip)
19 Tala for flatmates gift
13 Tala for Internet
23 Tala for shopping (I bought some nice earrings and unique coconut bra for photoshoots)

So I spent 370 Tala in total, for a very nice and quiet holiday! :)