Paul Fleishman once said; “The word paradise came out of my mouth, without thinking” and this sums up perfectly our experience in Samoa. My little sister had always wanted to visit Samoa after researching the Pacific Island for a school project so we had a good idea of what to do in Samoa.
We departed Auckland to Apia on an early morning flight and arrived in paradise…check out Air New Zealand for deals, trust me hand luggage is all that is required if you’re only staying a few nights!
What to Do in Samoa – Our Samoa Travel Guide
Stay at Lalomanu Beach
Lalomanu beach has to be one of the most breath-taking beaches I’ve ever seen in my life; white sand and crystal clear water – it was quite literally paradise!
And the picture perfect sunsets are out of this world…
…no filter required!
Lalomanu Beach is a must do if visiting Samoa, the people were so warm and friendly and we were invited to watch the rugby with the locals…which we did.
For our first two nights in Samoa, Lisa and I stayed at Litia Sini Beach Resort which in my opinion had the best fale accommodation along Lalomanu beach. The fale’s are the most luxurious looking and each fale contained a fan, mosquito nets and four solid walls! You will need to use a communal bathroom which is hidden behind the fales however these were extremely clean and tidy during our whole stay. Can’t decide where to stay in Samoa…this is the place you need in your life…authentic and charming with stunning views!
There is a large communal area which contains a bar of course; this is open all the time…but they did have cheaper cocktails at the next complex and they deliver to your fale. Breakfast and Dinner are included in your room rate.
The Resort is only happy to book your on tours as there is lots of things to do in Samoa and close to Lalomanu Beach including visiting beautiful waterfalls.
If we decide to holiday in Samoa again then we will definitely be coming back to this part of the island!
Take a Ride on the Colourful Buses – the only way to travel in Samoa
After spending two nights at Lalomanu Beach which in one word is “Paradise”, we caught the local bus back to Apia. Everyone thought this was a crazy thing to do as the resort can organise private transfers however we wanted to experience the local life so a public bus it was and it was so much blooming fun!
The buses are painted in bright colours and when full, the passengers start sitting on each others knees. The drive from Lalomanu Beach to Apia took just over 1.5 hours…and the scenery is totally lush.
What to Do in Apia, Samoa
We arrived back into Apia on a Friday evening so we headed out early on Saturday morning to the Apia Market which sells everything from food (the best banana fritters I’ve ever eaten in my life!), clothing and even the odd kitchen pot. I picked up a floral dress to laze around the hotel in.
Apia closes early on a Saturday at midday and doesn’t reopen until Monday morning which can make things interesting if you’re staying in Apia over a weekend.
After wandering around the local market, we ended up negotiating a ride with a really lovely taxi driver to take us to the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum (address: Vailima, Apia, Upolu, Samoa) which is well worth a visit and one of Samoa’s most famous tourist attraction.
If you have time, you can walk up to the top of Mount Vaea where Stevenson is buried…just don’t do this at midday like we did as we didn’t reach the top due to the heat…however if you do make it to the top you will be able to see most of Samoa’s points of interest.
If you plan to do some shopping in Apia then I would suggest a trip out to the Pacific Jewel Gift Shop which sells amazing gifts produced by local artisans…just looking at their website makes me want to buy their whole shop. If you love supporting local folks while on holiday then splash your cash in here and buy “Made in Samoa” products.
After a strenuous day of walking, Lisa and I popped into Aggie Grey’s Hotel in Apia (address: Main Beach Road Vaisigano Apia, Samoa)…this is the original Aggie Greys and not to be confused with the Sheraton Beach Resort which used to be also called Aggie Grey’s years ago.
We had a cheeky non-alcholic cocktail or two…they do serve alcohol. The hotel is very colonial and oh so gorgeous! Ohh and it looks like they might do afternoon tea as well…next time folks, next time.
On Sunday we checked out the only place that was open in Apia…McDonalds! Sunday is a rather interesting day to be in Samoa as everyone heads to church and all you see if everyone in their Sunday best and families sitting together.
We stayed at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel which is a lovely 4.5 star hotel in Apia and the photos you see on their website is exactly what you receive.
Travel Tips for Samoa
- Air New Zealand offers flights from New Zealand to Samoa and they offer flash offers on their GrabaSeat website.
- We had heard a number of stories prior to leaving New Zealand about how dangerous Samoa was; we couldn’t disagree more – everyone we encountered was warm and friendly and the country is extremely clean.
- In Apia, we stayed at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel which was a lovely hotel in the city centre.
- In Lalomanu Beach we stayed at Litia Sini Beach Fales
- At the time of our visit, our phones wouldn’t connect to any Samoan networks
- Take your books and magazines with you; they are expensive out there however most hotels and resorts will have a library.
- If you intend to buy souvenirs in Samoa then I would recommend visiting PacifcJewell as they offered the best quality goods at very reasonable prices – Address: Levili Blvd, Apia, Samoa
- What to pack for a Samoa Holiday – pack light; you don’t need much but do take a warm jumper as the temperature can drop in the evening. Trust me, jandals are essential!
- Remember the sunblock and hat as the sunshine is quite strong and there is nothing worse than having sunburn on your holiday.
- We moved around the island via the local bus network and taxis which relative ease…I think hiring a rental car and driving around the island yourself wouldn’t be a hassle either.
Before we knew it, we were heading back to Auckland with Air New Zealand – honestly the world’s best airline!
xx
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