American Samoa (South Pacific Islands)

American Samoa.
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American or Western Samoa, as I will refer to it here, is composed of a group of six islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand. Western Samoa is composed of two main islands (Savaii and Upolu), several smaller inhabited islands and a number of other uninhabited islets

The islands are mostly coastal naturally although they don't boast beaches with which to compare to places such as The Cook Islands and Fiji. The islands re volcanic, they are rocky and rugged with steep mountainous interiors. The population is around 60,000 and this is gradually declining.

I visited Western Samoa for about 8 days in between August and September 2000 while I was on a back packing trip (see my other review on New Zealand) with my best friend. Clearly this was quite a while ago although it should be bourn in mind that this review was first published elsewhere around 18 months ago.

We flew into the capital Apia from Auckland on an Air New Zealand flight. We stayed in Apia for a few days in a hostel before heading over to the smaller island of Upolu for most of the rest of our stay.

Climate.
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The islands of Western Samoa are tropical with a rainy season (November to April) and a dry season (May to October). Even though we visited in the dry season we experienced occasional downpours while although brief were torrential! Generally the humidity is high year round but you should be able to count on a refreshing sea breeze. There can also be occasional typhoons here and the active volcano's are an additional hazard.

Money.
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The Samoan's deal in the US dollar and consequently Samoa wasn't as cheap as we anticipated it being. If you're doing the trip as a budget backpacker as we were then you can easily survive on around $30 daily, given that there isn't actually a lot else to do apart from sit on the beach.

Accommodation.
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There isn't a great deal of choice re accommodation. In Apia we stayed in one of two hostels in the City. It was nice, simple, clean, but certainly nothing special. There is some higher class accommodations available but again I think you can be sure that your choices will be limited.

In Upolu we stayed in a beach hut, what is called a fale (pronounced farlay), and it was literally on the beach with a wonderful view. These huts are very basic. The blinds of the hut role up and down, for the day/night and this is pretty much your home. Mossie nets were provided thankfully, but I believe these were hole-ridden which didn't help.

Food.
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Sadly, Samoan food isn't anything to get too excited about. I remember struggling to find things to eat in the local markets although there was an abundance of fruit and fish. There are restaurants serving things like pizza and burgers but I don't recall eating any traditional food which is a real shame. Mostly the Samoans are very unimaginative when it comes to food so don't get your hopes up too much.

Getting Around.
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Moving around within, or between islands isn't the easiest of tasks. On Savaii taxis are common although they aren't that cheap. There are regular buses although don't expect a set timetable, you'll just have to wait and hope for the best. The best way to get between islands is on the ferry. Crossings are infrequent but do at least run on a timetable and are not expensive. Motorbikes can be hired cheaply and are a good way to get around, allowing more freedom to explore.

Negatives.
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There isn't exactly much to do. There are no tourist attractions as such, so if you are not happy sitting on the beach, swimming, snorkeling, wandering and exploring then don't go.

I have to say that I didn't feel comfortable or Welcome in Western Samoa. At the time of our travel there was a coup in Fiji and as a consequence many travelers including ourselves headed to some of the other Pacific Islands. I am confident that there were quite a significant amount more tourists in Samoa than usual and I guess the locals didn't like it very much. I can remember getting some negative male attention from local men on the streets while we were there (We were two blond English girls) and being warned to be careful at nights and never to go out alone. My friend also had some of her walkman stolen from her bag when we were on the ferry crossing over to Upolu which was unfortunate.

Additionally what ruined Samoa for me was that I got about 50-60 mossie bites during that week. I was covered in them and it was awful, mossie spray, coils and any other anti-mosquito paraphernalia are essential if you are planning a trip. Especially if you are prone to bites as I am.

Samoa is a relatively poor country but the only commercial thing there when we went was a McDonalds and I thought it was just awful. We went, because the food in Samoa is not amazing although looking back I wish we hadn't. We received the best service in this McDonalds than I have had anywhere else in the World. It's clearly a good job to have in this country in comparison to other occupations. But I really didn't feel that Samoa needed a McDonalds, it was out of place and clearly only the upper class could afford to visit.

This leads me to another of my issues with Samoa. The country has been rapidly modernized, particularly the capital. The result is a lot of ugly commercial buildings which have done little to improve the City, they would have been better off without them.

Pluses.
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Despite my issues with Samoa, parts of the country are pretty and do fit into the picture postcard island paradise stereotype. I have a number of happy memories which I would like to share with you here.

Firstly, not far from Apia is the Papasee'a Sliding Rock. We spent an enjoyable day swimming in these amazing pools and waterfalls, hidden amongst the rainforest and shaded from the sun. You can slide down the huge rocks on the waterfall water and straight into the pools which is great fun. We attracted a lot of attention here though as this is mostly a local spot, but this was harmless attention from the local youth.

The beach we stayed on Upoli was deserted and beautiful, when the tide went out the reef is partly revealed and many colorful tropical fish can be seen just swimming about. This was an amazing sight and apart from the mossies, Upoli was a great place for a few days of happy relaxing, although there is literally nothing to do.

As I mentioned above Samoa is a volcanic island and I can vividly remember a bus trip past a huge expanse of solid black lava beds. Clearly nothing can grow on it and it just stretches for mile and miles right out to the sea from the mountains. It was an amazing sight.

The buses were also a highlight. These are crazy and brightly coloured with no glass in the windows. They look like they're from an Austin Powers movie. The driver will strap your bags up on the roof and you'll just have to pray that you'll see it again. Amazingly all the passengers would give up their seats for us as Westerners and Females, which surprised and humbled us. The rest of the bus would get crammed full of people who would all sit on one another's laps with the littlest ones on the top. This was a really great experience although very cramped, bumpy and hot!

We spent a lot of the time snorkeling outside Apia which was another amazing experience. The gear can be hired for next to nothing and when the time was out we would walk out to the reef and swim for hours. The fish were amazing.

Other Useful Information.
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If you're traveling from the UK you won't need a visa in advance, they are issued on arrival and this was a quick and simple process.

The official languages are Samoan and English and English is spoken everywhere.

Take absolutely masses of mosquito repellent and make sure you wear it at all times. I get bitten frequently everywhere I go but believe me here was the winner by a long way.

It is hot and humid. Very hot and humid, even at night. Be prepared for this.

You don't need to have any special inoculations to travel to Western Samoa.

If you're a diver then there are lots of wonderful opportunities for you here, although there are limited resources.

Summary.
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Despite my issues with Samoa, I do still recommend it to others, although admittedly only just. I feel that the timing of our visit (the coup in Fiji and the increased quantities of tourists visiting at this time) may have contributed to our somewhat negative experiences. Samoa does still have many positive features and areas of outstanding natural beauty. I don't want to put anyone off a destination which they might love to pieces, but the simple fact of the matter is that if you are looking for an island paradise, Fiji or the Cook Islands have a lot more going for them. These islands are well known for the hospitality of their people, great food and beaches and personally they seem like a more attractive option.