Surprising Samoa

Beach Fales

Dawn Princess in Apia Bay

I have never really thought about Samoa as a Pacific Island holiday destination, but we were very pleasantly surprised during our time here today. Since we had missed out on being able to snorkel in Bora Bora, we decided that our priority was to find a beach to snorkel today ...... we have carried fins and snorkeling gear all around the world so we were determined that they would get wet today.

An early morning rainbow greets the long boats - the finish line??

Will we finally get wet today?

One internet search later and we had booked a small 4WD - a Tuscon - we decided to independently explore the island with Joanne and Garry. The car was delivered to the gate of the pier and we were soon on our way .... found an ATM for some local currency .. we were headed to the far side of the island and weren’t sure if they would take dollars .... we headed up over the mountain to the beautiful south coast ..... through lovely small traditional unchanged villages ..... each village had a central open air meeting hall .... surrounded by houses which were mostly one large room ... each village is a family group ..... ancestors are highly respected so there is a burial site in front of each home .... some very lavish .... we were interested to see the local rubbish collection .... rubbish was placed on a platform outside each home on the roadside in plastic bags ... we followed a collection truck ... the driver was able to reach out his window and take the bags from the platform ... each one was at the correct height for the driver to reach.

Open air meeting halls

family burial in front of the home

Rubbish collection - Samoan style

Bringing home the coconuts!

Our first stop was at Paradise Cove at the Seabreeze resort ... Chris, the owner is a former Queenslander .. we recognised his Broncos stubbie holder ... he built the beautiful secluded resort in a tranquil bay on the southern lagoon ... and it was totally destroyed by the 2009 tsunami .... the reconstruction has only just been completed ... so new that the toilets were still being painted. We had delicious plunger coffee in the restaurant while the water lapped under the floor. We all agreed that this would be a perfect honeymoon destination.

Secluded Paradise Cove

Recovering from the Tsunami - rebuilding almost complete - Seabreeze Resort

Overwater dining - great coffee

The southern coastline is a photographers dream .... stunning vistas around every corner .... against a coastal backdrop featuring every possible shade of blue .... Arnold was driving and was very accommodating as we asked him to stop and in some cases to reverse the car so we could take photos. 

Beautiful scenery around every corner

Lalomanu Bay is billed as the best swimming and snorkeling beach on the island of Upolu .. so it was our next stop .... it was inside the sheltered lagoon ... on the south eastern side of the island where the damage from the tsunami was worst ... everywhere there was still evidence of destroyed houses ... deserted remains of homes, car wrecks and even clothing and possessions washed up onto the beach ... and stories of family members who had been lost .... heartbreaking.... but they are very resilient and courageous as many are rebuilding homes in the same area because it is their family land and heritage and they don’t want to move.

Tsunami damage

We had been told on the ship and in the guide book that the Samoan beaches are owned by families and villages and that we would have to pay a fee to use the beaches (the Princess Patter quoted a rate of $10-20) .... we asked at Lalomanu beach and the gentlemen just said .... ‘there’s the water, enjoy it’ .... and we definitely took his advice and enjoyed it .... the water was sparkling clear with white sand .... and it was not far out to the coral bottom ..... although it looked like a lot of the coral was destroyed in the tsunami .... I put on the mask and looked under the water ... at first, I didn’t see any fish until Joanne took out some biscuits which we crumbled ... and suddenly a frenzy of small fish were all around us ..... they were a sandy colour and blended perfectly with the sea bed. Further out, we swam over the reef and saw a number of varieties of fish and starfish sheltering under the coral. I love snorkeling so I was very happy to be here in such beautiful conditions.

camouflaged fish - they loved the biscuit crumbs

Along the waterside at Lalomanu Beach are the Taufau beach fales - thatched roof shelters that can be rented for the day to store your gear and provide sun protection ... we weren’t here long enough to rent one but they looked interesting .... it was a great place to swim cause there were showers, toilets, a bar, restaurant and small store .... facilities that are not readily available at the beaches in Samoa. We had taken fruit and muffins for lunch so we enjoyed these before making the return trip to Apia.

Felafa Falls - lush tropical gardens

There is really only one main road across the centre of the island and a road which goes along the coast ... we continued to head around the island back to Apia enjoying the scenery along the way ... as well as the sights of the local villages and schools ...... we arrived back in Apia around 3.00pm. .... topped up the car with petrol ... and decided to have a drink at Aggie Grey’s ....a Samoan hotel landmark near the port .... legend has it that Aggie Grey’s husband left her with debts when he died .. to make money, she set up a cafe near the port and sold hamburgers and coffee to the homesick American GI’s who called at Samoa in WW2.... she is also believed to be the model for the character of ‘Bloody Mary’, although the famous Bloody Mary’s bar is on Bora Bora. Many other ship’s passengers were also enjoying the pool bar and the tropical cocktails on offer .. the boys shared a large Vailima beer ...the local brew ... while we had cocktails .... Joanne enjoyed an Aggies special .... no idea of the ingredients ... cause it is a closely guarded secret recipe, while I had a wonderful concoction of Baileys and banana liqueur .... yummy .... suddenly we noticed that the bar was emptied .... ... and everyone was heading back to the ship .... must be close to all aboard time. We returned the car, and checked out the markets which were set up on the pier until it was time to go back onto the ship.

Original Open Air Samoan parliament building

Aggie Grey's iconic hotel

We showered and met up for the sail away on the back deck ... enjoying a champagne while watching the sun go down and Apia disappear into the distance ... suddenly the ship slowed and did a complete 180 degree turn ... could we be heading back to Apia .... theories abounded until Captain Vinnie came onto the speakers to tell us that we may have noticed that the ship had turned around ... there was a medical emergency and we needed to transfer a patient back to Apia .... as we neared the port, the ship stopped and a pilot boat came out and transferred a medical team to the ship ... after some time .... the patient, partner and medical team transferred back to the pilot boat and we again turned around and headed on our way .... it is always a sad time when we hear about any passenger who has had their plans changed by medical issues ... and we pray that they will make a quick recovery. Already we had heard a ‘code alpha’ announcement in the morning before we left the ship ... that is the crew code for a medical emergency ... a lady had broken her leg, slipping on the wet deck after some early morning rain .... it makes you aware of how quickly everything can change ..... 

A secret recipe

We are now heading south towards Auckland ..... the mood on the ship is changing as passengers begin to pack .... we will be losing a number of friends in Auckland .... I am determined that I will be packing on the afternoon before Sydney, when we have to change staterooms for our trip to Brisbane .... I don’t want to think about it yet .... so am keeping my head firmly planted in the sand!!!

Cheers

Note for future cruisers: Currency exchange: 1 Aussie dollar=2.3 tala. (August 2011)

We rented our car through Blue Pacific Car Rentals ... email to sales@bluepacific.ws ...... they were one of the few rental companies who would deliver to the pier. It is necessary to get a temporary Samoan driver’s licence .... issued by the rental company .... total rental was 202 tala - (rental, full insurance and licence)about 85 aussie dollars .... for 8 hour rental .... they drive on left hand side .... if you don’t want to drive, there were a lot of taxis on the pier with rates which varied from 25 to 40 dollars per person for 4-5 hours.... rate depends on your negotiating skills and also the number of passengers.