Anybody ever been to Samoa?

[Papa Deuce]

The wife and I are planning a MAJOR trip when we are married 10 years, which is a little over 4 years from now. We're thinking 2- 3 weeks if we can get someone to watch the kids that long. And we have a 10th anniversary vacation fund already started.

Two nights ago we caught 15 minutes of a travel show on Samoa. After the show my wife says, I always wanted to see Samoa? I never knew that. And, while I never gave Samoa much of a thought, from what I have seen it is EXACTLY the kind of place I would enjoy!

We were thinking Australia or New Zealand, but Samoa looks a whole lot closer in travel time, which would mean something to us. And maybe cheaper as well, though that is just a guess on my part.

Would be really happy if anybody can offer some insight!

 

[1stNoel]

I haven't been there, but being a scuba diver I have plenty of friends that have. From what they've said the islands are unbelievably beautiful, remote and untouched. The people are friendly and there are some pretty good deals. I have to say though that the remote and untouched part appealed to me a lot more before the tsunamis. We have friends that are still in the Similan Islands off Thailand. Thankfully they were not hurt and will be home soon. Experiencing a natural disaster in a remote place without the rescue support we are accustomed to is not something I would care to experience though and it will play a part in my vacation planning from now on. Hopefully we won't see anything of this scale again in our lifetime, but bad weather and disasters can happen anywhere and at anytime. Since you're planning a long trip, I would go for Australia where you can do some exploring. Hayman Island off of coast is my favorite down-under destination.

 

[Papa Deuce]

See, I LOVE remote and secluded. And I love doing things that other people don't do. My honeymoon was in Belize andeven though it is becoming more popular, 6 years ago, when I told people where I went, nobody knew where I was talking about.

 

[Nutsy]

Yup, I've been to American Samoa..........going back a good few years, but I have been there.

It is a nice place, but do remember not to walk around in just your bathers or even just a pair of shorts & no shirt & the ladies must be covered also. Well that is the way it was when I was there anyway, whether it has changed since is anybody's guess.

 

[Papa Deuce]

bumping up.

 

[Serena]

Nope, but I've eaten Samoa's and they are really good.


enjoy your trip, where ever you go.

 

[DisMN]

Samoa sounds like such a lovely place. My Aunt recently found out that she's a shirt tail relative to a Samoan Princess. This family invited my aunt to visit them and they went last summer. The photographs and stories about what they saw and did are fabulous.
They had a wonderful time but did mention how remote it is compared to even the most rural areas of the U.S.

p.s. My Aunt and her daughter are both Pooh (maybe even EXTRA Pooh) sized ladies. Beware, anyone who goes to Samoa...they really really REALLY LIKE the large sized gals!

 

[Nutsy]

Samoa sounds like such a lovely place. My Aunt recently found out that she's a shirt tail relative to a Samoan Princess. This family invited my aunt to visit them and they went last summer. The photographs and stories about what they saw and did are fabulous.
They had a wonderful time but did mention how remote it is compared to even the most rural areas of the U.S.

p.s. My Aunt and her daughter are both Pooh (maybe even EXTRA Pooh) sized ladies. Beware, anyone who goes to Samoa...they really really REALLY LIKE the large sized gals!

Yeah that is so true.....Samoan & Tongan women are BIG

Something else to consider here is the fact that it is only a small light aircraft that flies into Samoa etc.........when I went I was on a South Pacific cruise & that was one of our ports of call. So, do take that on board when looking at those islands. You probably would also need to fly into a larger country & then onto Samoa. From what I recall the planes are little 8 seaters & if you have a couple of Samoans on board with you Then good luck for a safe landing.

 

[1stNoel]

My friends say the Coconuts Resort on Samoa is the place to stay. They like it because all resort's the water is filtered (water is an issue on most islands). Their restaurant serves the best food on the island, a combo of Polynesian and American Fare (which is nice because most South Pacific island resorts serve French food). The rooms and facilities are clean and in good condition (I guess it's very hard to get supplies there, so they say things tend to get rundown and not replaced). The bad news is you have to still fly to Australia or NZ to get flights to Samoa.

 

[Jimbo]

We spent two weeks in Fiji last May for our 25th anniversary, and I can't say enough good things about it. The friendliest people on earth, spectacular beaches, world class snorkeling/diving and some very excellent resorts. Even the most upscale of them are very laid back, too. We rarely wore shoes while we were there, and we stayed at a pretty high end resort.

Fiji's actually 300 or so islands, and many of them are just big enough for a village and a resort. You can stay in your own bure (kind of a hut) that's right on the beach at many of the resorts. It's like being a castaway on your own tropical paradise. Muy romantico!

It's just north of New Zealand, so it's not close by any means. But there's direct flights from LAX every night. You leave at 11:30 PM, and arrive at 5:30 AM Fiji time. We slept most of the flight, and woke up feeling pretty good. Not any jet lag to speak of.

I highly recommend the place, and it's not something ordinary by any means. And if you're looking for something even more remote, check out the Cook Islands.

 

[Papa Deuce]

We spent two weeks in Fiji last May for our 25th anniversary, and I can't say enough good things about it. The friendliest people on earth, spectacular beaches, world class snorkeling/diving and some very excellent resorts. Even the most upscale of them are very laid back, too. We rarely wore shoes while we were there, and we stayed at a pretty high end resort.

Fiji's actually 300 or so islands, and many of them are just big enough for a village and a resort. You can stay in your own bure (kind of a hut) that's right on the beach at many of the resorts. It's like being a castaway on your own tropical paradise. Muy romantico!

Sound like my kind of place! We stayed in a thatched hut in the jungle on my honeymoon so maybe my wife like like to do that on a beach, too!

 

[PartyMum]

I know this is an old thread but I gotta say Samoa is a great place for a holiday. My hubby is Samoan so I have the advantage of being able to enjoy it from the persepctive of both tourist and local.
I've been to Fiji too, but liked Samoa basically because it wasn't as touristy. There is still heaps to do but it doesn't smack of tourism if you know what I mean. Its real.
As to the appropriate dress code, while there I got around most days in a regular pair of khaki shorts and a strappy singlet, no probs. Bathers are absolutely only for the beach though.
If there is one thing you ought to avoid though, its using bad language, samoans are incredibly respectful people, so show them respect by speaking with it.