There are so many things that you can do and places to visit in Samoa. It can often become overwhelming. Here is a list of 5 things to do in Samoa to help you cut the list down a little.
1. Namua Island
My son and I loved this place! The customer service officer was lovely. She was well mannered and able to give me all the information that I needed as well as take the booking. When we arrived the boat was ready to leave. The boat driver (? I think there is a term for this I just can't think of it) was also very accommodating. He was nice but not too nice where one could come off as being sleazy. The facilities were well maintained and very accessible.
I am a bit of an environmentalist so I was ecstatic to see that they used solar power for their lights, gas for cooking and water tanks for the water. I would love to see them look into a biogas system to treat wastewater and also generate power for cooking and lights.
The path up the mountain was not set up as well as it could be. If they had a dedicated and well maintained path up the mountain it could add to their already lovely establishment.
Namu'a is beautiful, it is quiet and just lovely. I can't wait to go back!
I am not a good driver and having to follow a map while driving at the same time was a challenge for me. I found the drive and signage for the Afu Aau Falls very easy. The road going to the falls is not paved. We went on a nice day so it was easy for our Hyundai Getz to get up, but I can see that it would be more difficult if wet weather so be mindful of this when planning your trip.
The falls themselves are beautiful. Like so much of Samoa the beauty really is something that you need to see first hand in order to understand just how beautiful it is. The entrance fee was not expensive and the people at the gate were friendly.
I have always wanted to do the canopy walk ever since I first saw photos of it. I also loved that I would be able to share my first experience on the walk with my son. When you arrive there was a little hut where a group of men sat. This was not very inviting and made me a little apprehensive to approach them. They ended up being nice men. The price of entrance was a little steep, but I was told that it included the price of entrance for two other attractions down the road, the foot print and a stone house I think. I had not planned on going to either of these sites but because it was included we added it to our itinerary.
We had a guide take us up the canopy walk. It was higher than I expected, but if my 11 year old can climb up I was not about to chicken out now. So we climbed and the views were spectacular. You could also see that there were huge improvements made to the canopy walk in comparison to the photos that I had seen. This made me feel even more comfortable paying so much to enter. The walk itself was shorter than I expected. It was a beautiful walk though. Then we reached the other side and climbed up a massive tree up into the sky. I felt a little like Jack and the beanstalk climbing up to see the giants. We didn't see giants but could see the leafy tree tops that led to the ocean. Absolutely amazing experience.
A freshwater cave pool surrounded by the ocean. It sounds out of this world and it really is. You can access the natural cave pool through the Methodist Compound in Piula on the North west coast of Upolu. There is car parking at a cost. You can also use the fale Samoa so bring along food. No alcohol is permitted. There are bathroom facilities available.
If you are looking to get a glimpse into the culture of Samoa and some of the things we do then head over to the Samoan Cultural Village in Ele'ele Fou behind the Samoan Tourism Association Fale Samoa. They are open every day. They offer dancing, singing, cooking, and the opportunity to see carvers, and siapo makers. It is a lot of fun, free and close to town.
Upgrading the roads or infrastructure.