1. Regina’s Beach Fale, Manase, Savai’i.

July 30th we left NZ to arrive 1 day earlier on Samoa!
From airport to ferry by local bus, one of those
nice open-window-music playing-old-schoolbus ones, 
to Savai’i the biggest island and further by another bus, 
this time chockfull with locals, market shoppings, timber 
and …hot air!! Hop off in Manase where we chose to stay 
for a week at Regina’s, a small and cosy place with 
10 beach fales or huts. They come in all kind of different 
versions and these were open and basic, but with very efficient
roll-up palmleaf blinds; ours even had a bit of springy grass
and a couple of trees around it. Paradise!!






2. Church, Safotu, Savai’i.

Western Samoa became a German colony with the USA next door 
on American Samoa. Many Chinese workers were imported for 
the coffee, banana and palmtree plantations; NZ occupation 
followed during WWII. Nowadays Independent Samoa receives 
many investments and aid from Japan and the EU. There are
many mixed-blood Samoans.
Also all kinds of Christianity can be found in Samoa 
thanks to sailors and missionaries in the 19th-20th century.
On Sunday morning people prepare the ‘umu’, a traditional 
earth oven, go to church in their whites, in this case 
a huge catholic one; after that back home for a big lunch 
and lazy the rest of the day, no activities allowed.
Ah, what a life!!







3. Dinner at Regina’s, Manase, Savai’i.

Everyday we had communal home-cooked meals at set times.
Pancakes or toast, breadfruit and papaya for breakfast;
cocoa rice, breadfruit (in season), fish, meat and 
papaya for dinner; one of the nicest things was 
‘palusami’: coconut cream wrapped in taro leaves
straight from the umu, mmmmm. With not much more to do 
than lazying, reading, swimming and snorkelling we gained
a couple of kilos and understand why Samoans are so big!!


















4. Alofaaga Blowholes, Savai’i.

On island tour from nearby’s Tanu’s Beach, we visited
the natural highlight of the island: a set of blowholes
formed in the lava rocks by the pounding waves. Impressive 
to see a coconut being shot 30m high up in the air!






















5. Lava Field, Sale’aula, Savai’i.

Savai’i is the largest, but also most empty island.
Most people live around the coastlines of these volcanic
islands. There are 450 craters on Savai’i, Mt Silisili with
1866m is the highest top. From 1905 to 1911 eruptions of
the much lower Mt Matavanu (402m) sent lava down to sea, 
covering most of the Northeast with a layer 10 to 150m thick.
These are the ruins of a church where the lava flowed 
in through the windows and doors.


















6. Sunrise at Regina’s, Manase, Savai’i.

Wake up in your fale, lift your head and see this:
need to say more?!!

















7. Fish market, Apia, ‘Upolu.

After a short stay on the small and trafficless island 
Manono, we backtracked further past the airport to 
the capital Apia on ‘Upolu, with 120,000 of total 180,000
the most populated island. We stayed a couple of nights in
the Hidden Garden Stay, a lovely place set in a lush and 
well arranged garden with lots of fruit and flowering trees.
Early Sunday morning we went to the fish market and bought 
2 lobsters and a fish that we cooked for diner later.
Colourful fishes were better to look at snorkelling in 
the beautiful Blue Hole, part of the Palolo Deep marine
reserve just of a nearby small coral beach.















8. Bahai Temple, ‘Upolu.

Close to the highest point of the Cross Island Rd, 
10km north of Apia, we went to this temple. It’s one of 
only seven Bahai Houses of Worship worldwide.
Their faith originated in nowadays Iran in 1844 and 
recognises the basic unity of all religions and the 
oneness of mankind. Like the temple I saw in New Delhi,
India, this one also was a structural beauty 
on nice landscaped grounds.


















9. Taofua Beach Fale, Lalomanu, ‘Upolu.

The last 3 days we stayed in this place, a bit higher 
standard and more tourists, but definitely the best beach, 
fantastic snorkelling nearby and….more great food!!

Let's go: