Paradise on Earth? I found mine - Samoa!

And suddenly, the time in Samoa was there, which seemed so far away. So we got on the plane from Sydney to Apia, the capital of Samoa. Due to the time difference, our flight became a very short night. We flew from Australia in the evening and arrived in Samoa five hours later in the early morning for the sunrise. An awesome first experience. The sunrise over the ocean! At the airport, we were picked up by the shuttle of our resort. The hour-long drive across the entire long side of the island was interesting. The road conditions were even worse than in New Zealand. Except in Apia itself, you can find potholes every 500 meters along the road.

So the drive took longer and longer. But it felt like driving through paradise. This paradise was also offered by the resort. In our own small villa with a bedroom and a bathroom, we were right on the beach created by the resort, and behind it, the crystal clear and turquoise sea. It was living with a view of the sea and the beach from the bedroom. The resort consisted of a total of about 15 small villas, two pools, a small reception as well as a restaurant and a bar with a terrace right by the sea, in addition to the beach with sun loungers and umbrellas. With full board booked, we enjoyed ourselves for ten days in Samoa. We almost had the entire resort to ourselves all the time. Except on weekends, there were only one or two other groups in the resort at any given time.

Aside from the days we spent lazily on the beach and in the sun (which were clearly the majority;)), we also saw some of the island. One day, we took a Samoan bus towards Apia. The bus ride alone was an experience in itself. With loud Samoan music and a big bass standing in the middle of the bus, Samoans piled up on top of each other once there was no more space. That was normal there. No one left unless two people sat on each seat. Many of the local buses didn't even have windows. So be careful in the rain.

In Apia itself, we strolled around the city a bit. From the Clocktower, through the Fleamarket, through the National Museum which consisted of two rooms, and simply along the streets. The weather sometimes left something to be desired with heavy rain showers, but otherwise, we got a great impression. In many places, you could still see the country's status as a developing country.

We also saw this the next day. We booked a half-day tour of the island through the resort. Niklas and I were the only two who booked the tour on that day. That's why we had a driver and a guide all to ourselves, who showed us the entire eastern part of the island throughout the day. Another awesome part of paradise. From waterfalls in the jungle to huge holes in the ground where you can swim to amazing beaches.

But we also drove through the small settlements located in the hinterland. Everything was still very underdeveloped and indigenous here. People still live in the old open buildings that are common in the culture here. It was impressive to see because these are moments that you don't often get to see. Since Samoa is not really big, we had enough time to explore everything very relaxed. It was a brilliant day that we both really enjoyed and was definitely worth it. Impressions that you don't get again quickly and that really impress you.

We spent most of the other days on the beach and didn't do much more. One day, we walked to the Cave Pools, a few hundred meters from the resort, with two girls we had met at the resort. The Cave Pools are crystal clear waters, which, as the name suggests, flow into a small cave. In the water itself, there are quite a few fish that you swim with. You can also swim into the cave itself. Snorkel and goggles were recommended here!

So the ten days in Samoa passed much too quickly, and the return flight to New Zealand awaited us. We hadn't made any plans for the last 1 1/2 weeks yet. But it looked like we would cover the last missing big patches on New Zealand's map. Bay of Plenty, East Cape, and Hawkes Bay. But you will find out exactly what happens next in the next post.

Until then,

Your Luca