27.09.2016 Samoa # Culture and Island Paradise on Upolu and Savaii

As there are no direct flights from Tonga to Samoa, we have to take a detour via Nadi / Fiji. The flights with Fiji Airways are quite pleasant and relatively short. On the flight from Nadi to Apia, we had a moment of shock. Where Maike's eBook should be, there is only an empty space in the backpack. It seems that it flew back to Tonga. At least that could be assumed. An email to Fiji Airways the next day informs us otherwise. The good piece has actually been found and handed in. Since we are flying back via Nadi, we can pick it up there. Excellent service.

For the first 4 days, we stay on the island of Upolu in Samoa's capital Apia. Since we arrive on Sunday morning, the streets are naturally empty. Fortunately, we still find an open supermarket and a restaurant where we can satisfy our most urgent needs.

The Amanaki Hotel turns out to be a lucky find. Although the rooms remind us of a hospital due to the bare white walls, they are exceptionally large and clean. We have a nice view of the sea and can cool off in the large pool if needed. But the best thing is the hotel's own restaurant. They have taken a liking to German cuisine, so we can actually eat schnitzel with mashed potatoes. A nice change. It seems to be well received by the locals as well, as the restaurant is usually fully booked in the evenings.

A little spectacle takes place every morning from Monday to Friday at the police station. Shortly before 9 o'clock, the police band marches to the government building a few hundred meters away to hold a short flag ceremony there.

After exploring Apia on foot in the first two days, we rent a car from Samoana on the third day. The temporary driver's license required is conveniently issued by the rental company, so there is no need for unnecessary bureaucratic procedures. Very practical.

According to our Nelles Guide, we follow the Cross Island Road, which connects the north and south coasts of the island and promises some sights. The first stop is a longer visit to the former home of Robert Louis Stevenson ("Treasure Island"), where we arrive just in time to join a guided tour. Very interesting and informative. It seems that Robert made quite an impression on the Samoans, as he is revered here. The house has been faithfully restored. There are still authentic pieces here and there, such as the first safe used in Samoa.

We continue past the only Bahai Temple in Oceania (Bahai = a rare religious belief that accepts the gods of all other religions equally) to the Papapapaitai Waterfall, which flows from the jungle from a height of about 100 meters. A magnificent sight.

Next, we want to visit Lake Lanoto'o, a crater lake and according to Nelles, a worthwhile and rarely visited destination. We are willing to take the prophesied one-hour hike, it can't be that bad. However, it was not written anywhere that it would be a jungle trip over rough terrain. We are already glad to have a high-legged SUV and not a normal car for the approach to the actual starting point of the hike. The trail over rough lava rock and through deep muddy holes demands everything from our Toyota. Finally, it becomes too risky for it as well, and with the owner's permission, we park in front of a property. We gratefully decline his offer to guide us to the lake. That could have gone wrong. Because the actual path starts a few hundred meters further in waist-high grass and is hardly recognizable. But we are right with our choice and slowly make our way towards the forest. We still have doubts from time to time until we reach a rest area that resembles those in our local forests. A few forest workers we meet after half an hour take away the last doubt. After another 30 minutes of up and down, through sometimes dense jungle, always expecting to slip on the muddy ground or get stuck in one of the muddy holes, we finally reach the lake. Or rather, an observation point above it. Dirty and sweaty as we are, we seriously consider going down and jumping into the water. But the exhaustion and the prospect of the steep return path make us refrain from doing so. So it remains at a short photo session, and we make our way back to the car. We have probably never put so much effort into taking photos :-)

Afterwards, we drive towards the coast, where we finally find a piece of beach where we can freshen up a bit and go out again. For the rest of the day, we avoid any further efforts, also due to damaged footwear, and leisurely drive back to the hotel on the northern route.

The next day, we take the ferry to Savaii. We stay at the Savaii Lagoon Resort for 6 days, in a bungalow right on the beach, and it's simply fantastic. The breakfast is a bit simple, but there are plenty of delicious things for dinner. And if nothing else works, there is Leilina across the street, which offers excellent pizza.

Kyle, our host, has arranged a FiaFia show at the resort for one evening. It's a colorful mix of dance, acrobatics, and an introduction to local customs. The boys and girls from the Sons of Samoa really put a lot of effort into it. From the dance numbers to a kava ceremony to simple things like "How do I open a coconut and what do I do with it afterwards?" - it was a lot of fun to watch these likeable guys.

Thanks to the relatively sparse lighting all around, you can admire a gigantic starry sky at night. Every evening, we sit on the beach and alternately look at the sea or up at the Milky Way. You could really get used to it. During the day, we laze around or go snorkeling. The tides are quite strong here, but thanks to a deeper spot, a kind of pool in the sea, you can swim anytime.

We go diving with Dive Savaii, the base of Tina and Olaf, two Germans who have been living here for four years. The dive spots are not sooo exciting and challenging, but they are good for some very relaxed dives. The most beautiful one lasted almost seventy minutes along the Canyon Wall. A very beautiful underwater landscape with small tunnels and caves. With good visibility, the wreck of the John Williams V. is also a very nice place. It was definitely a lot of fun.

In the neighboring resort, we rent a car without any bureaucratic hassle. After all, we want to see a bit more of this island, which, although almost entirely made of lava, is incredibly green. So we visit the PeaPea Cave, a small lava cave that goes along under the road, and briefly drive to the main town of Saleologa for some shopping. Occasionally, we also pick up hitchhikers because the buses on the island are quite scarce and irregular. We also experience a surprise when two boys, whom we want to give a lift, suddenly stuff a live pig into the trunk. However, they would have had to carry it for a while.

On the last day, we want to drive completely around the island. With only 192 km of distance, it shouldn't be a problem. However, after visiting the Canopy Walkway (tree bridge at a height of 40m) and the House of Rocks, we are hit by bad luck after only 1/3 of the way. A flat tire is quickly changed, especially since a friendly Samoan immediately offers help. However, we now only have a spare tire on and considering the condition of the other tires, we decide to steer the Korean car back to the resort and give up the circumnavigation of the island. We have already seen the most important things.

The days pass by again in the blink of an eye, and the beautiful time on Savaii is over very quickly. We have booked one more night on Upolu to secure our flight to Fiji and not be dependent on the ferry. The St. Therese Resort is certainly not a bad place for this purpose, unless a Samoan large family reunion is taking place. The pool was hardly visible due to the many splashing children, and nighttime sleep only came after the last door of the neighboring rooms had loudly closed.

To make matters worse, our flight has been rescheduled from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning at 3:50 am. So we quickly book a room at the Amanaki by email. Although we won't sleep there (taxi arrives at 1:30 am), we have a nice base for a quiet day and can treat ourselves to one last schnitzel. Oh, and we are the only ones in the pool :-)

Samoa is definitely worth a return visit for us. The warm-hearted, friendly people, the beautiful landscape, simply this mix of exotic culture and island feeling - all good reasons to come back here again.