Samoa -Upolu

 

We were met off the Savai'i ferry by a driver from our new resort, Sa Moana on the south coast of Upolu. This was another piece of paradise, helped by the fact that apart from Will and I, there was only one other family staying at the resort. Sa Moana was in a stunning location, set amongst a coconut grove with more white sand beaches and an off-shore surf break. Within the reef was more amazing snorkelling to be had right off the beach. Above you can see the main bungalow containing the reception and dining room.

Above is our cute little beach bungalow. The resort was hit hard by Cyclone Evan in December 2013 and has pretty much been rebuilt. It is nearly there, but bits of it are still being constructed. It's probably a good thing we didn't have  anyone else around as there are no blinds/curtains yet in the bungalow! We did have a very cool outdoor bathroom enclosed by a stone wall. It was one of the more scenic places to have a shower...

 

However, we did have to share the shower with this cute wee fella... There is a first time for everything!

 

The view out the front of our bungalow from the deck wasn't too shabby either...

 

 

The resort had a very cool salt water infinity pool that they pumped from the ocean. It was nice to swim in when the ocean got a bit too choppy for snorkelling. You can just make it out below...

 

 

These pics show it off a bit better. We spent ages leaning over the edge watching the fish swim around in the ocean below, and watching the big crabs scurrying around the rocks.

 

 

 

We spent a lovely 3 days swimming, snorkelling, and generally just chilling out...

 

 

 

Every second shell you picked up seemed to be home to a cute little hermit crab. Will took this very cool pic.

 

On the Friday we didn't need to leave for the airport till just after 11pm, ready for our 1:50am Saturday morning flight. After a leisurely wake-up and breakfast we were ready to head out for a paddle on the kayaks. We told the staff we were keen to head out, and where we were planning to go, as is the procedure, but they told us to wait as they needed to have a staff meeting. Turns out there was a 6.9 earthquake off our shore, but luckily quite a way out. There was a tsunami warning out for about half an hour or so, but then we were given the all-clear.

 

Once we finally got on the water we paddled out to the beach that was used for the camp in the 'Surviver' series that was set in Samoa. We then landed on a small island in the lagoon and spent a bit of time snorkelling. I think the sun must have gotten to Will a bit and he thought he was a sea monster... 

 

Then we paddled to another gorgeous white sanded beach for a spot of lunch, and a bit more snorkelling for Will. The sea temperature is so warm in Samoa you could stay in the water all day if you wanted to. It was such a treat being in such a gorgeous location with no one else around for miles.

 

 

During our last meal at Sa Moana we were treated to a glorious sunset. The views to the east and the west were equally stunning...

 

 

We made it to the airport fine for our 1:50am flight and arrived back in Wellington without any dramas. We had a fantastic time in Samoa, and it has made us keen to explore some of the other islands in the South Pacific, especially since they really are so close. What's not to like about a week of warmth and sunshine in the middle of a kiwi winter?! I'll finish with a nice cheesy self-portrait, one of only a couple of pics we got together.

 

Samoa -Savai'i

Will and I flew to Samoa last Saturday. We were keen to head straight out to the island of Savai'i, but the last ferry was 4pm and due to the timing of our flights it would have been touch and go whether or not we made it. Instead we spent our first night in Apia. We had a wander around during the afternoon and generally found it a pretty quiet place with not too much going on...

 

The next morning we headed to the wharf and caught the ferry to Savai'i, enjoying the gorgeous colour of the water along the way. We then got a shuttle to the north coast where we were staying 2 nights at the Savai'i Lagoon Resort. This place was amazing, I would highly recommend it to anybody visiting Samoa. It was a pretty small resort and very well run. There was a beautiful white sand beach, and to the left of the stone wall you can see in the pic below was a deep swimming hole. This was brilliant because otherwise you needed to wade out for ages into the lagoon at low tide to be able to go for a swim. The snorkelling direct from the beach was also superb.

We had one of the beachfront bungalows, and the view was incredible.

 



We had stocked up on some duty-free booze on the way in, so enjoyed a nice sun-downer cocktail (or two) in the evenings.

 

The resort had several kayaks that the guests were free to use so Will enjoyed a paddle at dusk

On the Monday we walked to a tourist attraction where you can swim with turtles. I was really excited about doing this, but once I was there, it was actually pretty scary! The water was a bit murky and it was hard to see where the turtle were underwater. I kept bumping into them with my legs and freaking myself out! Luckily a couple of the local kids had fed them a whole lot of paw paw before we got in, so they were less likely to have a nip at me... They had a ferocious set of teeth!



 

I was much happier sitting on the steps where you enter the lagoon, so I didn't feel like they could 'sneak up' behind me! We had taken along a mask and snorkel and it was pretty cool putting your head under and watching them.

You can't see much of the turtles in the pic below, but I've included it because it's a lovely shot of Will.

 

While at the turtles we had a torrential down pour of rain, so we sat and waited it out a bit before the 20 min or so walk back to the resort. You don't mind the rain quite so much when it is still late 20's to 30 degrees!

On Tuesday we travelled back down to the south side of the island. We stayed one night at Lusia's Lagoon Chalets which was a 10 minute or so walk from the ferry wharf.  This place was also very cool. It had bit more of a backpackers vibe. We stayed in an 'over the lagoon' chalet, and as you can see from the pic below, it was just as described! I'm standing on our private balcony, and there was a ladder going down to the lagoon. You could watch fish swim past from the balcony...

There are lots of naturally occurring freshwater springs in the lagoon, and one of them had been made into a very deep and very cold freshwater pool which is (quite literally!) very cool. You see them all over the place in Samoa.

From Lusia's we walked the 15 minutes or so to the local Savai'i market. There wasn't actually much there, but school had just been let out and it was cool seeing the old pimped up buses that they use over here. We started to walk back to our accommodation and a young guy in a ute pulled over and offered us a lift back which was nice of him, it saved us a walk in the heat of the afternoon! All the locals that we came across were incredibly friendly and welcoming, and they all had brothers/sisters/aunts/uncles/children living in Auckland...

 

There is a large communal deck over the water at Lusia's where we spent most of the afternoon and evening hanging out. We got friendly with 2 young couples from Australia and had a very pleasant evening swapping travelling tales and sharing round the last of our rum.

On Wednesday one of the couples we had been hanging out with (and who had a hire car) were catching the same ferry as us, so we caught a lift to the wharf with them. There had been some rain overnight and there was a huge big puddle of mud which a few of the 'locals' enjoyed rolling around in... There are pigs and chickens wandering at will all over Samoa! After just over an hour on the ferry we were back on the main island of Upolu. We loved our time on the island of Savai'i and would be very keen to return one day.