Fa'a Samoa and the Heart of Polynesia
Samoa is an independent island nation in the central South Pacific, comprising two main islands, Upolu and Savai'i, and several smaller islets. Apia, on Upolu, is the capital. The country is known for its living Polynesian traditions, called fa'a Samoa, which shape village life, family structure and hospitality. Samoa gained independence from New Zealand in 1962, and its people are known for warmth, church singing and strong community life.
Landscapes are a major draw. Upolu has the To Sua Ocean Trench, a deep turquoise natural pool reached by a long ladder, the Papase'ea Sliding Rocks and the Lalomanu Beach with its beach fale huts. Savai'i, the larger island, has lava fields, blowholes at Alofaaga and the Saleaula lava field. Traditional food, cooked in an umu earth oven, includes taro, palusami in coconut cream and fresh fish, and tattooing, called pe'a, is an honoured art.
Beach Fale, Waterfalls and Robert Louis Stevenson
Stays are relaxed and personal. Beach fale, open-sided thatched huts, line the sands at Lalomanu and Coconuts Beach, and family-run lodges and boutique resorts give a spread of price points. In Apia, the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum at Vailima, once the writer's home, sits on the slopes of Mount Vaea, where he is buried, and the Apia waterfront and Fugalei market show daily life.
Active visitors can walk to Papapapai-tai Falls, snorkel at Palolo Deep Marine Reserve, kayak, or take a ferry across the Apolima Strait to Savai'i. The Teuila Festival in Apia each September celebrates dance, canoe racing and fire-knife dancing. Samoa pairs well with neighbouring Fiji and the Cook Islands, and with New Zealand or Australia on the way to the Pacific, giving a hotel group a rich companion story.
Read the full Samoa guide on Visit Travel Group, or see VisitSamoa.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.