SAMOA : Adventure & Cultural Tours

Upolu Island has some amazing natural , cultural and sporting attractions. Sa'Moana Resort has a fantastic range of day tours at very reasonable prices that will enable you to experience some of Samoa's attractions. These activities are of around three to seven hours duration and sell for between A$40-60 per head per activity. This includes all admission costs to any venue or tourist site and, in most cases, all equipment needed.

SET TOUR SCHEDULE : Tours will depart with a minimum of two passengers, except the basic fishing trip which has a minimum of four passengers.

MONDAY 9:30am - 4:30pm
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON TOUR (A$50)

We travel via the Cross Island road and stop at the awesome Papapapai-tai Waterfall. Upon arrival at the RLS museum, the tour is conducted by experienced Samoan staff with insights not only into the life of RLS, but Samoan history as well. After the tour, an optional walk up Mt Vai to Stevenson's grave site is available. This is approximately a 45 minute walk each way, with excellent views overlooking Apia and the north side of Upolu Island. Depending upon time remaining and day of the week, a drive into Apia may be offered. Light refreshments and lunch included plus museum entry. Option to visit Apia markets and Sliding Rocks.

TUESDAY 9:30am - 12:30pm
WEST COAST SCENIC DRIVE (A$40)



Headed west from Sa'Moana to the remote west coast (rarely seen by tourists) to sample some of Samoa's most picturesque landscape and coastlines. You will feel like you've been zapped onto the set of Jurassic Park. You will also visit a village where you can hand-feed large turtles and friendly fish! Refreshments included.

WEDNESDAY 9:00am - 1:00pm
THE CAPITAL - APIA (A$40)
50 minute drive to the nation's capital for a wander around the streets of Apia and venture through the craft/food markets to find that souvenir to take home. Chat with the locals and if you have a craving for junk food you can even pay a visit to McDonald's.

THURSDAY (No set departure times)
GUIDED KAYAK AND SNORKELLING EXPERIENCE - NO CHARGE
(Weather and tide dependent)



Depart Sa'Moana by sea kayak for a paddle of approximately 30 minutes to Turtle Reef where you can snorkel with the turtles (an amazing experience)! There is an uninhabited island and beach where you can beachcomb and enjoy the serenity.

FRIDAY 10:00am - 4:00pm
SCENIC ISLAND TOUR (6 hours duration) (A$50)



Scenic tour of Upolu island highlights and attractions. This includes village life, the capital Apia, waterfalls, mountain ranges, beautiful bays, white sand coral beaches and outer islands. On this tour you will journey west from the resort through some unspoilt and picturesque landscape and continue on a clockwise drive. Please note, this is not an activity-based tour but one where you will want your cameras. Several of our stops are beautiful swimming locations so towels and swimmers are an essential take along. Refreshments and lunch included.

SATURDAY 9:00am - 1:00pm
THE OCEAN TRENCHES
(4-6 hours duration) (A$40) (Weather, tide and swell dependent)



The Ocean Trenches is an amazing venue, an excellent location to relax on a secluded beach, snorkel through trenches of reef with diverse marine life within a lagoon and, for the thrill seekers, swim through caves and lava holes. Depending on time of day, light refreshments and/or lunch included.

SUNDAY
No set tours on Sundays due to the Sabbath Day. Samoans are deeply religious (Christian) people and, as we like to be respectful of their beliefs, have declared Sunday to be a NO TOUR day (except for surfing excursions by boat). A great day to kick back and relax and enjoy the resort's free activities (as listed below). Sunday lunch on the deck overlooking the lagoon is always a highlight.

IN-HOUSE ACTIVITIES
These are free activities for in-house guests, although a requirement of free use of resort facilities and equipment is that a credit card swipe be taken so that any damage to equipment or facilities will be paid for by the guest responsible.

KAYAK PADDLE



An excellent way to see parts of the island right at our doorstep, venturing either east or west over shallow, clean water inside the reef. Heading east, explore the lagoon and around the resort area, stopping at low tide beaches or the edge of the jungle. Heading west, see the everyday village life from the water. We can pack you a picnic lunch or light refreshments and, for those unsure of their abilities or safety, we can send you off with a guide.

SNORKELLING



Snorkeling gear is provided on request. Right out the front of resort is excellent for shallow water snorkeling with a diverse display of marine life, fish, reef and white coral sands. You can snorkel either east or west in the lagoon for hours of underwater exploring.

CULTURE FAA'SAMOA (most Fridays)



Every week we have a culture night with a traditional Samoan ceremony featuring kava, food and dancing. Between 4pm and 6 pm you can experience the preparations for this night. witness the preparation of the Samoan umu oven and food such as palusami, the making of coconut cream, how to retrieve a coconut from a tree and ho to husk a coconut, all using traditional methods that have been a way of life for centuries. Learn how to create your own hand woven mates from the examples our staff will have on hand or brush up on your samoan language skills. Cameras most welcome.

GENERAL ACTIVITIES



Pool and table tennis tables are available for guest use. Along with these is a volleyball court, which is big enough for a variety of other sports such as soccer or football. Games are often organised with other guests and our Samoan staff. There is also a golf net and golf clubs available to practice your swing. A variety of movies is available to watch in the bar/lounge area. Check out our library, plenty of books and magazines. Swapping is encouraged.

WALKS



Take a walk through our village of Salamumu, experiencing their lifestyle first hand. Its a 15 minute walk west to the start of the village, or head east via the rain forest trail down to the lagoon, 20 minutes each way. There is no limit to where or how far you can walk, all villages are friendly so long as you remember to show Samoans the respect they deserve. Be polite and dress appropriately, i.e. no revealing clothing. Samoans are very welcoming people.



OPTIONAL TOURS

These are activities that we can organise for guests, or in the case of the dive, option can be pre-booked and arranged by the guest direct.

BASIC FISHING TRIP (available on a request basis at A$80 per person)
Maximum 4 hours, minimum of 4 people, bottom fishing off Saanapu Sea Mount. All equipment, refreshments and lunch provided. Out at the mount one never knows what will be hooked next, from a coral trout, red snapper, dog tooth tuna to an amazing variety of reef fish or a small reef shark! All fishing equipment and refreshments are included.

SCUBA DIVING
Scuba diving is run by AquaSamoaDiveSchool and is accessible through our neighbour, Aggie Greys Lagoon Resort & Spa. Bookings and payments should be made made direct to Aqua Samoa. For information on the dives on offer and prices please contact Kat and Steve at aquasamoa@ipasifika.net or check the website www.aquasamoa.com

GOLF



Currently there are two golf courses in Samoa that are open to the public, Faleata Country Club and Royal Samoan Country Club. Both courses offer a unique playing experience in beautiful tropical surroundings. Faleata costs are cheap by western standards and 18 holes in a motorised buggy will set you back about A$15. Royal costs are a little dearer at about A$20. Golf sets are available for hire at the courses at a lower charge than Sa'Moana's but are generally mismatched and of poor quality. Our sets are still quite new Cougars and we have both left and right clubs plus a women's set.

GAME FISHING CHARTERS



This is an excellent choice for the keen fisherman who wants to see some deep-sea action in the tropical waters of Samoa. Some of the species we catch include marlin, sail fish, El Dorado (dolphin fish), dog tooth tuna and yellow fin tuna to name but a few! Quite often whales and dolphins are sited on these trips.

The cost is A$600 for a four hour charter with each requested additional hour charged at A$150 per hour. These charters cater for a maximum of four fishermen with lunch, refreshments and all equipment included. As lures are expensive, a basic fee of A$15 applies to any lost lures. Serious fishing enthusiasts undertaking charters are encouraged to bring their own rods, reels and basic equipment.