Firstly, I can’t believe I am old enough to be celebrating 50th birthdays. That must mean I am getting older…that can’t be right?!
Anyway, we aren’t really the couple that does presents – we much prefer experiences. It is quite normal for us to be under the Christmas tree with nothing for each other. Some may say that’s strange, but I say a plane ticket is much better gift.
So, when Husband approached the big event, he decided to celebrate by starting to tick Pacific Islands off his destination hit list. Samoa was first up, probably because we could fly direct from Brisbane in around 5 hours.
We took the red eye, then picked up a hire car in Apia. First impressions were that we were truly on a remote pacific island. We drove on basic roads past fields of tropical vegetation. Palm trees. Fruit stands beside the road. Fales. (Fales are shelters with no walls where families and friends gather and most houses seem to have them).
We instantly felt like we had escaped the rat race of civilisation.
Arriving at the resort it was like arriving in a tropical paradise. Absolute beachfront location – we could literally see the white sand and turquoise water from our room.
We stayed on one of the main islands, Upolu, at a resort on the south western side. It is much more local and less populated than the northern side – and has better beaches.
The resort – Return to Paradise – was named after a movie that was filmed there in 1953 that was called, Return to Paradise. I haven’t seen it though it was a regular feature at the resort’s movie nights!
Because we had a car, we were mobile, meaning we didn’t have to sit around the resort or go on tours. (It wasn’t so easy to get around unless you had a car or went on an organised tour.)
Our first stop was To Sua Ocean Trench.
Wow. Just, wow.
This is a stunning swimming hole that was formed from a collapsed lava tube. You have to descend 30m down stairs and then down a ladder to reach the swimming platform. Surprisingly, the current down there is quote strong, so I held onto the rope that stretches from one side to the other.
There weren’t many people there and it was perfect. It was the kind of place you at and remind yourself, this is why we travel. Why it’s always worth it to make the effort to escape from the bubble we surround ourselves in everyday.
After the beauty of To Sua, we decided to chase waterfalls (despite the advice from TLC). There are several waterfalls on the island which you can easily get to by car, so we spent a day road tripping.
Togitogiga Waterfall is slightly hidden off the main road (there is really only one road around the island) and seemed to be off the beaten tourist route, as we were the only ones there for awhile.
You could be excused for almost missing Papapapaitai Falls, though you wouldn’t want to. It’s a simple turn off from the road, and it looks like you are parking at someone’s house. A lovely lady will come out, take a few dollars from you and show you to the lookout. It’s stunning and was Husband’s favourite of the trip.
The falls drop over 100m into a gorge in a super lush green valley. Kinda like a Jurrasic Park vibe.
Next up was Piula Cave Pool.
The Piula Cave Pool is located in the grounds of the Piula Methodist Theological College and you would definitely miss it if you didn’t know this. You drive into the grounds, pay a small fee and head down to the coast. You can rent a fale or sit on the edge of the pool. It’s freshwater and quite deep, so was actually quite refreshing – even with the fish swimming around. You can head into the cave at the end for a bit of shade if you need.
We spent 5 days in Samoa (Monday to Friday), which I think is enough. We got the perfect mix of exploring and relaxing wind down time. If you are resort people, you could definitely stay for longer and just chill on the beach.
My Takeaways From Samoa:
- It’s remote. Don’t expect internet roaming to work. Switch off and enjoy.
- Hire a car. It gives you flexability and freedom to go where you want, when you want.
- Pack light. You won’t need anything fancy. We lived in shorts and tshirts.
- Just go. It’s incredible.
