Adventure Magazine Feb 2020

SAMOA
Samoa plays a big role in New Zealand culture with so many Samoans living here, yet as a
destination it has only really come into its own in the past five years. Consisting of ten islands, Samoa
is the epitome of South Pacific. Its islands are the home to lush rainforests, waterfalls, lagoons and
breath-taking reefs and beaches. There are two main islands, Savai'i and Upolu and two small islands,
Apolima and Manono, plus six other uninhabited islands. Located on the westerly end of the Samoa
Archipelago, it is halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. Two things we noticed when visiting was
how well developed the city areas were and the second was the size of the people. Samoans are a big
race of people with strong culture, they are genuinely friendly and if they find out you are from New
Zealand they will want to talk about rugby and tell you where their cousins live.
Slide down Papase’ea Sliding Rocks
Close to Apia, kids (and adults) will love the
Papase’ea Sliding Rocks. Gentle waterfalls have
formed natural slides in the rocks, one up to five
meters in length. It’s easy to find and a must do
during the wet season. It’s possible in the dry
season although not always guaranteed to be
flowing.
Go Surfing
Not so well known is how good the surf is in
Samoa. Between May and October you’ll want to
be rising early to make the most of the conditions
before the winds pick up and the waves become
too powerful. November through to April, the
breaks are more comfortable. There is no surf
shop in Samoa, so bring all your surf gear.
Falealupo Canopy Walkway
The Canopy Walkway is part of the Falealupo
Rainforest Preserve and is an unusual activity
to find in Samoa. You climb a hanging bridge
crossing a 30-meter gap between two big
tropical trees, passing over the canopy across a
hanging bridge. You pay at the Falealupo sites
the entrance fee to the walkway where the
Information Centre is also located and can also
present the receipt for admission to the other
sites which include Moso’s Footprint and the
House of Rock.
Explore the Paia Dwarfs Cave
According to legend Paia Dwarfs Cave, near
Manase, is home to dwarves. Explore the cave
and find footprint evidence of these mystical
little people. The cave is a kilometre long, so
bring good shoes, water and a torch.
An oddly shaped crack in the lava is said
to be the footprint of Moso, a famous giant. It
is said it was made when Moso stepped over
from Fiji. As with a lot of tourism sites in Samoa
there is a small fee.
ESCAPE!
Explore Peapea Cave
Explore the old lava tube of Peapea Cave, it
is easily accessible (April to November) in O Le
Pupu-Pue National Park but still worth taking
a guide as tourists often get lost. Named after
the birds that sing from its depths, Peapea is
set an hour into the rainforest. You’ll need good
shoes and a headlamp to amble into the cave,
as it is pitch black for about an hour until it
opens up.
Swim in To Sua Ocean Trench
This attraction has been thrashed visually
by Samoa tourism, but it is a pretty special
spot so deserves a mention. To sua literally
means a Giant Swimming Hole, it's 30 meters
deep and is accessible via a long ladder to the
pool. Overlooking the ocean is a beach called
Fagaoneone, meaning white sand, whereas
opposite is a lava field with a blow hole, tide
pools and walking paths along the rocks near
the ocean’s edge.
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