Eric Seddon · Pexels LicenseSamoa
“Fa'a Samoa — the Polynesian way, still governing daily life.”
Samoa runs on fa'a Samoa, the Samoan way — an intact system of matai chiefly titles, extended aiga family groups and village councils that still governs land, disputes and daily life to a degree unusual anywhere. Sunday is genuinely observed: villages close, swimming may be restricted, and the evening sa prayer curfew stops movement through a village for twenty minutes or so. Respecting that is the price of admission and it is not onerous.
The two main islands are Upolu, with Apia and most of the population, and larger, quieter Savai'i with lava fields, blowholes and a stronger village character. To Sua on Upolu's south coast is a collapsed lava tube filled with seawater, reached by a ladder — one of the most photographed swimming spots in the Pacific. Beach fales, open-sided thatched huts on the sand with a mattress and a mosquito net, are the characteristic and very affordable way to stay.
Highlights
To Sua Ocean Trench
A 30-metre-deep collapsed lava tube on Upolu's south coast, filled with clear seawater connected to the ocean by a tunnel, entered by a long wooden ladder. Sitting in gardens above the cliffs.
Beach fales
Open-sided thatched huts directly on the sand with a mattress, a mosquito net and blinds you roll down at night — village-run, usually including breakfast and dinner, and the definitive Samoan stay.
Savai'i
The larger, quieter island — the Saleaula lava fields that buried villages in 1905, the Alofaaga blowholes, the Falealupo canopy walkway and Afu Aau falls.
Robert Louis Stevenson's house
Vailima, above Apia, where Stevenson spent his last years and is buried on Mount Vaea above the house. The museum is well done and the walk up to the tomb takes about 45 minutes.
Entry requirements for Samoa
Checking your passport…
We don't hold entry details for this passport group yet.
Before you fly
The detail
- Passport validity
- Most destinations want validity beyond your stay, and some want six months. Check yours against the return date.
- Onward travel
- Airlines may ask for a return or onward ticket at check-in.
- Health
- No malaria. Dengue and, following the 2019 outbreak, measles vaccination should be confirmed before travel. Medical facilities are basic; anything serious means evacuation to New Zealand.
- Money
- The tala in cash for villages and buses; cards work in Apia and at resorts. ATMs in Apia and Salelologa. Bring cash for the outer village fales.
When to go
BestMay–Oct. AvoidDec–Mar.
Dry season opens — the best all-round month.
The band above each month is our editorial verdict - it weighs crowds, prices and access as well as weather. The line is average daily temperature, the bars are monthly rainfall. Select a month for the figures. Climate figures: ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2005–2024 normals.
What it costs
A day in Samoa
Comfortable · sample day
≈ $113
Line items are real prices we track. The daily budget is an editorial estimate for this level, not their sum.
Where this sits among 244 countries we have costed
December and January bring diaspora returns and fill Apia, and the September Teuila festival does the same on a smaller scale. Otherwise prices are steady.
Updated Aug 2026 · Editorial synthesis — Samoa Tourism Authority listings and accommodation sampling (2025–2026) · confidence high
Excludes international flights - they depend on where you fly from.
Regions to know
5Apia and north Upolu
The capital, the market, Vailima and Stevenson's tomb, and Piula cave pool on the coast east.
South Upolu
To Sua trench, Lalomanu and Aganoa beaches, Sopoaga falls and the beach fale coast.
Manono and Apolima
Two small islands in the strait, with no cars, no dogs and a walk around the whole of Manono in ninety minutes.
East Savai'i
Salelologa, the Saleaula lava fields, Afu Aau falls and the Tafua rainforest preserve.
West Savai'i
The Alofaaga blowholes, Falealupo canopy walkway, Manase's beach fales and the westernmost point.
Practical guide
Getting there
Faleolo near Apia is served by Samoa Airways, Fiji Airways, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia from Auckland, Nadi, Sydney and Honolulu. Talofa Airways flies to American Samoa.
Getting around
Brightly painted wooden buses circle Upolu cheaply on no fixed timetable. Hire cars are available and the roads are good. The ferry to Savai'i takes about an hour and runs several times daily.
Money & costs
The tala in cash for villages and buses; cards work in Apia and at resorts. ATMs in Apia and Salelologa. Bring cash for the outer village fales.
Safety
Very safe. Petty theft occasionally in Apia. The hazards are marine — currents at reef passes, sharp coral and rough water on exposed coasts — plus dogs in villages, which are territorial.
Health
No malaria. Dengue and, following the 2019 outbreak, measles vaccination should be confirmed before travel. Medical facilities are basic; anything serious means evacuation to New Zealand.
SIM & internet
Digicel and Vodafone; SIMs at the airport. 4G in Apia and much of Upolu; patchier on Savai'i.
Driving
Samoa switched from right-hand to left-hand traffic in 2009 — one of very few countries ever to do so — and many vehicles are still left-hand drive, which makes overtaking awkward. Speed limits are low and villages expect you to crawl through.
Rules change - verify with an official source before you rent.
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Before you go
SamoaFrequently asked questions
What are the village rules I should know?
Ask before entering a village, swimming at its beach or taking photographs — most beaches and swimming holes are customarily owned and charge a small fee. Do not walk through a village during the evening sa prayer curfew; stop and wait. Dress modestly away from resorts, cover your shoulders and knees in villages, and never wear a hat inside a fale.
Samoa or American Samoa?
Different countries. Independent Samoa uses the tala, drives on the left and is west of the date line; American Samoa is a US territory using the dollar, driving on the right, and is a day behind despite being 130 kilometres away. There are flights between them and the entry rules are completely separate.
When is cyclone season?
November to April, with the highest risk from January to March. That is also the wet season and the hottest period. May to October is drier, cooler and calmer, and is when to come.