Tailor Made Holidays in Samoa: Introduction

Independent Samoa, formerly Western Samoa, is an often overlooked haven in the South Pacific. With many beautiful beaches, a rich, rainforested interior and fringed by tropical waters it may seem similar to other South Pacific destinations, but Independent Samoa is different: it retains a strong sense of its Polynesian history and traditional way of life.

The local Samoans are always friendly and welcoming and song is never far away. “Easy-going, merry and leisure-loving” is how Robert Louis Stevenson, one of the islands’ most famous residents, described the locals in the nineteenth century, and not much has changed today. The two main islands of Upolu and Savai’i are scattered with areas of tremendous natural beauty - plunging waterfalls, powerful blow holes, dramatic mountains and white sand beaches. Yet these gems in the South Pacific are also ravaged by scars, left by their history as a pawn in colonial battles and by more recent volcanic eruptions that sent vast rivers of lava down the lush flanks of Savai’i.

With a lot more on offer than simply a place to relax in the sun, these islands are a great destination to really explore, taking in the natural beauty and the traditional way of life, all at the gentle pace of the South Pacific.

Selected Highlights

Our specialists have travelled the length and breadth of the country to research the best places to stay and things to do. Here they list a few of their favourite “unmissables”.

Take a dip in a To Sua swimming hole

Travelling around Samoa can be very hot and dipping in to one of the numerous swimming holes can be a very refreshing experience!  [more]

Visit Villa Vailima

This colonial house set in lush grounds just outside of Apia enjoys both beautiful views down to the ocean and an interesting history. Robert Louis...  [more]

Visit the Alofaaga Blowholes

One of Savai'i's most exciting features is the blowholes at Alofaaga. Here the wild Pacific Ocean waves are forced through crevices in the volcanic...  [more]