Planning a Trip

Visitor Information

The American Samoa Office of Tourism, P.O. Box 1147, Pago Pago, AS 96799 (tel. 699-9411; fax 699-9414; www.amerikasamoa.info), has offices inconveniently located in Tafuna, near the airport. The office is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm.

The Delegate from American Samoa to the U.S. Congress also dispenses some tourist information. The address is U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515 (tel. 202/225-8577).

Entry Requirements

Except for Samoans, New Zealanders, and a few others, entry permits are not required for stays of up to 30 days. American citizens and nationals need valid passports or certified birth certificates (forget the birth certificate and bring your passport). Everyone else needs a valid passport and a ticket for onward passage. Women more than 6 months pregnant are not allowed entry.

Immunizations are not required.

Customs allowances are 1 liter of liquor or wine and one carton of cigarettes. Illegal drugs and firearms are prohibited, and pets are quarantined. U.S. citizens get larger customs allowances for purchases made in American Samoa than they do elsewhere in the South Pacific, provided that they have been in the territory for at least 48 hours.

Money

United States currency is used in American Samoa. Samoan tala are not accepted, nor can they be exchanged here.

How to Get Local Currency -- The Bank of Hawaii and the ANZ Amerika Samoa Bank, both in Fagatogo, are open Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm. Both have ATMs at their main offices, and ANZ has one in Pago Plaza, the shopping center at the head of the harbor.

Credit Cards -- American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Diners Club are accepted by the hotels, car-rental firms, and airlines. Otherwise, it's best to carry cash to cover your anticipated expenses. No one here accepts Discover.

When to Go

Climate -- "It did not pour, it flowed," wrote W. Somerset Maugham in his 1921 short story "Rain," the famous tale of prostitute Sadie Thompson, who seduces a puritanical missionary while stranded in American Samoa. This description, however, applies mainly to Pago Pago, which, because of its location behind appropriately named Rainmaker Mountain, gets an average of over 500cm (200 in.) of rain per year. The rest of American Samoa enjoys a typically tropical climate, with lots of very intense sunshine even during the wet season from December to April. Average daily high temperatures range from 83°F (28°C) in the drier and somewhat cooler months of June through September to 86°F (30°C) from December to April, when midday can be hot and sticky. Evenings are usually in the comfortable 70s (21°C-26°C) all year-round.

Events & Holidays -- The biggest celebration is on April 17, when American Samoa Flag Day commemorates the raising of the Stars and Stripes over Tutuila in 1900. The second Sunday in October is observed as White Sunday; children attend church dressed in white and are later honored at family feasts.

Public holidays are New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Mon in Jan), President's Day (third Mon in Feb), Good Friday, American Samoa Flag Day (Apr 17), Memorial Day (last Mon in May), the Fourth of July, Labor Day (first Mon in Sept), Columbus Day (second Mon in Oct), Veteran's Day (Nov 11), Thanksgiving (fourth Thurs of Nov), and Christmas Day.

Getting There

From Samoa -- Polynesian Airlines (tel. 800/644-7659 in the U.S., 22-737 in Apia, or 633-4331 in Pago Pago; www.polynesianairlines.com) and Inter Island Airways (tel. 42-580 in Samoa, 699-5700 in American Samoa; www.interislandair.com) both fly between Faleolo Airport in Samoa and Pago Pago several times a day. Round-trip adult fares are about S$330 (US$109) if purchased in Apia, US$121 plus taxes if bought in American Samoa.

For the adventurous, a relatively modern ferry, the Lady Naomi, makes the 8-hour voyage between Pago Pago and Apia at least once a week, usually leaving the main wharf in Apia at 11pm on Wednesday and departing Pago Pago's marine terminal at 4pm on Thursday for the return voyage. Tickets should be bought at least a day ahead of time. One-way tickets purchased in Apia cost S$75 (US$25) for a seat, S$100 (US$33) for a cabin. The Lady Naomi is operated by the Samoa Shipping Corporation, whose ticket office is on Beach Road, opposite the main wharf in Apia (tel. 20-935; www.samoashipping.com). The American Samoa agent is Polynesia Shipping Services (tel. 633-1211). Because the trade winds prevail from the southeast, the trip going west with the wind toward Apia is usually somewhat smoother.

From Other Countries -- The only international carrier serving American Samoa is Hawaiian Airlines, which flies from several U.S. West Coast cities to Pago Pago, with a change of planes at its base at Honolulu. Otherwise, you can fly to Faleolo Airport in Samoa on Air New Zealand, Air Pacific, or Polynesian Blue, and then connect to Pago Pago.

Arriving & Departing -- Pago Pago International Airport is near the village of Tafuna, about 11km (7 miles) west of Pago Pago. Taxi fare is about US$10 from the airport to Pago Pago. The "Tafuna" local buses stop at the airport terminal on their way into Pago Pago. Bus fare is US50¢.

A US$3 departure tax is included in the ticket price.

Reconfirm Your Return Flight at the Airport -- Right after you land at Pago Pago, go to the airline's office and reconfirm your return flight. This is especially important if you're flying back to Apia on the last flight of the day.

Getting Around

Inter Island Airways (tel. 42-580 in Samoa, 699-5700 in American Samoa; www.interislandair.com), the local carrier, flies to the Manu'a Islands, but don't count on it. The territory has had trouble keeping a domestic airline recently.

By Rental Car -- The only international car-rental firm in American Samoa is Avis (tel. 800/331-1212 or 699-4408; www.avis.com), which rents air-conditioned models for US$55 to US$65 per day, including unlimited mileage, plus an optional US$10 for insurance. Local firms include Sir Amos (tel. 633-4554), Friendly (tel. 699-7186), and Dollar Rental Car (tel. 633-7716; dollarrentalcar@yahoo.com). The latter is not affiliated with the international rental company of the same name.

Your valid home driver's license will be honored in American Samoa. Driving is on the right-hand side of the road, and traffic signs are the same as those used in the United States. The speed limit is 15 mph in the built-up areas and 25 mph on the open road.

By Bus -- Gaily painted aiga buses prowl the roads from early morning until sunset every day except Sunday. Basically they run from the villages to the market in Pago Pago and back, picking up anyone who waves along the way. Some buses leave the market and run to Fagasa on the north coast or to the east end of the island; others go from the market to the west. None goes from one end of the island to the other, so you'll have to change at the market in order to do a stem-to-stern tour of Tutuila. Most drivers are helpful, so just ask how far they go in each direction. Fares are between US50¢ and US$1 per ride.

By Taxi -- There are taxi stands at the airport (tel. 699-1179) and at the Pago Pago market (no phone). None of the taxis have meters, so be sure to negotiate the fare before driving off. The fares should be about US$1 per mile.