Organized Tours

Based at the two Aggie Grey's hotels, Samoa Scenic Tours (tel. 22-880; www.samoascenictours.com) offers a variety of tours that stop for photographs and a swim at beautiful beaches and waterfalls. A half-day Apia township tour will take you around town and up to the Robert Lewis Stevenson Museum for S$40 (US$13) per person. A morning excursion goes to Piula Cave Pool and Falefa Falls for the same price. A full-day trip goes to either Lalomanu or Lefaga (Return to Paradise) beaches for S$110 (US$37). Another full-day excursion goes out to Manono Island, for about S$115 (US$38). On Sunday a half-day outing heads to Matavera beach on the southwest coast, with juice and towels included for S$46 (US$15) per person. Each day's offerings are written on a notice board in the lobby at Aggie's.

Oceania Travel & Tours, at the Hotel Kitano Tusitala (tel. 24-443; www.oceania-travel.ws), and Island Hopper Vacations (tel. 26-940; www.islandhoppervacations.com) have similar excursions.

The more backpacker-oriented Green Turtle Tours (tel. 22-144 or 29-629; www.greenturtletours.com) has half-day Apia sightseeing and a full-day around Upolu tour. On the island tour you ride Green Turtle's 15-seat van, which circles Upolu clockwise once a day. Green Turtle also offers a half-day Samoa Wilderness trip, on which you visit a Samoan village for a cultural demonstration and local-style lunch. Each tour costs S$90 (US$30) per person. Green Turtles' headquarters is at the Traveller's Lounge on Beach Road west of Aggie Grey's Hotel & Bungalows.

Environmental Tours

In addition to Green Turtle Tours, Dr. Steve Brown and his Samoan wife, Funealii Sooaemalelagi, also operate Ecotour Samoa (tel. 22-144; www.ecotoursamoa.com). Leading proponents of nature-sensitive sustainable tourism, the Browns have a number of 1- to 7-day tours that explore the wildlife and fauna of such places as the Mount Vaea rain forest, remote Fagaloa Bay, the south coast estuaries and wetlands, Monono Island, and Lake Lanoto'o. They also have expeditions to Savai'i and to American Samoa National Park. You must book the multi-day excursions in advance, but you can check with the Browns at their headquarters, in the Traveller's Lounge on Beach Road west of Aggie Grey's Hotel & Bungalows, to see if space is available.

Savai'i

Unless you have a week or more and plenty of energy, you should take a guided tour of this large and sparsely populated island with little public transport and few road signs. Even then, you'll need 3 days to see all of the readily accessible sights and have no time for the beach.

Guided by Warren Jopling, a retired Australian geologist who has lived on Savai'i for many years and knows it like the back of his hand, Safua Tours (tel. 51-271; fax 51-272) is absolutely the best way to see the island. Warren is a font of information, especially about the desertlike lava fields. He will tailor any tour to suit your interests. It will take an energetic full day to see most of the sights, with half the day spent going along the east and north coasts, the other half along the south shore. His full-day excursions cost S$120 (US$40) for two people, if you book directly and not through a travel agent. Reservations are required. Although Warren will meet you at the ferry wharf, he prefers that you come over to Savai'i the day before your tour and stay at the Safua Hotel.

Browsing Through a Living Museum -- You won't believe your eyes when you tour the desolate lava fields of Savai'i with retired Australian geologist Warren Jopling. Having lived on Savai'i for many years, Warren is an expert on Samoan customs and lifestyles (everyone on the island knows him). Touring with Warren is like browsing through a living geological and cultural museum.