Planning a trip to Samoa

Getting Around

By Plane

Polynesian Airlines (tel. 800/264-0823 or 22-737; www.polynesianairlines.com) used to fly several times a day between Faleolo Airport and Maota Airstrip, near Salelologa on the southeastern corner of Savai'i, but during my recent visit it was down to one plane, which shuttled between Faleolo and American Samoa. Check with Polynesian Airlines to see if its Faleolo-Savai'i service has resumed.

By Ferry

Two passenger-automobile ferries run between Mulifanua Wharf on Upolu and Salelologa on Savai'i every 2 hours Monday to Saturday from 6am to 4pm and Sunday 10am to 4pm. The Lady Samoa is larger, faster, and more comfortable than its smaller, open-air companion, with which it alternates trips. Plan on about 90 minutes each way. The one-way passenger fare is S$9 (US$3.60/£1.80). Local buses leave regularly from the Apia market and pass Mulifanua Wharf on their way to Pasi O Le Vaa. Taxi fare to the wharf is S$60 (US$24/£12); bus fare is S$3 (US$1.20/60p).

I bring my rental vehicle to Savai'i because it's much less of a hassle than renting another one on Savai'i. The one-way fare for vehicles is S$65 (US$26/£13), including the driver's fare. Buy your vehicle ticket in advance at Samoa Shipping Corporation (tel. 20-935; www.samoashipping.com), at Mulifanua Wharf or on Beach Road opposite the main wharf in Apia. Vehicles must be at Mulifanua Wharf at least an hour before departure.

Be sure to ask if the car rental firms will allow you to take their vehicles to Savai'i.

By Rental Car

Budget Rent-A-Car (tel. 800/527-0700 or 20-561; www.budget.com) and Avis (tel. 800/331-1212 or 20-486) have agencies in Apia.

Among more than 30 local firms are Funway Rentals (tel. 22-045; fax 25-008; www.funwayrentals.ws); Apia Rentals (tel. 24-244; apiarentals@ipasifika.net); Blue Pacific Car Hire (tel. 22-668; www.bluepacific.ws); Samoana Rentals (tel. 28-460; samoana@samoa.ws); and Southpac Rentals (tel. 22-074; southpac@samoa.ws).

Savai'i Car Rentals (tel. 51-392; fax 51-291; cars@samoa.ws) and PK Rentals (tel. 51-025; pkrentals@samoa.ws) have offices on Savai'i.

The car-rental firms will arrange to pick you up at Faleolo Airport, for an extra charge, if you have reservations. Insurance policies do not cover damage to the vehicles' undercarriages, which may occur on some rocky, unpaved roads. Depending on your own insurance policies, you might also want to buy optional personal accident coverage, which covers you and your passengers.

The main roads on both islands are paved and in reasonably good condition.

Driving Rules -- You drive on the right-hand side of the road, as in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, but be extremely careful when starting out because the government has proposed changing to left-hand drive, as in Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K. You must stop for pedestrians in crosswalks and not exceed the speed limits of 35 mph on the open road or 25 mph in Apia and the villages.

Visitors are required to get a local driver's license from the Ministry of Transport (tel. 21-611), on Beach Road opposite the Old Apia Market. There is a S$12 (US$4.80/£2.40) fee. Bring your home license. No test is required.

Watch Out for Dogs, Chickens & Pigs -- Samoans and their dogs, chickens, and pigs have a habit of walking in the middle of the roads that pass through their villages, so proceed with care when driving. Even if the way is clear, local courtesy dictates that you slow down when going through the villages so as not to kick up dust. Special care is required on Sundays, when Samoans usually lounge around the village after going to church.

By Bus

Samoa has a system of "aiga buses" which take passengers around the islands. The main bus station is behind the Old Apia Market on Beach Road, but the buses stop at the New Market before leaving town. They have the names of their villages written on the front. The first buses usually leave their villages between 5 and 7am, with the last departure between 2 and 2:30pm. They turn around in Apia and go back to the villages. The last departure from town is about 4:30pm. They do not run on Saturday afternoon or Sunday.

Jason's Samoa Visitors Guide, available at Samoa Tourism Authority, has the bus lines and fares. Here are the destinations most often visited, followed by the names of the village buses that go there:

To Robert Louis Stevenson Museum: Vaoala, Si'umu.

To Sinalei and Coconut Beach resorts: Si'umu.

To Piula Cave Pool: Falefa or Saoluafata.

To Return to Paradise Beach: Lefaga.

To Papase'a Sliding Rocks: Se'ese'e.

To Faleolo Airport: Faleolo, Pasi o le Vaa.

To Muliafanua Wharf: Pasi o le Vaa.

The Si'umu bus is the only one that goes all the way to the south coast via the Cross Island Road.

In general, 50 sene (US20¢/10p) will take you around Apia and into the hills above the town. The maximum fare is about S$4.50 (US$1.80/90p) to the most distant villages, S$2.50 (US$1/50p) to Mulifanua Wharf, where the Savai'i ferries land on Upolu's western end.

By Taxi

Apia has no shortage of taxis. The easiest way to get one is to hail a cab along Beach Road. You can also ask your hotel desk, or call Central Taxi (tel. 23-600), Silver Star Taxis (tel. 21-770), Marlboro Taxis (tel. 20-808), Vailima Taxis (tel. 22-380), Heini Taxis (tel. 24-431), and Town Taxis (tel. 21-600). They have stands at the Town Clock on Beach Road and nearby on Vaea Street. Town Taxis also has a stand at the airport.

The cabs do not have meters, but fares are set by the government. The minimum fare of S$2.70 (US$1.10/50p) will take you around Apia and its hotels. One-way fares are S$7 (US$2.80/£1.40) from Apia to Vailima; S$50 (US$20/£10) to Faleolo Airport; S$60 (US$24/£12) to Mulifanua Wharf; S$40 (US$16/£8) to Coconuts Beach Club & Spa and Sinalei Reef resorts; S$55 (US$22/£11) to Lefaga and Return to Paradise Beach; and S$25 (US$10/£5) to Piula College and Cave Pool.

Fast Facts

American Express -- There is no American Express representative in Samoa.

Area Codes -- Samoa does not have domestic area codes. The international country code is 685.

Bookstores -- Aggie's Gift Shop (tel. 23-626), next to Aggie Grey's Hotel & Bungalows on Beach Road, carries books on Samoa and the South Pacific and a few paperback novels.

Business Hours -- Most shops and government offices are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 8am to 12:30pm. Except for the major hotels and restaurants, the only mom-and-pop grocery shops are open on Sunday.

Camera & Film -- Image Lab is located on Convent Street, west of Vaea Street (tel. 28-053).

Customs -- Customs exemptions for visitors are 200 cigarettes, 1 liter of liquor, and their personal effects. Firearms, ammunition, illegal drugs, and indecent publications are prohibited. Plants, live animals, or products of that nature, including fruits, seeds, and soil, will be confiscated unless you have prior permission from the Samoa government's Department of Agriculture and Forest. All incoming baggage is X-rayed.

Drugstores -- Samoa Pharmacy (tel. 22-595) and Apia Pharmacy (tel. 22-703) are both on Beach Road west of the Town Clock.

Electricity -- Electricity in Samoa is 240 volts, 50 cycles, and most plugs have angled prongs like those used in New Zealand and Australia.

Embassies & Consulates -- The U.S. Embassy (tel. 21-631) is in the ABC House on Beach Road west of the Town Clock. New Zealand and Australia both have high commissions here.

Emergencies & Police -- The emergency phone numbers are tel. 995 for police, tel. 994 for fire, and tel. 996 for an ambulance. The police station (tel. 22-222) is on Ifi'ifi Street, inland from the prime minister's office.

Eyeglasses -- Try the National Hospital.

Gambling -- There are no casinos in Samoa, but you can play the local lottery at its office on Vaea Street.

Healthcare -- The best doctors are at the MedCen Private Hospital, a modern facility on the Cross Island Road (tel. 26-519). The government-run National Hospital, on Ifi'ifi Street in Apia (tel. 21-212), has an outpatient clinic open daily 8am to noon and 1 to 4:30pm. Ask your hotel staff to recommend a dentist if you need one.

Insects -- There are no dangerous insects in Samoa, and the plentiful mosquitoes do not carry malaria. Bring a good insect repellent with you, and consider burning mosquito coils at night.

Internet Access -- You can access the Internet at Computer Services Ltd. (CSL), at Vaea and Convent streets (tel. 24-149), and at Lesamoa.net, across the street in the Lotemanu Centre (tel. 20-926). You'll pay between S$2 (US80¢/40p) for 10 minutes to S$10 (US$4/£2) for 1 hour of ADSL access.

Libraries -- Nelson Memorial Public Library, on Beach Road at the Town Clock (tel. 21-028), is open Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5pm, Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm, and Saturday 8:30am to 12:20pm.

Liquor Laws -- The legal drinking age is 21. Except for a prohibition of Sunday sale of alcoholic beverages outside the hotels or licensed restaurants, the laws are fairly liberal. Bars outside the hotels can stay open Monday to Saturday until midnight. Spirits, wine, and beer are sold at private liquor stores.

Newspapers & Magazines -- The daily Samoa Observer (www.samoaobserver.ws) carries local and world news.

Mail -- The main SamoaTel post office is on Beach Road, east of the Town Clock (tel. 23-480). It's open Monday to Friday 9am to 4:30pm.

Radio & TV -- Samoa has two broadcast television stations. Many homes on Upolu's north shore can receive the American Samoan channels, one of which has commercial shows, the other Public Broadcasting System programs and live news from the United States. The government also operates two AM radio stations, on which most programming is in Samoan. The world news is rebroadcast from Radio Australia and Radio New Zealand several times a day. Three privately owned FM stations broadcast lots of music.

Safety -- Although street crimes are rare here, remember that the communal property system still prevails in the Samoas, and items such as cameras and bags left unattended may disappear. Women should not wander alone on deserted beaches. Samoans take the Sabbath seriously, and there have been reports of local residents tossing stones at tourists who drive through some villages on Sunday. If you plan to tour by rental car, do it during the week.

Taxes -- Samoa imposes a 15% General Services Tax, which is included in restaurant and bar bills and is added to the cost of some other items, including rental cars, but be sure to ask if your hotel has included the tax in its room rates. Also, an airport departure tax of S$40 (US$16/£8) is levied on all passengers over 12 years of age leaving Samoa from Faleolo Airport. No tax is imposed on domestic flights or on the ferry to Pago Pago.

Telephone & Fax -- SamoaTel (www.samoatel.ws) operates both the post office and the land-line phone system here.

To call Samoa: Dial the international access code (011 from the U.S.; 00 from the U.K., Ireland, or New Zealand; or 0011 from Australia), Samoa's country code 685, and the local number (there are no area codes within Samoa).

To make international calls from within Samoa: First dial 00, then the country code (U.S. or Canada 1, U.K. 44, Ireland 353, Australia 61, New Zealand 64), and then the area code and phone number. International calls to North America and Europe cost about S$4.50 (US$1.80/90p) per minute. Calls to Australia and New Zealand are about half that amount.

To make domestic calls within Samoa: No prefix or area code is required for domestic long distance calls, so dial the local number.

For directory assistance: Dial tel. 933 for domestic information, tel. 910 for international numbers.

For operator assistance: Dial tel. 920 for operator assistance in making international calls.

Toll-free numbers: Calling a 1-800 number in the U.S. or Canada from here is not toll-free. In fact, it costs the same as an overseas call.

Pay phones: You will need a prepaid phone card to make calls; buy them at post offices and most small shops. A digital readout will tell you how much money you have left on your card.

Cellphones: Two companies rent mobile phones and sell SIM cards for unlocked GMS cellphones: SamoaTel's Go Mobile (tel. 44-600; www.telecomsamoa.ws), in the post office building on Beach Road; and Digicel Samoa (tel. 28-003 or 30-313; www.digicelsamoa.com), in the Chan Mow & Co. building, corner of Beach Road and Vaea Street. Both have booths at Faleolo International Airport. Phones rent for about S$6 (US$2.40/£1.20) a day, but you must buy prepaid time cards to use them. Both sell SIM cards for S$30 (US$12/£6), which includes S$10 (US$4/£2) worth of airtime -- S70¢ (US28¢/14p) per minute weekdays, S25¢ (US10¢/5p) a minute nights and weekends.

Time -- Local time in Samoa is 11 hours behind GMT. That means it's 3 hours behind Pacific Standard Time (4 hr. behind during daylight saving time). If it's noon standard time in California and 3pm in New York, it's 9am in Apia. Samoa is east of the international date line; it shares the same date with North America and is 1 day behind Tonga, Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand. Remember that if you are going on to those countries or will be arriving from one of them.

Tipping -- Tipping is discouraged as being contrary to the traditional way of life.

Water -- All tap water should be boiled before drinking. Safe bottled water is produced locally and is available at most grocery stores.

Weights & Measures -- Samoa is officially on the metric system, but in their everyday lives, many residents still calculate distances by the British system used in American Samoa and in the United States. Speed limits are posted in miles per hour, and the speedometers of many local vehicles (most of which have the steering wheels on the left side, in the American and European fashion) show both miles per hour and kilometers per hour.

Getting There

By Plane

Air New Zealand flies between Auckland and Samoa, with one flight a week going on to Los Angeles and back. Polynesian Blue, a joint venture between the Samoan government and Virgin Blue, connects the country with Auckland and Sydney. Air Pacific flies twice weekly between Apia and Fiji (usually in the middle of the night). A less direct way to get to Apia is on Hawaiian Airlines, which flies between several West Coast cities and Honolulu, thence to Pago Pago in American Samoa. Connections to Samoa can then be made on Polynesian Airlines' small planes.

Flights into and out of the Samoas are often packed with Samoans leaving and returning to the islands, so reserve a seat as soon as possible.

Arriving -- All international flights arrive at Faleolo Airport (APW), on the northwest corner of Upolu about 32km (19 miles) from Apia. There are duty-free shops and two currency exchange windows in the baggage claim area, or you can wait until you've cleared Customs and use ANZ Bank's ATM in the main concourse.

Getting to Your Hotel -- Aggie Grey's resorts and some other accommodation send buses to meet their guests who have reservations. Otherwise, transportation from Faleolo airport is by taxi or by buses which meet all international flights. The government-regulated taxi fare into town is S$50 (US$20/£10), but make sure you and the driver agree on the fare. The bus ride officially costs S$12 (US$4.80/£2.40) each way.

Departing -- Shuttle buses also transport passengers from the Apia hotels to Faleolo Airport for departing international flights. They arrive at the hotels at least 3 hours before departure time. Be sure to tell your hotel what flight you are leaving on; otherwise, the bus could leave you behind.

Everyone over 12 years old must pay a S$40 (US$16/£8) departure tax before leaving the country. Get your boarding pass and pay in Samoan currency at one of the banks in the main concourse, or after clearing Immigration if the banks aren't open.

There is no bank in the departure lounge, so change your leftover talas before clearing Immigration. Remember, Samoan currency cannot be exchanged outside the country, even in American Samoa.

By Ferry

The Samoa Shipping Corporation (tel. 20-935; www.samoashipping.com) operates the MV Lady Naomi ferry between Apia and Pago Pago in American Samoa. It usually departs Apia on Wednesday at midnight, arriving in Pago Pago at 8am on Thursday. The return voyage departs Pago Pago at 4pm Thursday, arriving at Apia at midnight. One-way fares from Pago Pago to Apia are US$60 (£30) for a seat, US$75 (£38) for a cabin.

Savai'i

Getting There & Getting Around -- Air service to Savai'i is supposed to be provided by Polynesian Airlines, although it was not flying during my recent visit. Samoa Shipping Corporation operates two ferries between Mulifanua Wharf on Upolu and Salelologa, the commercial center on Savai'i.

You can plan a trip to Savai'i yourself, but the easiest way is to use one of the tour operators in Apia. Oceania Travel & Tours (tel. 24-443) has day trips for about S$350 (US$140/£70) by ferry, including breakfast and tour. It also has 2-day, 1-night packages.

Taxis meet the ferries. One-way fare from the wharf to the east-coast hotels is S$10 (US$4/£2) one-way. The one-way fare is F$60 (US$24/£12) to Manase, and S$120 (US$48/£24) to Asau village, 89km (55 miles) on the other side of Savai'i.

Local buses going around the east and north coasts to Manase meet the 8am and noon ferries arriving from Upolu. The fare to Manase is S$4 (US$1.60/80p).

PK Rentals (tel. 51-025; pkrentals@samoa.ws) has offices in both Apia and Salelogoga on Savai'i. Savai'i Car Rentals (tel. 51-392; fax 51-291; cars@samoa.ws) is based here. The round-island road is completely paved. Sekia Rentals (tel. 54-008; sekis_cars@samoa.ws) is based near Le Lagoto Beach Resort on the north shore. Expect to pay about S$115 (US$46/£23) a day in cash, not to a credit card.

When to Go

Climate

The Samoas enjoy a humid tropical climate, with lots of intense sunshine, even during the wet season (Dec-May). 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 (20s Celsius) all year round.

Holidays & Events

Easter Week sees various religious observances, including hymn singing and dramas. Independence Day in early June features dances, outrigger-canoe races, marching competitions, and horse racing. The country's biggest event is the Teuila Festival during the first week of September (www.teuilafestival.ws). It features a variety of entertainment, including canoe races, dance competitions, traditional games, a floral parade, handicraft demonstrations, and the Miss Samoa beauty pageant. The second Sunday in October is observed as White Sunday, during which children go to church dressed in white, lead the services, and are honored at family feasts. Christmas week is celebrated with great gusto.

The Samoa Tourism Authority posts the precise dates and the schedules for these events on its website, www.samoa.travel.

Holidays

Offices and schools are closed January 1 and January 2 for New Year's Day; Good Friday and Easter Monday; April 25 as Anzac Day, to remember those who died in the two World Wars; the Monday after the second Sunday in May as Mothers' Day of Samoa; June 1 through June 3, for the annual Independence Celebrations; the first Monday in August as Labour Day; the Monday after the second Sunday in October, in honor of the preceding White Sunday; Christmas Day; and December 26 as Boxing Day.