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We spent about a week in Samoa in September, travelling with friends and based at the Sheraton Samoa Beach Resort at Mulifanua, on the north-west tip of Upolu. From there we spent a day in Apia, drove the coast to waterfalls and To Sua Ocean Trench, and caught the ferry across to Savai’i.
These are the things we’d tell a friend before they go: how the islands fit together, getting there and getting around, money, Sundays, staying well, and the places we’d make time for.
1. Samoa is two main islands, and they’re quite different
Most of Samoa happens on two islands. Upolu has the capital, Apia, the international airport and most of the accommodation, so it’s where nearly everyone starts. Savai’i, across the Apolima Strait, is the bigger island but has far fewer people, and parts of it are still covered by lava from volcanic eruptions in the early 1900s. A handful of small islands, including Manono and Apolima, sit in the strait between the two.
Don’t confuse Samoa with American Samoa, its neighbour to the east. American Samoa is a US territory with its own entry rules and uses the US dollar, while Samoa is an independent country with its own currency, the tala.
2. Getting there
International flights land at Faleolo International Airport on Upolu, west of Apia. Direct flights currently come from Brisbane (Qantas and Virgin Australia), Auckland (Air New Zealand and Qantas), and Nadi and Honolulu (Fiji Airways). Some of these routes only run a few days a week and schedules change with the seasons, so check the airlines directly when you’re planning.
3. Entry requirements
You don’t need to organise a visa before you fly to Samoa. Immigration gives you a free visitor permit when you land, based on your arrival card. To get one, you’ll need:
- a passport valid for at least six months beyond your stay
- a return or onward ticket
- details of where you’re staying
- enough money to support yourself while you’re there.
Samoa’s immigration authorities describe the visitor permit as covering 90 days, but some governments quote a shorter period, so check the current advice for your passport before you book. Entry rules can change at short notice.
4. Best time to visit Samoa
Samoa is warm all year. The dry season runs roughly from May to October, and the wet season from November to April, which is also the South Pacific cyclone season. We went in September, during the dry season.
If you’re travelling in the wet season, travel insurance that covers weather disruption matters more than usual (see item 14).
5. Where to base yourself
We stayed at the Sheraton Samoa Beach Resort at Mulifanua, and it was a good base. We could get to everywhere we wanted to go from there, and the ferry terminal for Savai’i was within walking distance. It’s also only a few minutes’ drive from the airport.
The trade-off is that Apia is roughly an hour’s drive away, so if you want to spend most of your time in town, staying in Apia makes more sense. Many visitors also stay in traditional open-sided beach fales along the south and east coasts of Upolu.
6. You’ll want a car (and a temporary licence)
Public transport in Samoa is set up for locals rather than visitors, and having a car makes it much easier to reach the waterfalls, beaches and villages at your own pace. We travelled with another couple, who booked the hire car, and our friend did the driving, so Darren and I didn’t need to organise anything. If you’re interested in how we plan trips with friends, I’ve written about it in Travelling with Friends or Family: How We Plan Trips Together.
Good to Know
To drive in Samoa you need a temporary Samoan driving licence as well as your licence from home. You can get one from the Land Transport Authority or Samoa Post, and many hire companies will arrange it for you. Samoa drives on the left. Speed limits are 40 km/h through towns and villages and 56 km/h on open roads, and many villages have speed bumps.
7. The ferry to Savai’i
Samoa Shipping Corporation runs the car and passenger ferries between Mulifanua Wharf on Upolu and Salelologa on Savai’i, seven days a week. The crossing takes about 60 to 90 minutes. Walk-on tickets are bought at the terminal and are cash only; if you’re taking a car across, book ahead. Sailing times change, so check the current timetable with Samoa Shipping Corporation before you plan your day.
I got seasick on the way home and spent the entire crossing outside in the wind, getting as much fresh air as I could.
Lisa’s Tip
If you’re prone to seasickness, find a spot outside where you can get fresh air. That’s where I spent the whole trip home.
8. Savai’i: lava fields, markets and Afu Aau Waterfall
Our friends arranged a car and driver for the day on Savai’i, which meant we could relax and look around. We visited the lava fields, some local markets and Afu Aau Waterfall.
The lava fields near Saleaula were created when Mt Matavanu erupted between 1905 and 1911, burying several villages. The remains of a church still stand in the lava.
Afu Aau (also called Olemoe Falls) is a rainforest waterfall with a deep pool, and it’s the one waterfall we swam in. Like many sights in Samoa, it sits on village land and there’s a small entry fee, paid in cash.
9. Upolu’s waterfalls
On our hire-car day we stopped at three waterfalls on Upolu: Fuipisia, Togitogiga and Papapapaitai. We didn’t swim at any of them. Papapapaitai is a roadside lookout over a deep gorge, so it’s a viewing stop rather than a swimming spot. Togitogiga, in O Le Pupu-Pu’e National Park on the south coast, is a popular swimming hole if you’d like to get in.
10. Swimming in To Sua Ocean Trench
To Sua Ocean Trench, on Upolu’s south coast, is a deep swimming hole connected to the sea. We swam there, and getting down the ladder was fun, but it gets quite slippery, so you need to be really careful.
The trench is tidal, and the water comes in and goes out again surprisingly quickly. There are ropes you can hold on to. A family got in just after us, and while the parents were helping their other child, their little one started along the rope and let go. They hadn’t realised how strong the flow was. I grabbed the child and got them back onto the rope before the parents got in.
If you’re taking children, have an adult in the water with them from the start, and keep them on the rope.
There’s an entry fee, paid in cash.
11. Apia: markets, Robert Louis Stevenson and Mt Vaea
We spent a day in Apia visiting some of the markets and the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum. The Scottish author of Treasure Island spent the last years of his life in Samoa, and the museum is his former home, Villa Vailima, in the hills above the city.
From the museum, a walking track climbs Mt Vaea to Stevenson’s grave, with views back over Apia. The track is reasonably steep, but as we were fairly fit, it was an easy walk for us. I did slip on the way back down and cut my hand, so wear shoes with good grip and take the descent slowly.
The museum is closed on Sundays, so check the current opening hours before you go.
12. Samoa’s currency is the tala, and you’ll need cash
Samoa’s currency is the tala (WST), which is divided into 100 sene. Cards are accepted at resorts, larger hotels and some bigger businesses in Apia, but much of Samoa runs on cash, and we definitely needed it. Markets, buses, ferry tickets and the entry fees at village-owned sights like waterfalls, beaches and To Sua are all paid in cash.
ATMs are easy to find in Apia and the larger towns but scarce elsewhere, so take out enough before you head to Savai’i or the more rural parts of Upolu, and before Sunday, when most businesses close. Tipping isn’t part of Samoan culture and isn’t expected.
For how we organise money before a trip, see How to Prepare Your Money Before Travelling Overseas.
13. Sundays and the evening sa
Samoa is a deeply Christian country, and Sunday is a day for church, family and rest. Many businesses close, villages are quiet, and some villages don’t allow activities like swimming on Sundays. Many villages also observe an evening prayer time called sa, signalled by a bell or a conch shell. If you’re walking or driving through a village when it starts, slow down, keep quiet and wait until it ends.
Outside the resorts, dress modestly, especially in villages.
We had a Sunday during our stay and made it a relaxing day at the resort, doing some water sports. There’s a small church in the resort grounds, and we were welcomed into their morning service. It’s a good day to plan to take it easy.
14. Health and safety
Mosquitoes. Samoa has had an ongoing dengue outbreak since 2025, and cases were still being reported in 2026. Dengue is spread by mosquitoes, so pack insect repellent and use it during the day as well as in the evening, as the mosquitoes that carry it bite in daylight.
Medical care. The main hospital is in Apia, and health facilities in rural areas are basic. Serious medical problems can mean evacuation to New Zealand or Australia, so make sure your travel insurance covers medical evacuation. We never travel overseas without travel insurance and usually use Cover-More. For more on what to look for, see What is Travel Insurance and Do You Really Need It?
Safety. Australia’s Smartraveller advises exercising normal safety precautions in Samoa, and the crime rate isn’t high, although petty theft does happen. The bigger risk is the water: tides can create powerful currents in lagoons and over reefs, so take local advice before swimming or snorkelling. The emergency number is 911.
15. Slow down
What we loved most about Samoa was the laid-back atmosphere. It’s a great place to relax. Things may not run exactly to schedule, so leave some space in your plans rather than trying to see everything.
Until next time… keep wandering.
Last updated: 28 October 2026. Flights, entry rules, driving, the ferry, health and safety advice checked October 2026.
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