After 2 days in Tonga, we were dropped off at the airport by our driver Charles and boarded a 1:50pm afternoon Air New Zealand flight to Auckland. Landing uneventfully at 5pm I had almost forgotten how difficult customs can be at this airport, as well as the 10 minute walk to the carpark where the rideshare taxis will pick you up. Furthermore, the drive from AKL airport to the city center of Auckland takes about 45 minutes even on a good day, reminding me of the traffic back home when traveling from the city to JFK Airport. Suffice to say, it’s not Sydney airport.
And through it all, all was worth it when we checked in at the Park Hyatt in Auckland.
After I rushed a good workout in, the 3 of us reconvened at the hotel restaurant Onemata for a very nice and healthy dinner before I tried to cram as much of the hotel amenities I could including their infinity pool:
…and the hydrotherapy room attached to their spa on the second floor.
We needed all of that before I turned in by 9:45pm; I had slept on the couch last night in Tonga and this morning we had to get up way early at 3:30am to catch our 6am flight to Apia, Samoa.
At 4am we hailed an Uber who oddly after picking us up, he asked if he could go to the bathroom during the trip. Then he dropped us way way farther than where we were supposed to be at the airport. But instead of arguing, we loaded our backpacks onto some carts and ran over as fast as we could to departures. Then at the check-in area, the kiosks informed us that they needed proof of onward travel as well as asking if Stephanie Baron would be willing to be switched to the afternoon flight to Samoa (due to incoming weather that needed the plane to take on more fuel and therefore offload some weight and hence, some passengers).
Too tired to fight the machine, we asked for help from an Air New Zealand agent named Helen who went above and beyond back and forth among different people and offices to ensure we would all stay together. Thank you Helen! And luckily our flight would also be delayed an extra half an hour due to the weather, which gave us ample time to slog through the nearly overwhelmingly long (almost an hour!) passport, e-gate, and security lines to get to our gates. It always works out.
I even made a dash to the Strata Lounge and compared a before and after the last time I was here 5 years ago.
2019:
2024:
After catching up on sleep during our 3.5 hour flight to Samoa, we landed at 11am local time:
Once we arrived, we sailed through passports and customs with our visa on arrival.
Baggage claims and customs was fast, helped by a very friend welcome music:
Once through arrivals, we were picked up our guide, Chris, to take us on a full day tour of the island. We began with a drive for lunch at the south of the island at Sinalei Reef Resort & Spa.
We were informed that King Charles is planning to stay here himself in a few months:
After lunch Chris then drove us to Togitogiga Falls, a picturesque hideaway that you can access by a short trail.
Clean enough to take a dip in if you’d like!
We then drove on for 40 minutes to Sopoaga Falls:
Here we sat down for a presentation where Chris showed us himself how Samoans make coconut cream and conduct traditional cooking.
Next up: The To Sua Ocean Trench, the most iconic landmark in Samoa known for its beautiful gardens and majestic ocean views.
There’s a 30m deep sinkhole here which was formed naturally out of volcanic activity. The pool of ocean water at the bottom has become synonymous with Samoan tourism.
A long ladder down leads to the pool for swimming:
Once you’re down here, you might as well jump in.
After half an hour here, we then returned towards Apia around the Northeastern Coastal Road, passing by the damage caused by the tsunami back in 2019:
We then stopped at Le Mafa Pass Road, an elevated point of about 600 meters above sea level
From here we gazed down upon the Lalomauga village below as we made our drive back to Apia.
As the sun began to set and as we were getting hungry, we skipped passed The Piula Cave Pool, which would’ve otherwise been a great way to cool down in a natural fresh water pool which flows out from inside a cave.
We then continued on back to Apia for the next 35 minutes, passing by the gorgeous Immaculate Conception Cathedral, which is currently being renovated.
Chris then dropped us off at our lodgings at Tanoa Tusitala Hotel on the Mulinuu Peninsula where we checked in and had a perfectly satisfactory dinner at the nearby Amanaki. But on our way back we were lucky enough to catch a local fire dance show at the resort next to ours:
The next morning after another quick morning workout and breakfast, Chris sent a colleague, Tifu, to pick us up at 8:30am for a morning tour of whatever in Apia that we had missed the day before. Leaving our big bags behind at the hotel, we packed what we needed into a single backpack for an overnight at American Samoa, hopped in Tifu’s taxi and drove on to the Samoan Parliament House and Court House
We then took a 3 minute stroll through the Samoan Cultural Village where things are gearing up here for the upcoming Miss Samoa Pageant.
Next up we stopped at the Samoan National Museum, which is free of charge to visit. Don’t mind the ticket office; it’s probably for the shows that take place in the large auditorium here.
Finally before our 10:30am flight onward to the American Samoa, we made our last morning stop at the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, the former residence of the eponymous author of Treasure Island and the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It has now become a famous landmark in Samoa.`
There’s a large botanical garden behind his house, which probably served as an inspiration to his masterpieces and leads to an uphill hike to his gravesite.
After half an hour at the RLS house, Tifu drove to the more local and closer Fagaliʻi Airport where we caught a 10:30am Samoan Airways flight for 2 days in the American Samoa.
When we returned the next day, we reunited with Chris back at Fagaliʻi Airport where we found as tiny as this airport is, they still take customs very seriously:
Chris luckily agreed to take us on a curtailed mini-tour while also transferring us between Fagaliʻi Airport and the farther Faleolo International (APW) Airport. Since we had 5 hours in between our arrival from American Samoa and our onward flight out to Fiji for our international flights back home, he ensured us a necessary visit to Fugalei Market, the biggest in Samoa where locals sell locally made products for souvenirs as well as their fresh produce.
Next door is a “food court” where we enjoyed a local Samoan lunch with fresh oka, eggplant, and pork/lamb mixed in:
Stephanie Liu got us authentic breadfruit to try!
After lunch, Chris tried to take us for bubble tea at Stephanie Liu’s request. But then we were told they rain out of tapioca after the fact. Fail. Then it was another 45 minute’s drive from Apia to the main Faleolo International Airport before saying goodbye to Chris and boarding our final flights home.
For $30 USD or $WST 80 you can access their VIP lounge:
To be continued at the end of the American Samoa post…
- At time of posting in Samoa, it was 28 °C - Humidity: 70% | Wind Speed: 11km/hr | Cloud Cover: clear and sunny