Upolu Island (again)

Our last stop in Samoa was in a place called Lalomanu, another beach resort which happened to have the nicest beach in Samoa. We spent a week here, lazing in the sun, playing pool and table tennis and basically just doing what the Samoans do... absolutely nothing except eat and sleep!!! Not a lot really to write about this place, so you'll just have to look at the pics instead!!
Our beach hut and amazing beach









This little piggy never got to watch the "Fia fia" dance night at the resort...but he did taste very nice!









Our beach from the other (best) angle

Savii Island - South Pacific Island 21

After a rather sickly one and a half hour boat ride, we arrived in Savaii where we spent our first 3 days in a place called Saleologa. Unfortunately arriving on a Saturday afternoon meant that there wasn't actually anything to do for the first 2 days due to everything closing at midday on Saturday until Monday morning. We did however, manage to spend Saturday night in the local nightclub and witness a good pub brawl!!

After our 3 days here, we decided to hire a car for a couple of days to drive round the island. Our first stop on our tour took us to the blowholes which are meant to be the largest in the world... it might have something to do with the locals throwing coconuts in the blowholes at the right time and the blowholes blowing the coconuts high into the air!!
Spot the flying coconuts!









Our next stop was a place called the Falealupo Peninsula which is the most westerly land point on earth. After a few snaps, we made our way to our last stop for the day, the canopy walkway where you walk some over some 30 metres high walkway (made of ladders) to a 230 year banyan tree. Once at the tree, you climb over one hundred steps up to the top of the tree where apparently you can spend the night... neither of us really took a fancy to that though, given how creaky it was up there!










The second day of our tour took us to two caves which we were luckily guided through, swimming with turtles and to an old village which is completely covered with lava from a volcano which errupted nearly 100 years ago. One of the caves was pretty spooky in that no-one has ever reached the end of the cave, not even the locals!






























After 2 strenuous days of sightseeing, it was time to hit the first or two beach locations, Manase. We spent 4 nights here staying in our beach hut which was right on the beach and relaxing in the blazing sun.

Manono Island - South Pacific Island 20

After spending a week in Apia, we made our way over to a small island called Manono Island to spend 3 nights in an overwater fale (hut!).

Upon arrival we decided it would be a good idea to take a stroll around the island... some 2 hours later we arrived back at our resort. The island (although it took some 2 hours to walk around) was quite small and had a lack of beaches but was was an okay way to spend a few nights!

Other than our tour of the island, we didn't a actually get up to much... probably much to do with the fact that there actually wasn't anything to do other than experience our overwater accommodation.

Upolu - South Pacific Island 19

Well we’ve been in Apia for a week now and it’s certainly different to other South Pacific countries. For starters it's slightly cleaner (not much, but at least you can get your washing done!) and perhaps slightly more normal than anywhere else...that said it's only the town that's more normal, definitely not the locals (strange bunch!)

After a couple of days of checking out the local shops and markets we decided to take a trip to the marine reserve where apparently the snorkelling was meant to be amazing. Unfortunately, we hadn’t been in the sea long when a local taxi driver decided that he would try and steal our bags! Luckily Louise saw him and we ran out of the sea, chasing after him, which prompted him to drop our bags. Not so luckily for him was the fact that he used his taxi to get away and we got his registration number! Also not so luckily for him was the fact that some other taxi drivers came over and told us his name! All of which were forwarded promptly to the Samoan Authorities! It was like an episode of America's Dumbest Criminals, Samoan style!

On Sunday we decided to check out another popular attraction in Apia, the “sliding rocks”. This is basically a 5m waterfall over a rock that has been made smooth over the years, which everyone decides to through themselves over!

Yesterday we hired a car for the day and took a trip round the island. We stopped at the local tourist sights including the Robert Louis Stevenson museum (didn't seem exciting enough to tempt us to go in!) and the Return to Paradise beach (which appeared on some movie of the same name). The highlight of the tourist attractions though was some water caves, which were caves that you could swim through and then swim underwater into yet more caves!

Apia 'city' centre









A local bus and Louise posing in one of their traditional 'fale'












The exciting Robert Louis Stephenson museum and busy inland road!









Another traditional fale (left) and traditional Soman house (right)...note the lack of walls...ironic considering our theft incident!









Me just before swimming into the cave and 'Return to Paradise' beach (from the [well known!!] film Return to Paradise)

25th June 2007 to 24th July 2007