Samoa’s inland hotspots
The sandy beaches aren’t the only place to spend your island time; venture inland and you’ll find Samoa’s best attractions away from the coastline, writes Bea Taylor.
Think of an island getaway. Did your mind go to sandy beaches and crystal clear water? Samoa’s coastline doesn’t disappoint, but if you’re looking for the best swimming spots, turn your gaze inland. Hidden waterfalls, sea trenches and sliding rocks are perfect pit stops while checking out the incredible natural attractions Samoa offers. ‘‘Do as the locals do’’ is the mantra when you’re in a new country.
It’s hard to resist when the locals are grinning encouragement and it’s getting hotter by the minute.
Shorts or a sarong to protect your bottom half is crucial. The rocks are pretty slippery but you don’t want skin-to-rock contact. It costs 5 tala (about NZ$2.80) for adults and 2 tala (about NZ$1.10) for children. This money goes to the women’s association that runs the Papaseea sliding rocks and the members use it to rebuild the surrounding area. Volcanic rock dominates Samoa’s remote Savai’i island.
There’s an impressive edge of it around most of the island. Combine this with a seductive swell rolling in from the southeast and you have a dramatic show.
For a site that’s been described as ‘‘the most spectacular on Earth’’ by Lonely Planet, there are no large showy signs, commercialised riff-raff or even unreasonable prices. To get in cost us about NZ$2.80 each, and again this money goes straight back to the village. It’s unapologetically accessed down a bumpy gravel road.
The only obstacle is the village chief, or a member of his extended family, sitting in a wooden booth halfway down the road to collect your payment. Its humble appearance leaves the site itself to live up to the hype. And that it does. There’s something thrilling about water soaring 20 metres into the air that even multiple viewings can’t dampen.
If the local couple who look after the site are home, ask them to throw a coconut in the blowhole for you and then watch it soar. In 1905 the Mt Matavanu eruption on Savai’i buried five villages. Sale’aula was hit. There are two sites to see; the church and The Virgin’s Grave.
A bit of back story is needed here. The virgin, or the village taupou, was the chief’s daughter. She was buried here before the eruption. When Mt Matavanu erupted and several villages in the path of the lava flow were evacuated, the village feared that she would be lost under the lava flow.
But while lava coursed through the church, taking down the ceiling, windows and doors, it flowed around The Virgin’s Grave, leaving it untouched.
Walking through the skeleton of the church over solidified lava and then down to The Virgin’s Grave, seeing where the lava did indeed flow around the grave, leaving it untouched, is an eerie experience. It’s probably known mostly thanks to Instagram , and rightly so because it’s hard to resist snapping a shot of this picturesque spot.
The To Sua ocean trench is essentially a giant swimming hole. The more adventurous of us decided a bit of rock climbing was in order when swimming in the clear water got boring.
The only thing we wished we’d taken was a snorkel to try and make it through the hole in the rock that connects the trench to the ocean. Without goggles it seemed too risky, even for the rock climbers.
‘‘Island time’’ never felt truer as we floated, swam, and chatted in the turquoise water, the only indication of passing time was the slowly increasing tide and subsequent current. Our surprise when we finally made our way back up the ladder, checked the time and discovered we’d been in the water for nearly an hour was short lived when we saw how wrinkly we were.
The To Sua ocean trench attraction doesn’t just stop at the swimming hole. The site itself has immaculately kept gardens and fale dotted along the coastline, which make perfect spots for a lie- PHOTOS: CHRIS MCKEEN
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More information: samoa.travel Getting there: Air New Zealand flies from Auckland to Apia return from $704. Staying there: You can easily drive around both Upulo and Savai’i in a day. On Upulo (Samoa’s main island) if you’re looking to stay near the town The Sheraton Samoa Beach Resort has rooms going from $208 a night and The Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey’s Hotel & Bungalow (in town) has rooms from $192 a night. On the south coast Return to Paradise Resort has rooms from $210. On Savai’i check out Stevensons at Manase from $277 or Amoa Resort from $232. down and rest. It’s 20 tala (about NZ$11) for this natural attraction and no drones allowed, much to the disappointment of our travelling drone zealot, Mckeen. Along the south coast, not too far from the To Sua ocean trench, is the Togitogiga waterfall.
Visiting these two locations made for a long day in the water, but it was so hot, swimming was all we wanted to do anyway.
And the water at Togitogiga is definitely chilling. Enough for us to use a classic New Zealand phrase: ‘‘It’s fresh, but nice once you’re in.’’
The waterfall acts like a swim jet if you’re keen on swimming training, and jumping off the rocks from one pool to the other is a lot of fun – just check the depth before you leap. ● This writer and photographer travelled courtesy of Travel Samoa.