Holiday houses & accommodation in Samoa

Enjoy tropical nature's bounty on Samoa

Many Samoan dishes are made in an umu, a traditional stone oven. Local cuisine also tends to be rich and creamy, as many of the dishes contain coconut milk, which provides a fresh, sweet flavour. Staples include bananas, coconut, taro, and plenty of seafood. It’s beach food at its best: stay on these islands and you’ll develop an appreciation for nature’s bounty.

Typical dishes include octopus, pork, or chicken baked in coconut cream, raw fish marinated in coconut cream and lemon juice, and banana cake. In the capital, Apia, you'll find cuisine from around the world. Kava, made from the roots of the plant piper methysticum, is the national drink, and there is a well-established brewery started by Germans, which makes the high-quality Valima beer.

Art and culture on Samoa

Samoa offers far more galleries and museums than many travellers expect. Apia, is the country's cultural hub, and here you’ll find such treasures as the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, the Museum of Samoa, and the Tiapapata Art Centre. Shop for beautiful locally-made textiles, jewellery, and bags at Plantation House and find more stunning gifts at the Pacific Jewel Gift Shop.

Learn about Samoans’ way of life at the Samoan Cultural Village, where local people will talk to you about the Samoan Way, the thinking that prescribes traditional Samoan culture. Here you’ll learn about national customs and traditions, and it’s the perfect place to kick-start any trip to the country.

Excursion destinations in the area

Get back to basics on Namu’a island—with no electricity, it offers only simplicity. Enjoy the stunning beaches of Aleipata with great snorkelling opportunities, go bushwalking on Upolu, or stay a while in the relatively modern city of Apia. Whatever you do on Samoa, you’ll be charmed by the laid-back attitude and beautiful landscape.

Watch the blowholes of Savaii shoot water (and coconuts) hundreds of metres into the air. Meet a colony of white-rumped Polynesian swiftlets (a type of bird) up close at Pe’ape’a Cave or take a four-wheel drive trip to the Mt Matavanu Crater. There’s more happening in Samoa than you can imagine, so whether you want beach action or something a bit more adventurous, Samoa’s islands will keep you busy.

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