Things to do in Apia
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Apia
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry season, best weather, settled seas and best snorkelling; July and August are the sweet spot and September has Teuila.
Wet season, hotter and humid with downpours, cyclone risk and fuller waterfalls; January and February are the wettest gamble.
What's on
- Independence Celebrations around 1 June
Parades, church services and cultural performance in Apia for Samoa's independence celebrations.
- Teuila Festival early September (first week, ~late Aug-early Sep)
Samoa's biggest event: dance and choir contests, fire knife performance and fautasi longboat racing.
- White Sunday (Lotu Tamaiti) second Sunday in October
Children in white lead church services and are feasted; tourism services largely shut that day.
Best things to do in Apia
To Sua Ocean Trench
A collapsed lava tube filled with clear seawater, reached by a steep ladder to a swimming platform.
Lalomanu Beach
A long white sand beach with turquoise lagoon and family run day fales, best for a slow swim and lunch day.
Piula Cave Pool
A crystal clear freshwater spring pool flowing from a lava cave beneath the theological college chapel.
Papase'ea Sliding Rocks
Smooth water worn rock chutes form natural waterslides into cool freshwater pools just inland from Apia.
Robert Louis Stevenson Museum
Stevenson's restored Villa Vailima house museum, with guided tours and gardens below his Mt Vaea tomb.
Samoa Cultural Village
Practitioners demonstrate umu cooking, tapa cloth, carving and tattooing, ending with food, song and dance.
Fugalei Market
Samoa's biggest covered market for taro, breadfruit, koko Samoa, woven goods and cheap local food stalls.
Savalalo Flea Market
The tourist leaning flea market near Fugalei for carvings, jewellery, lavalava and souvenirs.
Where to stay in Apia
Central Apia / Beach Road Waterfront
first trip, all-round base
Walk to markets, the Cultural Village, museums and restaurants, with Palolo Deep five minutes away.
Mulinu'u Peninsula
quieter Apia stay, couples
Leafy and calm with sea views and Parliament, a pleasant stroll into town and a taxi back after dark.
Vailima / Cross Island Road Hills
character and cooler air
Garden hotels in the foothills by the Stevenson Museum, lush and breezy, with taxis needed for everything.
Taumeasina Island
resort facilities without leaving Apia
A private island resort with pools, beaches and villas, and Apia's restaurants a short drive away.
Lalomanu / Aleipata, South-East Coast
split stay, second base
Wake up at To Sua, Namua and Lalomanu instead of commuting, on a quieter and more beautiful coast.
Think twice about
- Vaitele
Inland industrial and commercial sprawl on the airport road, with nothing walkable, no sea and no charm.
- Far Cross Island Road and east coast without a car
Basing far from Apia without a rental car strands you on infrequent buses and expensive taxis.
Best restaurants in Apia
Paddles Restaurant
The consensus number one in Apia, Italian Samoan cooking with the town's best oka in fresh coconut cream.
Bistro Tatau
Apia's fine dining room for fusion cooking on Samoan ingredients, plus the most serious wine list in Samoa.
TASI
Reservation only degustation dinners led by Monica Galetti, using taro, coconut and local ingredients.
Amanaki Restaurant
The seafood locals recommend, with oka and poke as signatures and strong vegetarian options.
Giordano's Pizzeria
European style pizzas in a gorgeous garden patio, claimed by expats and Samoan families alike.
Nourish Cafe
Apia's best cafe for local fusion brunch, taro fries, pancakes and genuinely good coffee.
Milani Caffe
Paddles' sister cafe and Apia's best lunch under the mid tier, for panini, focaccia, salads and coffee.
Bella's Kitchen
A cheap local favourite for noodle bowls and thick shakes on Beach Road.
Outdoor things to do in Apia
Palolo Deep Marine Reserve
The best snorkelling from Apia itself, a deep blue reef hole with dense fish and coral at high tide.
Giant Clam Sanctuary
A village run sanctuary where huge protected giant clams sit in clear shallow lagoon water, with turtles nearby.
Manoa Tours
The first named operator for snorkel trips, boat days and guided surf to Upolu's offshore reefs and passes.
AquaSamoa
Apia based diving for Upolu's coral walls, turtles and warm clear water, best for certified divers.
Dive Savai'i
The only PADI centre on Savai'i, diving offshore reefs and a shipwreck turned coral garden from Fagamalo.
Savai'i Day Trip
A ring road day for the Saleaula lava fields, Alofaaga Blowholes and Afu Aau Falls, better as an overnight.
Namua Island
An uninhabited cone island for a summit walk, lagoon snorkelling with turtles, swimming and a day fale picnic.
O Le Pupu-Pue National Park
Rainforest trails, the Pe'ape'a lava cave and coastal walks in Samoa's first national park.
Best hotels in Apia
Taumeasina Island Resort
Samoa's most complete resort on a private island, with villas, two beaches, pool and town five minutes away.
Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey's Hotel & Bungalows
Apia's historic waterfront grand hotel, booked for location, history and bungalows rather than flawless polish.
Sinalei Reef Resort & Spa
Adults focused romantic resort on the south coast, at the top of Samoa's romantic luxury tier.
Lava Hotel
Apia's modern business leisure hotel with an elevator and step free access, pool and the 1905 Restaurant.
Tanoa Tusitala Hotel
A Polynesian style family institution on large tropical gardens, with spacious rooms and two pools.
Le Manumea Hotel
A small boutique hotel in the Vailima gardens with pool, kitchenettes and the calmest breakfast in Apia.
Dave Parker Eco Lodge
A forest lodge above Apia listed among the town's cheap tier options.
Hotel Millenia
A central Apia hotel listed at the mid tier alongside the child free Vaea Hotel.
Is Apia expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | WST 180 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | WST 380 a person |
| Splurge | WST 800 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Samoa Cultural Village: a few days ahead
- Fiafia Night: a few days ahead
- Manoa Tours: a few days ahead
- AquaSamoa: a few days ahead
- Dive Savai'i: a few days ahead
- Savai'i Day Trip: weeks ahead
- Royal Samoa Country Club: a few days ahead
- Surfing, South Coast Upolu: weeks ahead
- Book weeks ahead in dry season: Taumeasina villas, Sinalei, TASI, weekend Paddles and Bistro Tatau, rental cars and ferry vehicle space.
- Book a day ahead: Cultural Village mornings, mid-range Apia hotels in June to September, dive days and fiafia as a non-guest.
- Just show up with cash for To Sua, Piula, Papase'ea, the Giant Clams, Palolo Deep, markets and the Stevenson Museum.
Is Apia safe?
- Petty theft is the main crime; keep valuables out of sight and leave nothing visible in a parked rental.
- Ocean currents and coral cuts are the real risks; swim where locals do, wear reef shoes and clean cuts thoroughly.
- Dengue occurs, so use repellent at dawn and dusk; travel insurance with medical evacuation is essential.
- Emergency number in Samoa is 911.
- Choose accommodation with a generator, as power supply can be interrupted during and after severe weather.
Apia travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Trying to do all of Samoa from Apia alone instead of splitting the stay with the south coast.
- Arriving at Palolo Deep or the Giant Clams at low tide, the top self inflicted snorkelling disappointment.
- Booking the Sheraton on autopilot and expecting flawless international five star consistency.
- Cruise ship days crowd To Sua, the Cultural Village and the markets mid-morning; go early or head south.
Getting around Apia: public transport and more
- Rent a car; sights are strung along the coast and Cross Island roads and buses barely run on Sundays.
- A temporary Samoan licence is required and rental firms arrange it at pickup for a small fee.
- Drive on the left and slowly, watch for village speed humps and animals, and avoid rural night driving.
- Taxis in Apia are unmetered, so agree the fare before you get in and carry small notes.
- Ferries to Savai'i take about an hour; pre-book vehicle space and arrive an hour early.
Who Apia suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Apia your trip
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