Upolu is not all about white sand beaches and blue lagoons as is expected from this area. Of course, there are plenty of those too, including excellent year-round fishing, diving and surfing spots all along the coast. If you want to have an out of this world experience just take a half-day excursion down the east coast to idyllic Lalomanu Beach. Alternatively, if you are in a romantic mood, you might just want to take the Cross Island Road straight down to the southern beaches.
Upolu’s interior exudes a very special and mystic charm that will spellbind its visitors. There are numerous tracks that lead deep through lush rainforests to numerous rivers and fairytale waterfalls. Many of these will offer great opportunities for swimming, picnicking or just generally whiling the time away.
In Upolu, must-see sites within easy reach of Apia include Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, Palolo Deep National Marine Reserve, Piula Cave Pools and the Papase’ea Sliding Rocks.
The famous Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, famed for classic books such as Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, spent his final years in Samoa. He was known by the local people as Tusitala – Samoan for ‘teller of tales'. His beautiful mansion in Vailima has been converted into a museum set within lush gardens and is open to the public. Visitors can also visit his grave located at the top of Mt Vaea, along a trail named by the locals as “The Road of the Loving Heart” dedicated to the great author.
Samoa island nation is located in the South Pacific Ocean, roughly situated midway between Hawaii and New Zealand and is part of Polynesia. It is created by volcanic explosions though today none of the volcanoes are currently active, yet small earthquakes often rock the island. Samoa is a beautiful paradox in that despite its intense natural beauty with its shimmering seas, dense jungles and fairyland waterfalls it has managed to maintain a humble profile, devoid of mega-resorts and loud attractions. Its population is around 195,000 but a lot of Samoans live outside the country, particularly in New Zealand, Australia and the United States. The two main islands of Samoa complex are Upolu and Savaii. The capital is Apia, and the international airport is found on Upolu.
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