Tell me about Samoa
 

Hello, My husband and I had these wonderful plans to visit the cook islands, then we read about the Samoa Islands. We love to snorkel, kayak, hike and visit with the people of the island. Would Samoa offer this and are the islands and snorkeling just as wonderful as the cooks? Any information would be a huge help! Thanks Theresa

There's great snorkeling and hiking on Ofu, one of the American Samoan islands, easily reached from Independent Samoa by plane through the main island of Tutuila, where Pago Pago is located. There's only one place to stay, and it's b-a-s-i-c, but the setting is truly wonderful, the people very friendly and the coral reef is full of color.

Hi. We have been to Western Samoa (or Independent Samoa) & the Cook Islands, Fiji & Society islands (Tahiti etc.). Depending on what you are looking for, Samoa is the most culturally intact of all the SP islands I've been to. Though Apia is much bigger & cosmopolitan than Avarua on Rarotonga, once you get outside the city it is a huge leap backwards (in a good way!) in time. Open sided housing, with cooking done on outdoor fires. You ask permission from local chiefs to use their beaches (just a formality & coutesy). Cook Islands are a very comfortable easy vacation, no real culture shock but interesting. Samoa is different but I feel in an exciting way. The south shore of Upolo was great, good snorkeling in places & kayaking through the mangroves. We stayed at Coconuts Beach Club, great place, fantastic food. We have gone to the Cooks twice so when we go again, it will definately be to Samoa. You can't really have a bad time in either spot in my opinion.

Theresa,

I think you'll be quite pleased with Samoa. There are many activities, Upolo or Savai'i could be good for you, both snorkeling to some extent and some nice waterfalls to see. To me alot of Cooks are more cultural than Samoa as Samoa seems a little more modern to me, but that's me. Tonga is more in tact if you ask me. ;-)

I love the people in both the Cooks and Samoa as any of the great islands of the SP. You need to get out of the hotel to truely meet them most times. Snorkleing might have an edge in the Cooks, but you'll be happy in both places.

sneezey,
Do you think the people on the southern coast of Upolo are more modernerized than the people on Rarotonga? Most homes on Raro are self-contained & the customs very modern compared to anything we saw on Upolo EXCEPT for the Apia area. Or are you talking about the outer islands of the Cooks, except for Aitutaki?

Thanks for the input, I believe that each island has something uniquely special to offer. Sneezy you mentioned that the cook island aren't as promising with regards to snorkeling. Does Samoa have nicer reefs?

Dolphindog - actually I said the Cooks have the edge in the snorkeling category.

PeggyE - It's always different on all of these islands (except perhaps Niue or Pitcairn where practically no one goes) between the couple of big cities and the rest of the islands, particularly in Fiji. No doubt Apia is far more modern than the rest of Samoa, but I was speaking in more of the sense of the overall islands I've seen. I'm sure you could take one village on Upolo and one on Rarotonga and come to either conclusion. I never thought of it from the perspective of what their homes are like but more of the traditions they still keep, and attitudes of people I've met. I always got a sense that the Samoans were just a hair ahead of "Pacific Time" and the Cooks just a hair behind. ;-)