Samoa

Samoa is one of the many islands in Pacific Ocean.

• Capital city: Apia.
• Main language spoken: Samoan.
• Basic Greetings: talofa (Hello), faafetai (Thank you), fa’amolemole (Please).
• Currency: Samoan tala.
  • Forex Exchange: Currency can be exchanged at any international airports.
• Tourist visa: Visa is not required if the stay is less than 60 days (latest information can be found on Samoan Immigration website).

A visa free country if you are visiting Samoa for less than 60 days. But you do need to hold an onward ticket, a copy of bank statement and a valid passport for at least next 6 months. This is valid for any nationality (including Australia and India).

Note: Even though similar names, Samoa is different to American Samoa and the visa requirements are different for both these countries.

• Best time to visit: July to September.
• Adapter required (power points): Type I (similar to Australia).
• Driving licence: International unexpired valid driving licence is required.

Lessons learned in Samoa

There are always learning from travels. I note down lessons learned generally, which lists all the things I learned about the country while I was travelling in the country. So here is my list for Samoa:

• Data or Wifi is expensive. The cheapest is getting a SIM card. The SIM card (ensure it is activated and the data package is bought before you use) costs Tala 30 for calls and 6GB data. Wifi costs Tala 200 for 7 days.
• Apia (capital of Samoa) is closed on Sundays and Public holidays. There are no cafes or restaurants open on Sunday.
• Ensure to get some local cash before exiting the airport.
• If you are scuba diving and have a medical condition, always check about the medical assessment with the diving school before you arrive.
• 12 * 1 litre water bottles generally cost around Tala 13 at the super market, but at resorts and hotels, 200 ml water bottle costs Tala 4.
• Carry an umbrella and be prepared for extreme humidity.
• Taxi from airport to the town costs around Tala 70 one way.
• There are really good restaurants at the town.
• Carry an insect repellent as there are lots of mosquitoes and flies.

I think we were prepared well for this travel, so did not have too many things to write 😊.