A typical first trip here runs about $700 to $925 per person for 7 days at a mid-range style, before flights. Get your own number from the Budget Calculator.
- Umu feast, stone oven cooking with taro, fish, palusami, and pig
- Palusami, taro leaves with coconut cream wrapped in banana leaf; a staple
- Oka, raw fish marinated in lime and coconut milk
- Sapasui, Samoan chop suey: glass noodles with vegetables and meat
- Koko Samoa, traditional cocoa drink made from roasted cacao; pure and intense
- Teuila Festival (September), Samoa's biggest cultural event; traditional dance and sports
- Flag Day (June 1), Independence Day celebrations
- Palolo Rising (October–November), rare sea worm emergence; a delicacy collected at night
- Fa'asamoa, the Samoan way; a code of conduct governing all social interaction
Samoan and English are official languages. Samoan is universally spoken; English is widely understood.
"Talofa" means hello. Samoa follows the Fa'asamoa system, traditional authority of chiefs (matai) governs village life.
- Ask village fono (council) permission before entering some areas
- During lotu (church bells), observe quiet time, Samoans are deeply Christian
- Dress modestly when visiting villages; swimwear is only for beaches
- Tipping is not traditional but appreciated in tourist establishments
Latest for Samoa
Updates for Samoa will appear here as they are published. Every update cites official sources, so you can plan on it.