apriha.com » Samoa

‘Upolu Redux

Andrew Riha — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:52:06 +0000

Following Ofu and American Samoa, I spent a night CouchSurfing in Apia with Paul. Paul was a fantastic host, and our Friday night program included the Zodiac Bar (where I quite coincidentally bumped into an Australian friend) and Paddles Night Club. On Saturday we toured the island in Paul’s 4WD with Dave (another CouchSurfer) and Henrik. Indeed, it was another extremely positive CouchSurfing experience!

Lalomanu

Andrew Riha — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:05:53 +0000

I’ve spent almost the entirety of the past week at Taufua Beach Fales on the beach of Lalomanu, which is on the southeast side of ‘Upolu. As far as beaches go, this was probably one of the nicest (and cheapest) I’ve stayed at, so my original 3-night stay got extended to 6 nights.

For less than $30 a day, I enjoyed an open fale (small beach hut) right on the beach, delicious all-you-can-eat breakfasts and dinners, and some of the clearest/cleanest/warmest ocean water I’ve ever experienced. I became a master of the four S’s – swimming, snorkeling, sunning, and sleeping – and in no way was it boring; in fact, the time actually seemed to pass faster than usual, which surprised me on more than one occasion. At any rate, saying Lalomanu was great would be an understatement, and the “Places to Return” list has just grown by another line.

‘Upolu

Andrew Riha — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:49:17 +0000

Stay tuned for the rest of the Australia story, which’ll have to be blogged when I return to the States. For now, here are some photos of my current locale: Apia, ‘Upolu, Samoa – home to sunny skies, friendly people, and that laid-back South Pacific groove.