Samoa

How the islands differ

Base yourself on Upolu and add Savaiʻi for quiet. Every international flight lands on Upolu, three-quarters of Samoa’s people live there, and Apia has the markets, museums and cafés. The south coast is the resort coast, and Lalomanu, which the tourism authority counts among Samoa’s most beautiful beaches, is lined with open-sided beach fales.

Savaiʻi is slightly bigger but home to only about 43,000 people, and life moves more slowly. Its draw is the land: lava fields from Mt Matavanu’s 1905–1911 eruption, blowholes, freshwater pools, rainforest and Mt Silisili, Samoa’s highest point. Beds are mostly simple beach fales, usually with breakfast and dinner included, and only two Savaiʻi resorts appear on the tourism authority’s deluxe list.

Both islands live by faʻa Samoa, the Samoan way, so culture won’t decide it; comfort and time will. Families with young children, and anyone who wants restaurants or a full-service resort, should stay on Upolu. Hikers, independent travellers and couples happy with simple rooms and slow days get the most from Savaiʻi. Our pick for a week: four nights on Upolu, split either side of three on Savaiʻi.

Getting between them

The simplest way across is the ferry. Samoa Shipping Corporation sails from Mulifanua wharf, six minutes’ drive from Faleolo airport, to Salelologa on Savaiʻi’s south-east coast. The crossing takes 60 to 90 minutes and passes the small islands of Manono and Apolima. The company says its ferries run seven days a week, all year, including public holidays, and it publishes sailing times as a monthly schedule, so check the current one.

Walk-on tickets are sold at the wharf for cash only, at ST$10 one way for adults in October 2026. Check in 30 minutes before departure on foot, or an hour before with a car. To take a hire car across, first check that your rental agreement allows it, then book vehicle space ahead in person at Samoa Shipping’s office in Apia, or ask whether the rental company can arrange it. The car fare covers the driver only, and you can also hire a car on Savaiʻi itself.

Samoa Airways also lists short flights to Maota airport on Savaiʻi, three days a week from Fagaliʻi near Apia and on Sundays from Faleolo. That schedule was last updated in March 2025, so confirm it first.

Combining the two is easy, because the wharf is close to the airport. The tourism authority says even a day trip is worthwhile, but Mulifanua is an hour’s drive from Apia, so the transfers eat into it. Give Savaiʻi at least three nights. The captain decides whether to sail in rough weather, so spend your last night on Upolu rather than crossing on the day you fly home.

Before you book

The catch is cash, and it bites harder on Savaiʻi. Away from resorts, Samoa runs on cash: ferry tickets, buses, fuel and village fees of usually ST$5–20 a person at beaches, waterfalls and pools. ATMs are scarcer on Savaiʻi, so withdraw on Upolu before the ferry.

Plan the week around Sunday. On both islands most sights, shops and fuel stations close, while resorts and many restaurants stay open. Fill the tank on Saturday. The ferry still sails, so Sunday can be a sensible day to cross, leaving the other six days for sightseeing.

Choose your season. May to October is the dry season and the most popular time to visit. November to April is wetter and is cyclone season, so book flexible rooms and keep a spare day either side of the crossing.

Pack for dengue. Samoa declared an outbreak in April 2025, and the Ministry of Health was still reporting new cases in late September 2026. Since January 2025, most cases have been on Upolu. Use repellent on both islands, and buy insurance that covers medical evacuation by air, as SafeTravel advises.