Subscribe RSS

Tag-Archive for "Samoa beach"

Hot but not sticky… Author: admin May 19

samoa accommodationSmall climate change.

This is the time of the year when a small shift is taking place in the samoan climate.

Between November and April the humidity is higher and  constant sweating belongs to the daily life. It can be very uncomfortable when coming directly from a cooler country not being used to having a semi wet T-shirt all day long.

It is understandable that most visitors like to spend most of their time with their feet in the water on the beach or by the hotel pool.

Cooler times ahead.

During the months between May and October we usually have a nice strong breeze blowing all day long which makes it cooler and more comfortable. This is also the time when most tourists are coming to the island, filling up our hotel rooms.

As usual, when more tourists are arriving the prices will also go up. This year has been different from others because of the previous tsunami which scared off lots of booked guests. Today the situation is slowly getting back to what is was before although the number of accommodation available have decreased.

Many of the smaller operators are not bothering any more to continue serving the tourists.

The opportunity season.

It is good to know that lots of great accommodation deals are available between November and April and if this is the time for your holiday, don’t hesitate to come to Samoa. Everyone will have extra time for just you and you will probably have a very profound experience.

Although it is great to stay at the beach, you should give Apia a few days and explore the many small but very good restaurants, the market and the police band marching every morning to raise the flag in front of the government building.

If you haven’t been to Samoa yet, you should know that we are only 4 hours away from New Zealand and 5 hours from Australia. Both destinations have direct flights. If you are coming from Europe and going to New Zealand you can make a stop in Samoa without extra costs. Air New Zealand has a direct flight from Los Angeles.

Mats Loefkvist

Book hotels Samoa and accommodation directly on our site www.samoa-experience.com

Blog http://www.samoa-experience.net

  • Share/Bookmark
Category: Samoa General  | Tags: , , , ,  | 2 Comments
Warwick Samoa Resort Coming Soon Author: admin Mar 07

Plans have changed!

The Warwick Samoa Resort should have been open long time ago but because of economical recession and the tsunami disaster the plans have been revised.

The location of accommodation and other public areas have been relocated to make it safe for any future natural disaster that could happen.

Warwick Fiji Resort and Spa

Two step building plan.

The 4-5 star resort will be built in two steps. The first step will include 100 rooms, restaurants and conference facilities. The second step will add another 50-70 rooms to accommodate for up to 400 people.

First guests arriving 2013

If everything works according to the plan, the building will start at the end of 2010 and the first guests should arrive already in 2013. The resort is much hoping for a good cooperation with the Samoan government to get all the necessary infrastructure in place.

The Warwick Samoa Resort will be the 38th property for the Warwick group which today counts to one of the biggest hotel chains in the world.

Samoa has a great future potential as a tourist destination regarding to the Senior Vice President Mrs Tammie Tam.

Mats Loefkvist   www.samoa-experience.com

  • Share/Bookmark
Category: Samoa accommodation  | Tags: , , , ,  | Leave a Comment
Lupe’s Cocktail Bar & Restaurant – We Can’t Wait! Author: admin Feb 28
We can’t wait!

This is all about the willpower of a young entrepreneurial family that lost their restaurant on the beach when it was hit by the tsunami wave on September 29, 2009.

Sala and Nika had a good going small restaurant in between two big luxury resorts. The guests from both Sinalei Reef Resort and Coconuts Beach Resort all loved the possibility to have a beer and some food together with the locals in an easy and friendly atmosphere just a few steps away.

When the restaurant was flushed away by the tsunami wave and the owner didn’t know what to do, the staff insisted to start building the restaurant up again. They told Sala and Nika – We Can’t Wait!

Without any payments they worked for 3 weeks collecting timber and old parts that could still be used until a new version of the restaurant was created.

Help for the ones that help themselves!

When other people saw what was happening they joined the team and all kinds of building material and money appeared. It was a true Miracle! – Nika said.

Every day was an improvement and very soon people from Apia, 20 km away got to know that one restaurant on the affected south coast was open again. A new sign was placed by the main road leading visitors to the little oasis with cool beers, cocktails and food at the beach.

Prepared for the next wave.

Sala and Nika and their staff have now had time to prepare for the next wave, which hopefully should be tourists from the bigger resorts, that soon will be ready to open after their reconstruction work.

If their entrepreneurial mind was not set to get things started and moving in the beginning they would never be in this great situation of creating prosperity and wealth for themselves, their staff and for the entire village of Siumu.

Well Done!!


Mats Loefkvist   www.samoa-experience.com

  • Share/Bookmark
Category: Samoan food  | Tags: , , , ,  | Leave a Comment
Salani Surf Resort – Will it ever be back again? Author: admin Feb 22
12 years of business washed away!

Salani Surf Resort was a beautifully designed small resort in Samoan style. Totally integrated in the Salani village the resort was operated by surfers for surfers. Exactly where the river meets the sea become the perfect location for accessing the great waves just a short boat ride away.

The nature of a surfer is to be up early in the morning to watch the waves and plan for the perfect time to get out to sea. This habit probably saved all the guests and staff at Salani in the morning on September 29, 2009. The knowledge of earth quakes creating tsunamis plus that the water disappeared from the lagoon was signs enough for the manager Nick to quickly evacuate all people from the resort up to higher grounds.

In just minutes 12 years of work was washed away by the huge tsunami wave that followed. The place was completely clean except for one house that for some reason was spared.

Not sure about the future.

There are hopes to have Salani surf resort up and running again after a year or more but this is still only hopes. It is all depending on insurance payments and the willingness to continue by the owners.

Salani Surf resort was always very concerned about safety and good practices for their surfing guests which was very valuable for the reputation of Samoa as a good surfing destination. It would be very welcomed to have Salani Surf Resort continuing their work in this area which certainly would make a difference in promoting Samoa worldwide as a safe and caring destination.

Listen to Nick when he explains what happened on September 29, 2009

Mats Loefkvist   www.samoa-experience.com

  • Share/Bookmark
Category: Samoa accommodation  | Tags: , , , , , , , ,  | Leave a Comment
Seabreeze Resort – No help from the government… Author: admin Feb 08
Will we ever get help from the government?

I just got off the phone after talking to Chris, the owner of Seabreeze Resort at the south east coast of Upolu island in Samoa. Chris explained that after 4 months not a cent of aid help has been provided by the Samoan government. Nobody is answering emails or phone calls to give an explanation why things takes such a long time.

Repairing before rebuilding

The last four months Chris and his wife Wendy have spent their time repairing buildings that were still standing after the tsunami at September 29, 2009. The buildings they are currently working on are the former suites 1 – 7 and the old laundry. Luckily all the work can be managed by Chris himself with all his experiences as a professional builder. The old restaurant has to be totally rebuilt from the beginning and tomorrow they will receive an Architect from New Zealand helping with the new layout.

Not much of the rebuilding can begin before they get a clear answer from both insurance company and government. Chris tells – The frustration is growing every day and soon some kind of action has to be taken to get the ball rolling.

Wendy wants all her kids back at work.

Chris and Wendy have always had such a strong bound with their staff and it is heart breaking to know that very few of them have a work at this time. All the kids will hopefully soon be back in their Seabreeze family again.

Will Seabreeze be open in November?

If things get moving very soon there is a good chance to have the resort up and running in November this year. There are many things that has to be done, a new restaurant is needed, destroyed bungalows needs to be rebuilt and a new seawall construction must be erected to protect from further erosion. The resort already lost about 3 meters of their grounds that was eaten by the tsunami wave.

See the video where Chris and Wendy will explain their plans for the future.



Mats Loefkvist   www.samoa-experience.com

  • Share/Bookmark
Category: Samoa accommodation  | Tags: , , , , , ,  | Leave a Comment
Coconuts Beach Resort – Soft opening in February? Author: admin Jan 31
coconuts beach resort

Coconuts dining room

We must move fast!

Coconuts Beach Resort was heavily damage during the tsunami on September 29, 2009. The bar, kitchen and conference (movie) room were completely gone. The only part of the beach front restaurant left, was the dining room although nothing inside. The whole building was leaning over and needed to be completely renovated.

The first time I saw the resort after the destruction a boat was standing on top of the debris that ones was a conference room. Despite of a more or less total rebuilding of the resort, Lina the manager of Coconuts, tells me that they need to move fast to get things going as many customers, always returning to Coconuts every year, wants to be back as soon as possible.

Seven Rooms in February.

Already at the end of February about 7 rooms should be ready to use again. Rooms located in the “Tree House” and the “Coco Suites” close to the Spa will be the first ones taken in use during the soft-opening at the end of February. Lina is also talking about reopening the Spa which was still in not too bad shape after the disaster.

All other fales and luxury suites are very heavily damaged and will need lots of time to be rebuilt or renovated. The two very popular “Over-Water” fales are completely gone but with the time they will for sure be constructed again. The future plan is to add more rooms and fales to the resort to be able to accommodate the increasing number of guests every year.

Office in the garden.

At the time I met Lina, the manager of Coconuts Beach Resort she had moved her office out in the garden. It was not that hard to do as the office was just one chair. From her new office it was easy to overlook the work as not much was left to block the view. Building material, equipment and furniture have been ordered from overseas but as everything else in Samoa, it just take some time.

Big Bar and Kitchen.

At this time a brand new bar and a kitchen are under construction and will be finished very soon. Both bar and kitchen will be much bigger then before, to bring the well known restaurant manager “Mika”, lots of space to move around. The old dining room has been straightened up and renovated and is just waiting for new furniture to arrive.

Lots of help from guests and the village.

Many overseas guests have helped the resort in different ways, showing their loyalty and love for something they call unique. Also, without the help and support from the village, it would not be possible to move forward with the rebuilding that is now well on it’s way….

Let Lina explain it all in the Video!

Mats Loefkvist    www.samoa-experience.com

  • Share/Bookmark
Category: Samoa accommodation  | Tags: , , , , , ,  | 2 Comments
Fao Fao Beach Fales – First to reopen after the tsunami. Author: admin Jan 16

The family operating Fao Fao Beach Fales at Saleapaga have demonstrated an extreme willpower and determination to get their accommodation business up and running again, regardless of what have happened in the past.

When everyone left the village heading for higher ground to settle down, the Fao Fao family took what they had and started rebuilding shortly after the accident, not waiting for the government to support them.

After many years of operation they are known worldwide and have many supporters. Private people offered money to help to start-up again. Four new fales directly on the beach was quickly built and taken into use. Already at Christmas time the restaurant and bar was ready to welcome the first guests in the new Fao Fao Beach Fales.

At this time there is not much competition around as the closest resort would be The Virgin Cove Resort at Saanapu Village which is more than 1 hour drive from Saleapanga and Fao Fao Beach Fales.

Building up a new resort from scratch is a big challenge but it also gives the family the opportunity to do things in a new and better way. One of the changes planned is to go more up-market with self-contained bungalows close but not directly at the beach.

To begin with the family had to stay in tents during the building period before the first fale was ready. It will take some time before the nature has recovered and all the remaining debris has been cleared in the area.

The thankfulness of the family for everything people from other countries have done for them and their business is enormous.

Listen to what they have to say….

Mats Loefkvist      www.samoa-experience.com



  • Share/Bookmark
Category: Samoa accommodation  | Tags: , , , , ,  | Leave a Comment
Taufua Beach Fales – We Never Give Up! Author: admin Jan 10

We never give up!

samoa beach falesThe Taufua family was the family in Samoa who lost  most members during the tsunami catastrophe. Despite of the loss they are determined to build up the very popular “Taufua Beach Fales again. The family has such a strong vision of what they want to create that nothing can stop then from making their dreams come true.

After all the emotional wounds and long hospitalization, the owners Sili and Tai tells us about their plans to have Taufua Beach Fales up and running the same way as before and their former guests should arrive to the new Taufua Beach Fales with the feeling of coming home as nothing has happened.

We want you to come home!

Sili and Tai wants you to come home and enjoy their heart-felt hospitality the way it always have been. After the tsunami disaster they have had lots of time to reflect and plan their future life which also gave them many new ideas about how to construct their new Beach Fales and what their customers actually would like to have and experience.

The new fales will have no metal parts on the roofing that could be a danger to people, plus that the whole layout of the resort will be better planned for a quick exit in any difficult weather condition.

Going up the hill.

Up on the steep hills above the Lalomanu coast line, the Taufua family have already compleated a brand new big building that will serve as their private residence and accommodation for future guests. There will be a great new restaurant caring for the guests who are enjoying their time in one of the four luxurious bungalows that overlooks the ocean. The ocean view is absolutely spectacular and you will be able to see as far as American Samoa during clear days. From this new resort area with swimming pool up the hill you only have a short 15 minutes walk down to the well-known Lalomanu Beach and the famous traditional Taufua Beach Fales.

Let us explain……



Thank You James!

We like to say a big thank you to James Buffin for coming the whole way from Canada on his own expenses to help us with the professional video clip above plus many more to come in the following weeks….

Mats Loefkvist    www.samoa-experience.com

  • Share/Bookmark
Category: Samoa accommodation  | Tags: , , , , , , ,  | 7 Comments
Are We Making Progress? Author: admin Dec 17

Moving around trying to get the Bigger Picture.

Recently a good friend from Canada, James Buffin felt the urge to come and make a contribution to Samoa with his documentary film making skills. He put in two weeks of his time plus all the expenses for airfares,  transportation of camera equipment and accommodation  to make a difference  in helping the Samoan people to monitor the progress of rebuilding after the tsunami.

Tsunami Affected Family

Tsunami Affected Family

Mr. Buffin is now back in Canada editing his material which  soon will appear on this blog as video clips interviewing struggling business owners trying to rebuilding their hotels and beach fales.

After talking to 9 different affected hotel/resort businesses along the south coast we experienced very much the same concern and frustration by all of them.

Not enough government help.

Their main concern is that they have got no or very little help from the government to rebuild their lives and business. Almost all help they got came from private people who felt the necessity to make a contribution in rebuilding the beautiful beach areas with the so typical and popular Samoan beach fale.

With the private help, Fao Fao Beach Fales in Saleapaga has already built 4 fales on the beach and has a main building with restaurant soon compleated. They hope to be open for Christmas. Also with private funding, Taufua Beach Fales and Litia’s Beach Fales at Lalomanu have started to rearrange the damage beach area and will very soon have it back to what it looked before the disaster.

Sili and Tai, the owner of  Taufua Beach Fales explained that they like their guests to return to a place that looks the same as before, like coming home…

Normal families, not having a previous business at the beach are not likely to return so fast. Up in the hills at their new location they are also waiting for their promised government help with house rebuilding, water and power. Although most people already have power installed in their temporary shelters, the water is still not there.

We need your skills!

To make things move faster, Habitat for Humanity New Zealand plans to ramp-up its involvement in Samoa in the New Year, as it helps the rebuilding effort. The organisation wants to recruit increased numbers of skilled New Zealand volunteers, to follow in the footsteps of the several dozen, who have already contributed to Samoa’s reconstruction.

Habitat NZ currently has two teams of 12 volunteers working in Samoa. One of the teams is located in the village of Lepa, which is home to the organisation’s Resource Centre, where prefabricated trusses, toilet and shower walls and other building parts are being made. The other team is stationed in the village of Lolomanu. The volunteers are being hosted by local communities and accommodated in church halls.

“If you have the skills they need and would like to spend two weeks in Samoa during 2010, working for a very good cause, then please visit the website at www.habitat.org.nz or call them on 0800 44 22 48, to find out more about what’s entailed,”

Mats Loefkvist     http://www.samoa-experience.com

  • Share/Bookmark
Category: Samoa beach  | Tags: , , , , , ,  | One Comment
Samoa Get More Help for Tsunami Victims Author: admin Nov 30

Cloths from Sweden,

We recently picked up 2 huge bags with cloths that came the whole way from Sweden. The swedish travel and tour agent “Tour Pacific” sent the bags with two of their clients. We were sure that they were happy to carry the big and heavy bags half around the world. The people in Samoa were at least very happy to receive the cloths. Among the cloths there were about 30 Swedish T-shirts in bright yellow and blue. We walked around town yesterday and we saw 2 kids with a swedish T-shirt.

tsunami2

tsunami9

Money from Australia and Europe,

More people have been donating money for Samoa. We got all together 3,200 Tala paid into our account from staff at “Intrepid Travel” in Australia plus from private people in Europe.

We decided to get the shopping done and filled the car with rice and canned fish (sorry, this is what the Samoans like most) and had it delivered to 16 different families.

tsunami1

tsunami3tsunami6tsunami7tsunami8

As we are moving around in the affected areas, we realize that the progress of rebuilding is slow and we would like to see more organized efforts from the government to have villages cleaned up, businesses up and running and families getting one of the new buildings that was promised.

We will continue to add more reports about the progress inn a near future.

Mats    www.samoa-experience.com

  • Share/Bookmark
Category: Samoa General  | Tags: , , , , , , , ,  | Leave a Comment
« Previous Entries