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A Polynesian Solo Adventure on the Island of Upolu

Where: Apia, Upolu. Samoa. Oceania.
When: December 2024
What: Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, Fugalei Fresh Produce Market, Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Apia Clock Tower, iconic Samoa jeepney buses; attending Catholic Massin Apia's cathedral, First editions of Stevenson's literary works.
How: International flight, walking, taxi.
Country counter: No.97
Illnesses or mishaps: Having to cancel my trip to Samoa in October because of injury; trying to find a healthy meal in Apia was near- impossible; getting a touch of 'Samoan belly' on the second night; trapping my hand in the hotel door on the first night, resulting in a huge bruise.

Samoa lies around 4000km from the coast of eastern Australia and so, by Australian standards, is positively short-haul in flight terms. My flight to the Samoan capital Apia was via Brisbane in Queensland. The whole journey from my home in Sydney to my hotel in central Apia took me twelve hours and involved three time zones. I arrived sleep-deprived and hungry at the hotel reception. I glanced at my watch and, with a little advanced mathematics conducted in the mental fogginess of advancing travel fatigue, calculated that it was nearly 5am local time. With the necessaries completed I headed to my room, tucking into two exorbitantly-priced cereal bars I had bought back at Brisbane International, before collapsing into bed. And so began my little five-day Samoan adventure, my seventh country in Oceania and my first ever solo trip on the continent. In saying "talofa" to Samoa, I said "hello" to my 97th country.

The journey from the airport to my hotel revealed much about the people and the land it had taken so much effort to get to. It was perhaps fortuitous that I'd arrived in darkness and during the Christmas holidays; modest one-storey homes and fales (traditional open-air shacks) were lit-up in all manner of flashing colours and, all the while, giant illuminated portraits of Jesus whizzed by: a kaleidoscope of LEDs and deities seemingly dancing to the Christmas songs playing in the taxi. Written on the pages of the Samoan landscape, therefore, is a distinctly Christian story. Indeed, some 95% of Samoans belong to a Christian denomination of one kind or another. This accounts for the prevalence of churches in the capital and the country's embracing of all things Christmas with a feverish abandon.

2024 has proved to be an important year for this Pacific nation. First, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was held here. There is something really endearing about how Samoa welcomed dignitaries from across the Commonwealth. Flags, whose colours had much faded by the time of my visit, fluttered in their hundreds along the main road into Apia. Everything from planters made from tyres, to oil barrels to roadside kerbs and fencing had been painted in the colours of visiting nations' flags, with giant billboards emblazoning the CHOGM acronym everywhere. Moreover, in October, Samoa welcomed the British King and Queen. Aside from Australia, Samoa was the only other country to be included in the monarchs' commonwealth itinerary. Whatever your opinion of monarchy and British colonialism, this was a huge deal for Samoa. Three months on and giant boards remained in-situ, proudly proclaiming, "Samoa welcomes King Charles III". Clinging to the International Date Line at the end of time, Samoa, so often overlooked and bypassed, has had its chance to bask in the metaphorical spotlight on the world stage, the country having made, I have no doubt, a valiant effort to put on a show with meagre resources.

I based myself along Main Beach Road in a hotel overlooking the cobalts and azures of the Pacific Ocean. The weather was just as expected: hot and humid. Within minutes of a little foray outside of the hotel to marvel at the tsunami warning signs, large sweaty daubs pock-marked my shirt. Despite the heat, often hitting a 'feels like' temperature of 37 degrees Celsius, I courageously managed to navigate Apia to tick off the main sights, occasionally taking the odd taxi as reward for having, quite literally, hot-footed it all over town: Apia's Town Clock, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, the Fugalei indoor market and the Robert Louis Stevenson museum. Stevenson, the writer responsible for Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, lived in Samoa for the last four years of his life until his death. His servants, who came to respect and admire the Victorian writer and plantation owner, buried him on Mount Vaea overlooking the sea. His home, built in the Queensland architectural style, with its deep porches and wooden latticework, is now a museum. I'm not the biggest fan of museums; I much prefer the life that is to be found outside on the streets and in the markets. However, I made an exception this time; Stevenson's most famous work, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, formed part of my undergraduate dissertation and so I felt obliged to pay homage. I could never have imagined, as I sat writing my university dissertation at the age of twenty, that one day I'd would be walking on the creaky floorboards of Stevenson's home in a country which, at that point, I'd never even heard of and be doing a quarter of a century into the future. By visiting the Stevenson museum I completed one of life's circles. And so my visit to this most colonial of buildings on the top of a hill overlooking the capital of a tiny South Pacific nation went a little deeper than, perhaps, just another visit by yet another wayward tourist. 

It must be said that Apia isn't the prettiest of cities. Indeed, I had to work my photographic eye quite keenly to find the beauty. But it was there and I did find it. I've written this about other places, and it sounds trite travel cliché, but the main attraction for me was the people themselves. Samoans wave. They say "talofa" or "hello". They put their hand out to shake yours. I was even the recipient of a salute on one occasion! Indeed, I was also on the receiving end of two incredible acts of generosity and kindness during my relatively short time there.

The first took place during my attendance at Apia's Immaculate Conception Catholic Cathedral on a Sunday morning. The cathedral is by far the most impressive building in the city and, likely, Samoa generally. The 9:30am service was the only one conducted in English. I knew Samoa to be a particularly devout Christian country and conceived that seeing locals worshipping would be as authentic a travel experience as I could get. I also figured that the cathedral must be the place where all Samoans were hiding out because, having arrived at the weekend and having only ventured out into the city late Saturday afternoon, I had barely seen a soul. Where was everybody? Apia, I discovered, is near-deserted at weekends. Businesses shuttered. Streets empty. Only the odd taxi zooming by disturbed Apia's eerie emptiness. I overslept and arrived at the cathedral late. I assumed I'd missed the service but... The sound of angelic singing drifted through the doors of the cathedral and out onto Apia's shimmeringly-hot sidewalk. I entered, tentatively taking a seat on a wooden bench at the back. In the sweltering heat I sang along to some of the hymns ("Silent night, holy night..."). The man sitting to my right passed me his fan made of dried palm leaves, foregoing his own needs for the comfort of a guest in the cathedral, but also a guest in his country. I panned the scene, taking it all in: the singing, locals wearing their Sunday best, men in sarongs, the outstretched arms, the wafting of palm fans... Then came the time for the collection. I reached into my wallet for the one coin of local currency I knew I had. The man glanced over and, as if to save me from embarrassment, handed me two extra coins from his own pocket. Initially I assumed this must be his own contribution which he wanted me to drop into the passing bag on his behalf along with my own but no, these coins were now my coins to bolster my own contribution to the church.

Indeed, this random act of kindness to a stranger wasn't a one-off. The next day I took a trip to the Fugalei market. I know from my experience travelling around countries of the South Pacific that the local market is a place where you are guaranteed to feel the pulse of a culture. Strange-looking spiky fruits, characteristically tiny bananas, root vegetables, coconuts stacked in baskets made from palm leaves, psychedelic kava lined up on the ground like soldiers standing to attention... I love a market in this part of the world; there's no finessing, no air brushing, no tourist-geared theatricality. It's life as it is and, for this reason alone, I reckon it's travel gold. Bananas are my travel snack of choice and the market had them in abundance. Normally they're sold in bunches of ten or more. I didn't need a whole bunch so I asked the girls behind the stall how much it would be for just two. A little bit of inevitable haggling ensued. Even I knew that, at 5 Tala, the girls were trying it on with me. A man and woman got themselves involved, intervening to save a dumb traveller from being ripped off. "You are meant to buy the bunch", he laughed. "I know, but I only want two!", I laughed back. We were all chuckling together. "What if I buy the bunch and give you two?!", he declared triumphantly. The man grabbed the bunch from the table, paid the girl and tore off two bananas, handing them to me with a satisfied grin. "Enjoy your Samoan bananas! Welcome to Samoa!". This was the second time in as many days where locals had stepped forward to help out a stranger. Such a level of kindness left me questioning my own approach to strangers.

I have visited a fair number of South Pacific nations now, including Fiji, Vanuatu, Cook Islands and New Caledonia. This part of the world is renowned for its friendliness and warmth towards travellers but Samoa, I'm almost certain, is quite possibly the friendliest country in the world.

Upolu in bloom: some of the flowers along Main Beach Road on the north of the island.

The Cathedral of Immaculate Conception is the most impressive building in the city.

Joining locals in the Immaculate Conception Cathedral for the Sunday service in English. For a little country Samoa has a whole lot of spirit.

A mural of Samoa's endangered Tooth-billed Pigeon, or Manumea. This bird can only be found in Samoa.

The wonderful Fugalei Fresh Produce Market - a great place to wander around, engage with locals and marvel at strange-looking fruits.

Characterful Samoan buses: loud colours and even louder reggae music!

The Robert Louis Stevenson Museum and the Scottish writer's former home. This very Australian-looking building features on the 5 Samoan Tala note (see it here).

travel tips, links & resources

• The Samoa Pocket Guide website, here, is a great place to start planning your visit.
• Samoa is a conservative country where same-sex relationships are not recognised and where sex between men is illegal. Check out the Equaldex website here for a more comprehensive summary.
• Most businesses and attractions close on Sunday. Other days opening hours are limited. Restaurants and cafés often close for the afternoon. During holiday seasons, such as Christmas, some places close for weeks.
• Plan ahead if you want to eat a relatively decent meal as food options on the island of Upolu are limited. Expect lots of fried food (chips, burgers), even at the most expensive food establishments. I found eating healthily a real challenge in Samoa.
• As with many Pacific island countries, prices are very high in Samoa. Some were near double what I would pay back in Australia. My advice is to bring what you can with you, in particular healthy snacks and sweetener for your coffee (sweetener was just not available on the island). Note that food options in supermarkets are also quite limited and generally of poor quality.
• Be sure to declare any food you have brought with you on your Samoa arrival card. I declared my food but luckily for me they didn't bother to look at my card and just waved me through.
• Things go at a slower pace in Samoa. It's part of the culture to be chilled and relaxed. I theorise this is likely partly down to the oppressive heat which bedevils this part of the world year-round. Therefore, leave your traveller stress, impatience and entitlement at home - you're on Samoan time now and things will happen when they happen. Just go with the flow.
• Bizarrely I experienced an issue on check-in at Sydney International Airport: the clerk confused Samoa with American Samoa. This lead to her insisting I needed a visa and a frantic twenty minutes trying to fill out forms for a different country. It's just something to bear in mind: there are two Samoas. Indeed, Samoa is often initialled as "WS", short for Western Samoa - its previous name. This still appears in web addresses ".ws" and in its three letter currency code "WST", the abbreviation for the Western Samoan Tala.
• I found Samoans to be warm and hospitable in nature. They often waved or said hello ("talofa"), recognising that I was a visitor. This makes Samoa a great option for people travelling on their own.
• Solo travel is a bit daunting, even for the most fearless of travellers. If anything goes wrong you are pretty much on your own. As this was a solo adventure I made sure I packed a comprehensive first aid medical kit which included several rounds of antibiotics. Travelling alone does have a number of advantages: people are far more likely to engage you in conversation and you are also more likely to engage others in the same way.
• If getting some good photographs of you on your trip is important to you, as it is me, and you're travelling alone, a crucial piece of kit to pack is a mobile phone tripod. Mine includes a Bluetooth remote clicker. Sure, you could ask strangers to snap photographs of you but, in my experience, these are normally of poor quality.
• I am cautious about what I eat abroad. Trying to eat on a budget can end up being a huge false economy if you become sick, lose days of your trip ensconced in the bathroom or have to seek out expensive medical help. Sure, your insurance may pay out in the end, but this won't recoup the travelling time you have lost. Where eating abroad is concerned, prevention is better than the cure. I'm even more cautious when travelling alone. Therefore, what and where I eat is always at the higher end of the market. I do this knowing that it is an investment in the journey itself just like the cost of flights or accommodation. I often counter the cost of expensive meals by skipping lunch.

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