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Samoa Beach Fales Guide
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Samoa beach fales are traditional thatch huts usually on village land and owned and operated by a local Samoan family. They are scattered all along the coast of Upolu and Savaii, usually in extremely scenic locations, and can even be found on uninhabited Namua Island and the very traditional Manono Island. Beach fales are the very best way to experience genuine Samoan hospitality.
The most popular beach fales are at Lalomanu Beach, Vava'u Beach and Virgin Cove on Upolu and at Manase Beach on Savaii. However, if you want to experience true Samoan hospitality and feel like you're exploring virgin territory, then there are other much better choices.
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Lalomanu Beach is a truly spectacular setting on the south east tip of Upolu with stunning mountains, offshore islands and fine white sands. There are four separate beach fale properties here, strung out in a line along the beach front, of which only one is recommended for the service they offer tourists and the good food served at their restaurant. The only way to tell them apart is from the style of the fale. Our pick is Taufua Fales which offers traditional open sided beach bungalows right on the beach as well as several enclosed fales offering more privacy and more protection from unexpected heavy downpours. Taufua offers lovely views of the offshore islands. Litia Sini's is another option and offers enclosed rather stuffy wooden boxes right on the beach but the food is not great and the public bar, which is popular with locals, can be quite noisy. Lalomanu is in a village setting with the main road cutting between it and the beach fales and can get crowded at weekends (by Samoan standards) when locals come for the day to splash around and drink beer.
Virgin Cove is an excellent set-up on a secluded beach along the south-west coast of Upolu. There is a rough track through the tropical forest leading to the beach fales, but most tourists get dropped at Sa'anapu and walk along the beach for ten minutes to reach Virgin Cove. There are just eight traditional fales here, ensuring intimacy, with an excellent restaurant serving local food and several nice touches like fresh ground coffee and sun (warm) showers. However, there's no village environment near-by so this is for beach lovers and naturalists only.
Manase Beach on Savaii is the most popular backpacker spot in Samoa. The beach here is lovely and stretches for over a mile and is set alongside a traditional village. There are three good beach fale properties in Manase, each offering a slightly different angle to its neighbour. Tanu Beach is the largest with over 40 fales, but only 14 of them are on the beach and the others scattered around the property. If you want to meet lots of travellers this is a good choice but the fales lack privacy and the meals are not great. Slightly away from the crowds at the near end of Manase (east side) is Vacation Beach Fales the pick of the Manase Beach Fales. Vacations are the best kept and most traditional fales in Manase tucked behind palm trees fronting the beach. There are only six beach fales worth staying at, but another 12 fales in the garden either side of the road which can be a bit intrusive and noisy when buses pass. However, the service here is the best and the food is outstanding. This is the quietest of the beach fales in Manase and good for those seeking a relaxing break.
On the south coast of Savaii are two nice beaches with traditional beach fales. Satuiatua is located alongside a good snorkelling beach in a traditional village where tapa cloth handicrafts are made and the fales and food here are exquisite. Aganoa, on Taufua Peninsula on the south east coast, is on a good snorkelling and surfing beach in a more remote location off the main highway.
Now for the more exciting stuff - those fales a bit more off the beaten track ...
Manono Island and Namua Island are two small islands off the coast of Upolu. Manono is the largest of these, a 20-minute boat ride from the west coast Upolu, with five traditional villages. There are no roads, no cars and no dogs on the island making it truly peaceful and a great place to immerse yourself in traditional Samoan culture. Voatuua Overwater Fales are without doubt the nicest fales in Samoa, offering just three over-water fales built on stilts with a ladder leading down into the water. The beach is only mediocre, with no sand at high tide, but the views across the water to Upolu more than make up for this. It takes about an hour and a half to stroll the coastal trail around Manono. Uninhabited Namua Island, 10 minutes by boat off the east coast of Upolu is very different. Set on a nice swimming beach with good snorkelling, there are just 10 traditional beach fales with views looking back towards the Upolu mountains.
One of the most original fales in Samoa is set on an inland lake on the north side of Savaii. Satoalepai Wetlands offers three over-the-water fales with magnificent views of the mountains. The main attraction here is the fresh water ponds where you can swim with turtles. It's possible to explore the lakes by a traditional outrigger canoe provided by the local family who operate the premises.
If you're looking to stay in a traditional village, Faofao Beach on the south coast of Upolu is the most convenient option with genuine Samoan hospitality. For the more adventurous, try Uafato Beach which is set in a very remote region on the east coast of Upolu. The village here is very traditional and surrounded by stunning tropical mountains. Satui'atua Beach on the south coast of Savaii is set on a lovely and quiet beach with great snorkelling and the nearby village is a great place to see traditional handicrafts being made, notably tapa cloth making. Satui'atua is also a popular spot for surfing.
There are two beach fales dedicated to surfers - Maninoa Surf Camp on the south coast of Upolu (boat trips to several surf breaks) and Aganoa Beach on the south-east coast of Savaii (offshore surf and boat trips to other surf breaks).
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