Travel to Samoa

You can get flights to Samoa from London Heathrow or London Gatwick with airline carriers Air New Zealand and Emirates. Direct flights aren't available so you might want to stop off on route. Flights frequently stopover in Auckland, which is a great place to spend a few days, to break up the travelling time.

If you are booking flights from the UK, you will almost certainly arrive into Apia Faleolo airport which is 27 kilometres away from Apia's town centre. The most common ways to get from the airport to your hotel is by bus or taxi. If you are lucky, you may also find that your hotel will arrange a shuttle service to pick you up.

There are plenty of ways to travel locally around the islands either on foot, bicycle, taxi or bus and it's easy to get to and from Upolu and Savallii by ferry.

You won't have a problem finding cheap hotels in Samoa. You can find rooms for as little as £9. If you are brave, it is also possible to stay in beach fales, simple thatched roofed huts with no walls, these are quite common on both main islands.

The best time to visit Samoa is between May and October. Not only is the temperature at its most comfortable, around 25°C, but it is also the time when Samoa is at its liveliest with many festivals and events happening on the islands. It is best to avoid December and January's holiday season when the prices rocket as Samoans jet over from New Zealand to visit friends and relatives.

You are spoilt for choice when it comes to dining in Samoa, as the restaurants are very cheap, enabling you to dine anywhere affordably. However, you may have trouble finding traditional delicacies, as there are more western styles of food available than local ones.

If you are shopping for bargains, you should visit the Apia Public Market. You can get some great gifts to take home such as sapio, tapas cloth and hand carved kava bowls. The Apia Flea Market in the old public market building is also another shopping venue that shouldn't be missed.