A trip to Samoa: enjoy the sea view on a sunny day, enjoy the tropical rainforest as a rare visitor, and enjoy the delicious food in a relaxing way

Samoa, formerly known as "West Samoa", is located in the South Pacific. It consists of two large islands, Upolu Island and Savai'i Island, and seven other small islands. It has a land area of ??2,934 square kilometers and a population of about 170,000, 90% of which are pure Polynesians. race, and a few are of mixed European and Chinese ancestry.

Nowadays, Chinese tourists traveling to Samoa only need to produce a passport valid for more than six months to apply for a visa on arrival.

There are generally three routes to Samoa:

1. Fly from China to Auckland, New Zealand, and then transfer to Samoa (about a 4-hour flight). This route does not require a stop in Auckland, but you must apply for a New Zealand transit visa in advance.

2. The second route is to fly from Shanghai or Hong Kong to Hawaii first, then transfer from Hawaii to Samoa (about 3 hours flight), but again, this route to Hawaii requires a US visa.

3. The third route is to fly from Hong Kong to Fiji, transfer in Fiji and fly to Samoa (less than 2 hours flight). This is the route we took. However, when connecting flights to and from Fiji, you often cannot leave immediately. You need to stay in Fiji for one night and leave the next day. However, the advantage is that the procedure is simple. Chinese people do not need a visa to travel to and from Fiji, and they can also visit the beautiful scenery and eat seafood in Fiji, so this route is more popular.

This trip to Samoa left a very good impression on me. I have summarized several aspects of this island country that cannot be underestimated for the readers:

1. Primitive and modern Coexistence

Although I often traveled home and abroad before and after my retirement, this was my first time to visit such a remote and primitive island country.

There were various assumptions and speculations before departure, and I was worried about whether the five-star hotel service arranged by the travel agency was up to standard. Fortunately, after arriving at the hotel, the situation was better than expected. Not only are the environment and conditions top-notch, some of the details are impressive.

When I checked in at the hotel, I paid a deposit of RMB 100, which is generally done by hotels. However, the hotel front desk did not give a receipt after receiving the deposit, which made me a little puzzled.

The tour guide explained that this is the practice of the local people. They are honest and will return the money to the guests when checking out. This was also proven when checking out.

There are water basins in the hotel lobby and corridors. There are Samoan flag patterns in the basins, which are spelled out with local flowers. It has a somewhat modern and primitive feeling.

Walking around Samoa, you will see modern five-star hotels juxtaposed with primitive indigenous villages.

The life of the Samoans is very leisurely and the pace of life is slow. The concept of time is not necessarily as sensitive as that of modern people living in metropolitan areas, but the timetables of trains and boats in various places are very clear, so you can leave when the time comes.

Although the locals still live in houses made of primitive trees and banana leaves, it is also a sight to take a taxi through the tropical rainforest and various primitive villages.

2. The tourism industry is developing rapidly and the currency is strong

The tourism industry is one of the main economic pillars of Samoa. The currency currently used in Samoa is Tala. At that time, 2.7 yuan could be exchanged for 1 tala. There are several tourist attractions in Samoa that attract tourists from all over the world all year round, and we are here for this reason.

The Le Sua Trench is said to be a world-class landscape, formed by the trench on the Pacific coast. It attracts young people from all over the world to come here for adventure all year round. There is only a very steep staircase to go down. The staircase is very narrow and can only accommodate one person. The water below is sometimes hot and cold. The management staff requires tourists to pay attention to their own safety and is not responsible for any falls or sprains. There are actually many trenches like this nearby, but this one is larger and you can swim in it.

Another sight in Samoa is the wind caves (Blowholes) on Savai'i Island.

If you want to see the wind tunnel, you have to get up early and take the ferry from Sapia Island to Savai'i Island.

These wind tunnels on the island are formed by the impact of waves on the Pacific coast, and the rocks on the shore are very hard.

Unfortunately, when we went to see it, the waves coming out of these wind tunnels were not high. If the wind tunnel becomes empty during low tide, the waves will set off waves more than ten meters high, which looks spectacular.

At that time, I only took the video with my mobile phone, but missed the best opportunity to take photos, which was a bit regretful.

In addition, there are many waterfalls on the island. The water under the waterfall is crystal clear, and tourists often jump in to feel the coolness of the Pacific coast.

If you are careful there, you will find that these waterfalls are surrounded by a variety of tropical plants, lush and full of fruits. However, you must be careful. These plants are poisonous. You can only look at them but not touch them. If you eat them, you may not be able to go back.

Stevenson is a famous Scottish writer and one of the representatives of the New Romanticism in British literature. He has written "Treasure Island" and other works. He once lived in Samoa, so his former residence is preserved here for tourists to visit.

All the furnishings in the former residence are as old and well preserved. There are dedicated management staff to provide explanations. The state of preservation is a bit like the way the former residence of writer Hemingway is preserved in Key-West, Florida, USA. This is a must-see for experts, scholars and tourists who love British and American literature.

In Samoa, people openly admit that their ancestors were cannibals and were cannibals 300 years ago. But later on, there are different opinions on when and why it stopped eating people.

When we visited a museum, a person in charge of the local museum told us about such a legend in Samoa. There is also an oil painting preserved in the museum that records the cannibalism of their ancestors.

The story goes like this...

It is said that there was a king here who wanted to eat one person every day, and the chief of the local village was responsible for capturing and dedicating the person. One day the king and the prince were walking in the village outside. They heard crying nearby. When they got closer, they saw two men holding each other's arms and crying.

When the king saw this, he stepped forward to inquire and learned that they were brothers. The brothers didn't know that the person standing in front of them was the king, so they said that today the chief informed his family that one of them would be dedicated to the king for dinner.

Before the king could speak, the prince next to him pulled the two brothers aside to talk. After that, the prince and the king walked away.

When it was time for dinner, a human body wrapped in banana leaves was placed in front of the king as usual for the king's dinner. When the king opened the banana leaf, he was surprised to find that it was his own son who was offered as his dinner.

The king was angry and furious. At this time, the prince persuaded the king not to eat innocent people like this anymore, and asked him to think about how he would feel if his son was eaten. After that, the king repented, and from then on, the cannibals stopped eating people.

Such legends are very popular in Samoa. When you hear these stories while traveling, although cannibalism is cruel, listening to it as a legend can also broaden your knowledge.

Samoa has unique customs, beautiful scenery, leisurely life and delicious food. In addition, an indispensable item in Samoa tourism is to visit the local chief's house.

This is perhaps the most enjoyable part of any tour group’s schedule, and it is also the best time to have a deep understanding of the local customs.

According to local standards, the welcome ceremony is very formal, and when you arrive at the chief's house, you will receive a hero's welcome. The chief we went to this time had seven sons.

Each of the chief’s sons at home said a welcome speech in Aboriginal language, and then the chief said a welcome speech. After the welcome speech, the children will offer each guest a local drink called lava.

After drinking the lava drink, we went to watch and participate in the whole process of killing pigs, chickens, and barbecue at the chief’s family, and finally had lunch.

During the dinner, each prince of the chief’s family danced a local dance. The music was very nice and the process was very interesting.

3. Samoa’s customs, society and future

Samoa has a unique customs and has become one of the world’s famous tourist destinations.

Samoans are generally tall, tough but smiling. Samoan men are physically strong. Another thing I felt during this trip was that the social status of Samoan women is not high. There are different social conditions in different places, so there is no need to elaborate.

Samoa is also one of the global offshore financial centers and has a relatively complete offshore judicial system. And around 2014, it officially launched its own special trust act, SISTA-Samoa Islands Special Trusts Act.

Our government has announced that seven South Pacific island countries, including Samoa, will be listed as overseas tourist destinations for Chinese citizens. The Samoa Tourism Bureau is also taking measures to target the Chinese tourism market.

Chinese citizens who intend to travel must choose a qualified travel agency to ensure their legitimate interests and provide passports and other relevant documents.

In short, the impression left by this trip to Samoa is: the sea is beautiful, the people are simple, the food is delicious, the weather is a bit hot, the status of women is low, and traveling is endless fun.

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