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To Sua Ocean Trench

Travel guide · Turquoise ocean trenches, waterfalls and fa’a Samoa

Travelling to Samoa

The To Sua trench, Lalomanu beach, the waterfalls of Upolu, the lava fields and blowholes of Savai’i, and the traditional way of life of fa’a Samoa. We tell you when to go, what to see and what to eat.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • Best time: from April to October
  • Where to eat: a market or a beach fale
Photo: Rickard Törnblad · CC BY-SA 4.0

Samoa in 30 seconds

  • The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Samoa are from April to October.
  • To eat like a local: a market or a beach fale. Don’t leave without trying: Oka, Palusami, Umu.

Samoa in November

You can go, with a few caveats: rain and cyclones. The best time is May to October.

  • November

    Rain and cyclones

    It’s the wet and cyclone season.

    What to do: The best time is May to October.

More destinations for November

When to travel to Samoa

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Samoa are from April to October.

  1. Jan with warnings
  2. Feb with warnings
  3. Mar with warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov with warnings
  12. Dec with warnings

More destinations for those dates: where to travel in April · where to travel in May · where to travel in June · where to travel in July

  • from November to March

    Rain and cyclones

    It’s the wet and cyclone season.

    What to do: The best time is May to October.

What to see in Samoa

The cities and areas most worth your time, with their highlights. Open each one for all the places, where to stay and its day trips.

  • Apia

    Apia

    The capital, with a market, white churches and Robert Louis Stevenson’s house.

    • Robert Louis Stevenson Museum
    • Fugalei Market
    • Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
    • Seafront promenade
    Apia guide
  • Upolu

    Upolu

    The main island, with the To Sua trench, waterfalls and beaches with fales.

    • To Sua Ocean Trench
    • Sopoaga Falls
    • Papapapaitai Falls
    • Piula Cave Pool
    Upolu guide
  • Savai'i

    Savai'i

    The big, quiet island, with lava fields, blowholes and forests.

    • Alofaaga Blowholes
    • Saleaula lava fields
    • Afu Aau Falls
    • Falealupo Canopy Walkway
    Savai'i guide
  • Lalomanu

    Lalomanu

    One of the most beautiful beaches in the Pacific, with fales on the sand.

    • Lalomanu Beach
    • Fales
    • Snorkelling
    • Nu’utele Island
    Lalomanu guide

Day trips and activities

What’s most worth booking from each city. We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

From Apia

From Upolu

From Savai'i

From Lalomanu

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

What to eat in Samoa

To eat like a local: a market or a beach fale, and order oka or palusami. And don’t leave without trying:

  • Oka

    Raw fish with coconut and lime.

  • Palusami

    Taro leaves baked with coconut cream.

  • Umu

    The Sunday stone oven.

  • Sapasui

    Noodles with meat, a Chinese legacy.

  • Panikeke

    Fritters.

  • Koko Samoa

    Hot chocolate made from local cocoa.

The typical food of each city, with a recipe

Curious facts about Samoa

What guidebooks don’t tell you and will help you understand the country better.

  • In 2011 it skipped a whole day when it moved to the other side of the International Date Line.
  • Fa’a Samoa, the Samoan way, shapes family and village life.
  • The traditional tattoo (pe’a) is a symbol of identity.
  • Robert Louis Stevenson lived and is buried in Samoa.
  • People sleep in fales, open huts on the beach.
  • On Sundays everything stops: church and family lunch.

Traditions of Samoa

Customs and celebrations that will help you experience the country like a local.

  • September Teuila Festival

    Dancing, canoes and tattooing.

  • Fiafia

    A night of dancing and fire.

  • Siva afi

    The fire dance.

  • 1 June Independence Day

    A national holiday.

What not to do in Samoa

First-trip mistakes that are easy to avoid.

  • Don’t walk through a village during sa, the evening prayer time.
  • Don’t swim at a village beach without asking permission.
  • Don’t wear revealing clothes away from the beach.
  • Remember that almost everything closes on Sundays.
  • Don’t touch the coral.
  • Don’t go out without your passport or a copy.

Before you go

Entry requirements depend on your passport and change: always check them with official sources before travelling.

Frequently asked questions about Samoa

What people search for most before travelling to Samoa.

What’s the best time to travel to Samoa?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Samoa are from April to October.

What to see in Samoa in a week?

The essentials of Samoa: Apia, Upolu, Savai'i and Lalomanu. How many places fit into your days, and in what order, depends on your dates and how you get around: the Bagintravel app plans your trip day by day in a minute.

What to eat in Samoa?

Oka, Palusami, Umu, Sapasui, Panikeke, Koko Samoa. To eat like a local: a market or a beach fale.

What should you not do in Samoa?

Don’t walk through a village during sa, the evening prayer time. Don’t swim at a village beach without asking permission. Don’t wear revealing clothes away from the beach.

Is it worth travelling to Samoa in November?

You can go, with a few caveats: rain and cyclones. The best time is May to October.

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Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Seasonal data, places and areas: the same ones the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Photos: cover, Rickard Törnblad (CC BY-SA 4.0). Apia, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). Upolu, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5). Savai'i, Sarah Kelemen (CC BY 2.0). Lalomanu, Neil (CC BY 2.0).