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Upolu

Samoa travel guide

What to see in Upolu

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

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • 5 must-see places
  • Best time: from April to October
  • Typical food: Palusami
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.5

Upolu highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

  1. To Sua Ocean Trench

    A turquoise pool in the ground.

  2. Sopoaga Falls

    With a viewpoint.

  3. Papapapaitai Falls

    Inland.

  4. Piula Cave Pool

    A pool in a cave.

  5. Southern beaches

    With fales.

Day trips from Upolu

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

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

When to travel to Upolu

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Upolu 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
  • from November to March

    Rain and cyclones

    It’s the wet and cyclone season.

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

Typical food of Upolu

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to Upolu from your kitchen).

Palusami
Photo: Neeta Lind · CC BY 2.0

Palusami

Little parcels of taro leaves filled with coconut cream and onion, cooked in the Sunday umu (stone oven) in the villages of Upolu.

  • Serves 4
  • 1 h 15 min

Ingredients

  • 20 large taro leaves (or chard or cabbage leaves)
  • 400 ml coconut cream
  • 1 onion
  • Salt
  • Banana leaves or foil

How to make it at home

  1. Mix the coconut cream with the finely chopped onion and salt.
  2. Stack four or five leaves and shape them into a bowl in your hand.
  3. Spoon in some coconut cream and fold the leaves into a parcel.
  4. Wrap each parcel in banana leaf or foil.
  5. Bake at 180 °C for an hour, until the leaves are very tender.

The trick: Taro leaves must always be cooked thoroughly: raw, they make your throat itch.

Where and what to eat

To eat like a local: a market or a beach fale. The dishes you can’t miss are in the Samoa guide.

Frequently asked questions about Upolu

What to see in Upolu?

To Sua Ocean Trench, Sopoaga Falls, Papapapaitai Falls, Piula Cave Pool and Southern beaches.

What to see in Upolu in one day?

Don’t miss To Sua Ocean Trench, Sopoaga Falls, Papapapaitai Falls, Piula Cave Pool and Southern beaches. To split it into days and areas without crossing the city back and forth, the Bagintravel app plans your trip in a minute.

What’s the best time to travel to Upolu?

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

What day trips can you take from Upolu?

To Sua.

What is the typical food of Upolu?

Palusami. Little parcels of taro leaves filled with coconut cream and onion, cooked in the Sunday umu (stone oven) in the villages of Upolu.

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More in Samoa

Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Places, areas and seasons: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.