Savai'i
These powerful blowholes are among the most spectacular on Earth, and well worth going out of your way for. Strong waves are pushed through a series of…
Getty Images/iStockphoto
Savai'i
Samoa’s ‘Big Island’ offers a spectacular scenic smorgasbord of riotous rainforest, sea-smashed cliffs, pristine waterfalls and ragged volcanic cones (around 450 of them). Though visitors will be taken by Savai’i’s gentle, snoozy ambience, the island itself – the largest shield volcano in the South Pacific – has volatile tendencies, most dramatically displayed in the eerie lava fields, village ruins and craters of the north and the explosive blowholes of the south coast.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Savai'i
Polynesia’s largest ancient structure is the intriguing, pyramidal Pulemelei Mound (sometimes called Tia Seu Ancient Mound). Constructed sometime between…
Savai'i
If you've got a 4WD and a sturdy pair of boots, a visit to the volcano responsible for the devastation visited upon northeastern Savai’i a century ago is…
Savai'i
This intriguing subterranean lava tube leads downwards as if to the centre of the earth. The cave is named after a legendary group of dwarves, who…
Tafua Peninsula Rainforest Preserve
Savai'i
This preserve contains superb stands of rainforest and rugged stretches of lava coast studded with cliffs and sea arches. A highlight is the Tafua Savai’i…
Savai'i
The country's most western point is not only gorgeously scenic (until Samoa hopped the dateline, it was the last place in the world the sun set each day),…
Savai'i
This striking spot offers a fascinating glimpse at the destruction wrought by the 1905 eruption of Mt Matavanu. Most photogenic is the ruined LMS Church:…
Savai'i
This wobbly walk takes you across a 24m jerry-built bridge strung between two large trees almost 10m above the rainforest floor. After you cross the…