The Pe’a Pe’a Cave, Alofaaga Blowholes and the Tafua Peninsula’s crater are among the natural highlights of Savaii. But it’s the traditional culture that makes Samoa’s second island so memorable.
Savaii’s curfew
The bulky silhouette stands solemnly by the roadside. He’s there to make sure nothing is happening. The sun has just disappeared, its parting gifts of pink and orange blazes across the lagoon following in its path.
Now is the time for evening prayers in the village.
The guard is there for a few minutes to police the curfew; no-one in, no-one out, no-one running around when they should be praying.
Why book a Southern Savai’i day trip from Upolu?
- 🌋 Visit the Saleaula Lava Fields and learn about the island’s volcanic past
- 💦 Swim at Afu Aau Falls, one of Samoa’s most beautiful natural pools
- 🏝️ Experience local village life and traditional Samoan hospitality
- 🚌 Includes ferry transfers, transport, and a knowledgeable local guide
- 🥥 A relaxed and enriching way to explore Savai’i without changing hotels
Life in the fales of Savaii
During the day, it’s different.
Drivers have to be constantly wary of piglets or children chasing rugby balls careering across the road, and life is lived in the open.
Much of Savaii’s population still lives in open-air fales. To peer into these traditional Polynesian huts from the kerb is to see a world of laundry-hanging, smoke from open stoves and hyperactive strutting roosters.
The way things work on Savaii
Savaii is the larger of Samoa’s two main islands but its population is much smaller than Upolu’s.
The customary way of doing things holds sway; the village system sets the rhythms of life.
Before every photogenic waterfall or particularly alluring beach will be a small shack and a villager asking for a token amount of money as an entry fee.
The sand, the water, the trees and the volcanic craters all belong to the communities in which they happen to fall.
Pe’a Pe’a Cave: Savaii’s lava tube
At the Pe’a Pe’a Cave, one of the villagers acts as a guide. This giant lava tube was burrowed out by the eruptions of Mt Manavatu between 1905 and 1911.
Flashlight on, he pierces the darkness to reveal hundreds of tiny nests belonging to white-rumped Polynesian swiftlets.
Much of Savaii has been shaped by such marriages of destruction and adaptation. In the north, vast lava fields stretch towards the coast. A ruined church lies mostly consumed, but thick grass fights through the cracks in the dried black sludge.
The crater of the Tafua Peninsula
In the south-east, older eruptions have created the Tafua Peninsula.
A sweaty hike to the rim of the central crater reveals that a separate Lost World-esque eco-system is flourishing inside. Thick ferns turn it into a lush, green bowl, whilst rare bats effortlessly glide in circles along the thermal currents.
The Alofaaga blowholes
Where not shaped by volcanos, Savaii is at the mercy of the Pacific Ocean.
Tempestuous ocean surges have carved some marvellously moody scenery on the south coast.
Rock formations and sea caves are the norm, while the Alofaaga blowholes show the fury in full.
The seawater crashes into the coast and up through the gaps in the rock, like a fireworks display of foam and spray.
The mysterious Pulemelei Mound
But some things science can’t explain. Beyond the popular Afu-A-Au waterfalls lies the Pulemelei Mound.
This pyramid, long since reclaimed by the jungle plants, is the largest ancient structure in Polynesia.
No-one quite knows what it was put there for; one theory is that it was for catching pigeons, another that it’s a ceremonial altar.
Shortly before his death, explorer Thor Heyerdahl – whose infamous Kon-Tiki raft can be seen in Oslo, Norway – learned of its existence.
He thought it could be the proof of his theory that the Polynesian people had come from South America rather than Asia – there are similarities between the pyramid and those found in South America.
But the mound has never been studied properly; it feels fitting that this most enigmatic of islands should have a mystery at its heart.
How to visit Savaii from Upolu
Getting to Savaii from Upolu requires a trip on the Mulifanua to Salelologa ferry. A one way ticket costs $10 for adults, $5 for children and between $80 and $100 for vehicles, depending on the vehicle’s size.
The crossing takes 60 to 90 minutes, depending on sea conditions.
Once on Savaii, the best place to stay is the Le Lagoto Resort. The resort can organise locally-run tours for you.
An alternative is to take a day tour around southern Savaii, covering most of the highlights, from Upolu. This includes return ferry transfers.
While on Upolu, you can visit Robert Louis Stevenson’s grave and former home.
