Not to miss

Savai'i

Savai'i is one of the largest islands in Polynesia, but one of its least populated. It's an untouched and pristine island showing few Western influences and the people of Savai'i have maintained a way of life even more traditional than 'Upolu.

There are any number of first-class beaches on Savai'i and the places that aren't good for swimming are perfect for snorkelling. If you get sick of the beaches, the reefs, and the laid-back life of a beachcomber, the interior of Savai'i is just as interesting.

The Tafua Peninsula Rainforest Preserve is one of the most beautiful and accessible stands of rainforest, with rugged stretches of lava coast studded with caves and lava blowholes. The Matavanu lava fields, formed back in the early 1900s, is now an impressive moonscape, and a walk around the crater of the volcano is a must for archeological buffs. The other rainforest on Savai'i is the Falealupo Preserve, which has a canopy walkway.

In southern Savai'i, don't even think about missing the Alofaaga Blowholes at Taga. Not just another set of blowholes, there's little to equal them anywhere else in the world. Waterfalls and the Pulemelei Step Pyramid are the region's other highlights.

Apia

Apia, on the island of 'Upolu, is the capital of Samoa and the only place in Samoa that you could call a city and really mean it. For all of its modern details, such as banks and burger outlets, it still retains the picturesque charm of its history.

All the traders, pirates, whalers, and fallen missionaries who have washed up on the shores of Apia still seem to be present in spirit in Apia's slightly rundown air and the old pula trees shading the streets. Apia's neat villages climb up the gentle slopes towards the hills and into the valleys.

The clock tower in the centre of town, a memorial to WWI casualties, is a landmark for all those trying to orient themselves in the town centre. Just west of it is the Flea Market, which has craft stalls selling everything from cheap clothing and siapo (dyed bark sheets) to 'ava bowls and coconut-shell jewellery. Maketi Fou, a central market to the south, has a large selection of fresh produce at the lowest prices in the South Pacific. The Anglican church, although smaller than the Catholic church, has the most beautiful stained-glass windows, while at the Congregational Christian church are the clean-picked bones of the unfortunate Reverend John Williams.

Papasee'a Sliding Rock

Kids and adults alike have a great time skimming down the waterfall into a cool rock pool at Papasee'a Sliding Rock. Competition for a seat at the top of the main 5m slide can be fierce, but there are also three smaller slides to enjoy. If you visit during the dry season, check that the water level in the pool is deep enough to be safe.

The path down to the pool comprises a steep, slippery, 200-step stairway, so save some energy for the climb back up.

Lake Lanoto'o

Also known as Goldfish Lake, Lake Lanoto'o is an eerie, pea-green crater lake full of wild goldfish (and leeches). It's a great place for a swim, but a little spooky because of alternating warm and cold currents, and the fact that the bottom of the lake has never been found. Very few visitors ever see this lovely and unusual spot.

During the German occupation of Samoa it was a popular picnicking spot. Cavalcades of parasol-shaded young women were escorted to Lake Lanoto'o by German soldiers or courtly Europeans doing the wooing thing.

Due to the overgrown maze of trails leading to the lake, it's strongly recommended that hikers hire a guide.

Robert Louis Stevenson Museum

The Robert Louis Stevenson Museum is set in the Scottish author's beautifully restored former residence, Villa Vailima. Stevenson had the mansion built in 1890 after deciding the climate of 'Upolu might ameliorate his tuberculosis, but he died there a mere four years later. Stevenson and his wife Fanny Osborne are buried in the adjacent Mt Vaea Scenic Reserve.

His gravesite looks out over the 'Upolu's white fringe of reef and the distant horizon. After he died the people of Upolu worked 24 hours non-stop to hack a path to the top of the hill so that the body of their beloved tusitala ('storyteller') could be buried the next day with full ceremonial privileges.

On the tombstone is inscribed RL Stevenson's elegy with its famous last two lines: Home is the sailor, home from the sea/ And the hunter home from the hill.