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Savaii Island is one of the most down to earth destinations in the South Pacific Here you'll find a great range of sights from volcanic craters and lava tubes, rain forest canopy walks, blowholes and some lovely beach settings alongside traditional Polynesian villages which are even more laid back than on Upolu

Savaii is in fact the largest of the Samoan Islands and ranks the largest Polynesian island outside of Hawaii or New Zealand Five daily flights from Apia to Moata Airport (Salelologa on the south eastern point of Savaii) take just 20 minutes The airport at Asau on north western Savaii is dysfunctional Slow ferries depart from Mulifanua on the western side of Upolu 3-times per day and travel across the 18km straight separating the two islands arriving in Salelologa after one and a half hours at sea, costing just ST$7 one way The fast ferry takes 40-minutes and also departs Mulifanua Wharf three times a day Buses on Savaii are even more irregular than on Upolu making it unreliable to get about using public transport, and taxis are expensive and hard to find outside of Salelologa and Asau The best bet is to hire a car and do it yourself

The wharf and main airport at Savaii are at Saleologa on the south east corner Saleologa is a functional town for the islanders - a few rowdy bars, supermarkets and garages but has little to offer tourists except for its colourful market There are a few cheap restaurants and basic motel style accommodation in town but apart from those stranded for the night before catching the ferry opr plane back to Upolu, there is little point in hanging around The Safua and Savaiian hotels can be found a few miles north of town although these are functional hotels with no beach and on a rather ordinary coastline The greatest attraction of the region is the Tafua Peninsula to the south of town with its huge accessible crater and splendid wild coastal views The hike around Tafua Crater takes approximately an hour from its base On the south-western side of the peninsula is the lovely Aganoa Beach with its excellent offshore surfing and the Aganoa Beach Fales

The east coast is the most developed stretch of Savaii with traditional villages and extraordinarily large churches, and several lovely beaches and snorkelling lagoons - this is the place to visit to immerse yourself in Samoan village life, which comes alive at sun down

Savaii is a complex geographical island dominated by its active but presently dormant volcanic activity Every 150 years or so, eruptions take place, creating a new crater and spilling lava down its mountainous landscape and into the lagoon Travelling up the east coast of Savaii gives a typical picture - long stretches of black rocky coastline and lava pools followed by fine stretches of golden sand and snorkelling lagoons, and suddenly at Sale-aula, the arid landscape of volcanic lava flow from the last eruption between 1911-1916

At Satoalepai, on the north-eastern tip of Savaii, there's a lovely inland lake and natural fresh-water pools where a local family has created a Turtle sanctuary and you can swim with turtles in the freshwater ponds

The most popular beach location on Savaii is between Lelepa and Manase villages, a few miles beyond Satoalepai The swimming beach stretches for several miles and makes a great spot for strolling, interacting with the local villages along the shoreline and snorkelling The only upmarket resort is Le Lagoto Resort, on the outskirts of Lelepa Village, and offers 5 self-contained bungalows, a great restaurant and views of Matautu Bay, one of the few places in Savaii with good yacht anchorage Across the bay is Manase Village where five families have set up beach fales aimed at backpackers The pick of the bunch is Vacations Beach Resort which offers the most authentic style fales with excellent food and service

Beyond Manase, another huge lava field has made the coast inaccessible The coastal road cuts inland where you'll find several interesting lava tubes, the Peapea caves and trails to the summit of Mt Silisili, the highest point in Samoa at 1,858m This arduous hike takes 2 days round trip and requires an experienced guide and warm clothing

The road rejoins the coast at Asau, a picturesque town with good anchorage in its bay (although large container ships have been unable to access it since the 1991 hurricane blew in huge rocks at its mouth) and a good place to spot turtles Asau once had an airport, but this has been closed since the 1990s A few miles beyond is Vaisala, a small town with lovely white sand and surfing - the Vaisala Beach Hotel offers basic rooms and a restaurant overlooking the beach At the very western tip of Savaii is one of the most scenic areas of the island Falealupo Rainforest Preserve is a natural low lying tropical forest with trails and canopy walkways with breath taking views The coast around Cape Mulinu'u is wild yet peaceful with a couple of lovely beaches and attractive sea arches and cliffs Unfortunately the beach fales here are all run down

The southern coast of Savaii has excellent winter surfing particularly off Satui'atua This peaceful spot has a lovely sandy beach backed by huge trees with some good snorkelling offshore

The Alofaaga Blowholes are one of the great sites in Samoa with plumes of water up to 30 metres high The stunning Alofaaga Blowholes coastal walk is one of the best in Samoa and it's easily accessible The great thing is that you can walk for as long or as little as you like You could just sit at the blowholes for hours watching the waves burst through the blowholes and rising 30 metres in the air If you're really adventurous you could walk several days along the coast all the way to Satuiatua without coming across another human soul

From the blowholes, head west along the rocks - there is a small track by the edge of the coastal rainforest but rock hopping is always good fun The rocks weave in and out across little canyons and up over small coastal cliffs In parts, small blowholes explode over the rocks causing temporary waterfalls as the water retreats back to the sea You'll find small rock pools, lots of crabs, sea birds, sea arches and secluded beaches at every corner This is a great place to be inspired by the sea

Heading east from the village of Taga leads along a rocky coastline with cliffs and sea arches There's a small clearing through the bush which leads to the unusual Nu'u black sand beach although the currents here are treacherous making it a beach of beauty rather than practicality

Heading back towards the main town of Saleologa keep an eye out for the Gataivai Falls which tumble 5 metres directly into the sea - the river is usually a hub of activity for the neighbouring village with kids playing and fishing and women washing clothes A few miles on is the turn off for AfuAau Waterfall This refreshing waterfall plummets from virgin forest into a deep natural and fresh swimming pool The track is difficult to navigate unless you have 4-WD but from the main highway it's just a half hour walk inland About 20 minutes drive further down this inland track is the fascinating Pulemelei Mound, the largest archaeological site in Polynesia The grand pyramid here is more than 60 metres in length and rises to a height of 15 metres